FEBS Congress bursaries are funded by FEBS to help early-career researchers from outside the host country participate in a FEBS Congress when submitting an abstract to the event, as set out in more detail below. For the 50th FEBS Congress in Maastricht, FEBS bursaries will cover the early registration fee for such scientists, and make a contribution of €450 towards travel/accommodation (€825 in total).
Please check the eligibility criteria below carefully. A ‘FEBS country’ is a country where there is a FEBS Constituent Society (Europe and some bordering countries). FEBS bursaries are not available to scientists resident in the country in which the Congress is taking place (i.e. the Netherlands in 2026).
FEBS bursary applications deadline: 13 February 2026
Eligibility Criteria
- Be submitting an abstract to the Congress as first author
- Be a registered PhD student or be within 5 years of having received a PhD
- Be a PhD student at an institution of higher learning in a country where there is a FEBS Constituent Society, or be working as a postdoctoral scientist in such a country*
- Be a member of a FEBS Constituent Society*
- Be travelling to the Congress from outside the Netherlands
- Not have received a FEBS YTF grant to attend a FEBS Advanced Course in 2026 nor a FEBS YSF 2026 grant
*The Russian Biochemical Society and Belarusian Society of Biochemists and Molecular Biologists are temporarily suspended from FEBS, so members of these Societies and scientists studying/working/living in Russia and Belarus are not currently able to apply for FEBS bursaries.
How to Apply
Applications for FEBS bursaries for the 50th FEBS Congress must be made through the Congress abstract submission system before the bursary deadline of 13 February 2026.
To ensure your application is pulled into the data that goes forward to the selection, please make sure you follow all steps below correctly.
Enter the event’s abstract submission system to submit your research abstract and apply for a FEBS bursary
After the section on abstract presentation, answer yes to the question in the abstract submission form asking about applying for a FEBS bursary
Upload the following documents as a single pdf file, presented in the following order:
Proof of Status: PhD student or postdoctoral scientist within 5 years of receiving a PhD
Proof of current FEBS Constituent Society membership (scanned copy of current membership certificate/letter, dated within the past year, from your FEBS Constituent Society)
Curriculum Vitae, prepared using the FEBS 2026 Congress CV template
Submit your abstract as first author, according to the guidelines on the Call for Abstracts page
Assessment and Notification
Abstracts submitted by FEBS bursary applicants will be considered for scientific quality during the event’s abstract screening and appraisal (see the Call for Abstracts page); in addition, CVs of eligible bursary applicants will be considered.
The outcomes of FEBS bursary applications are expected to be notified via e-mail in early April 2026.
Successful applicants will receive a special code to register to the Congress at the reduced early-bird young scientist rate. Registration with payment must be made by 14 April 2026 in order to confirm presentation of the abstract and acceptance of the bursary.
FEBS Bursary Reimbursement
Delegates awarded FEBS bursaries will be reimbursed after the Congress by bank transfer from FEBS; more details will be shared following the notification from the Congress Organizers that you have been selected.
