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Application Guide

Everything you need to know to submit a strong application.

Who can apply

How to apply

Selection process

Still have questions?

Read the FAQs

Who can apply

The Enrico Fermi Fellowships support exceptional graduate students worldwide who want to enrich their Ph.D. by bridging theory and experiment.

We focus on fundamental science (e.g., physics, astronomy, cosmology, quantum foundations, complexity & emergence-including biology) especially where work pushes conceptual frontiers. Fields already saturated with funding or with minimal theory-experiment separation are lower priority.

Fellows must split their doctoral research between theoretical and experimental domains to ensure a comprehensive training.

Meet the Awardees

A non-exhaustive list of possible target fields where theoretical and experimental investigations could gain from double theory/experiment training include:

  • Quantum optics experiments probing foundations of quantum mechanics.
  • Solid-state systems linking quantum information and quantum-gravity questions.
  • Topological photonics.
  • Simulations of fundamental physics with quantum computers.
  • Quantum-gravity signatures in gravitational waves (e.g., quantum correlations in noise).
  • Early-universe cosmology & extreme astrophysics.
  • Tabletop probes of quantum gravity (condensates, superfluids, optomechanics, matter-wave interferometry).
  • Complex systems & emergence: consciousness, intelligence, origin of life, and interfaces between them.

Example applications

These are illustrative only. The program is flexible and adapts to different academic systems worldwide. If your case isn't listed but aligns with our goals, we encourage you to apply.

  1. Complementing experiments with theory

    A North American doctoral student with a background in experiments finished all required courses and started working in a laboratory. They can seek an EFF to relieve teaching duties and spend one year in a theoretical group. The topic of the research of the theory group may or may not be on physics related to the experiment.

    1 year theoretical studies Teaching relief

  2. Ph.D. Fellowship with Hybrid Focus

    An Asian Master's student applies for an EFF fellowship to fund two years of their Ph.D. on a split experiment-theory project. They plan to spend 12 months designing and executing an experiment at one institution and another 12 months at a partner institution to delve into related theoretical aspects.

    2 years Experiment & Theory Cross-institution

  3. African theoretician doing experiments

    An African theoretical physics student at an African University applies to an EFF with a fully experimental research project. They fund a one-year research project in an experimental laboratory abroad to complement their training.

    1 year Experimental lab Skills broadening

  4. South American-European Synergy

    A South American experimental physics student obtains an EFF to spend one year in a European theory group to complement their project with theoretical foundations.

    International 1 year Theory group

  5. Extending an EU Fellowship

    A European student uses an EFF to add a fourth year to their graduate education program to focus on cross-discipline training after the standard 3-year EU Ph.D. fellowship.

    4th year Cross-discipline EU program

How to apply

The call for applications for the second cohort of Enrico Fermi Fellowships are now open! The next deadline is October 19th, 2025 at 23:59 (Marseille time).

Applicants must complete the dedicated form. Be sure to submit a complete application and visit our FAQ page for clarifications about the application process.

The proposed starting date of the fellowship must be between April 2026 and January 2027 (inclusive). Please note that finalizing the agreement with your institution and activating the fellowship may take a few months. Consider this when selecting a starting date. The duration is expected to be less than two years, but we will exceptionally consider longer projects.

In the first cohort we funded 11 projects. We expect to award again between 5 and 10 fellowships, depending on budget availability. Awards will not be disbursed to the fellow directly but to the institution where the student is employed or otherwise legally affiliated.

Before applying, please read the budget section below.

  • First name(s)
  • Last name(s)
  • Email address
  • Affiliation

  • Project title
  • Research area
  • Proposed start date - The start date must be between April 2026 and January 2027 (inclusive). Please allow for possible administrative delays in setting up the fellowship with your host institution.
  • Proposed duration - The duration of each EFF is expected to be less than two years, but we will exceptionally consider longer up to a max of three.
  • Experimental supervisor (name, affiliation, email)
  • Theoretical supervisor (name, affiliation, email)

  • 1-page executive summary highlighting key information and how the assessment criteria are met
  • 1-4 page research proposal
  • Supporting letter from the experimental supervisor
  • Supporting letter from the theoretical supervisor
  • 1-3 page CV
  • Transcripts for all university-level study (BSc, MSc, and PhD if applicable)
  • Institution statement on official letterhead, signed by a university representative with authority to sign grant agreements (Institutional Support Letter Template)
  • Detailed budget based on the template (EFF Budget Template)

  • Full name
  • Email
  • Affiliation

Note: These referees should not have any joint publications with the applicant or either of the two supervisors. These referees are indicative only; we may select different referees at our discretion.

Awarded fellowships will be showcased in a dedicated section of the EFF website. To this end, successful awardees will be asked to provide:

  • A profile picture
  • A short blog-style text (up to 400 words) presenting the research project for a non-expert audience

How do I structure the budget?

A precise, reliable budget represents an important part of each EFF application. The awarded fellows will be asked to provide detailed expense reports annually throughout the disbursement of the award. To ease the process, we created a downloadable budget template (EFF Budget Template), and we here provide information as complete as possible. For additional questions, please refer to our FAQ page.

The maximum requestable amount is EUR 105K per year, divided as follows:

Up to EUR 75K per year for the student's salary support and cost-of-education expenses for the purposes of the fellowship  (such as tuition, tuition waivers, and fees).

Up to 10% of the overall award's budget per year for travel, conferences, relocation, and visa expenses for the fellow.

Up to EUR 25K per year divided between the two supervisors involved as research funds for laboratory costs. These costs are required to be in connection with the proposed project. Eligible expenses include:

  • salaries (limited to time dedicated to student supervision),
  • travel costs (they count together with the student's travel costs towards the 10% threshold of the total award),
  • conference fees,
  • publication fees,
  • equipment purchases  (please be aware of capital expenditure-see below for details)

Coursework

The awarded funds must be used only to fund the specific projects selected as part of the EFF program, not for coursework or other unrelated responsibilities.

Capital Expenditure

The funds allocated to the supervisors should not be used for Capital Expenditures. In general, Capital Expenditures include items with an individual value equal to or greater than 5,000 USD (or foreign currency equivalent), which have a "useful life" of more than one year. Multiple equipment items purchased separately but used only in aggregate to perform a business function (e.g., individual components of what is effectively a single lab instrument) are also considered Capital Expenditure.

What is a Capital Expenditure?
Capital expenditures include items with an individual value equal to or greater than 5,000 USD (or foreign currency equivalent), which have a “useful life” of more than one year. Useful life is defined as the amount of time an asset is expected to be functional and fit-for-purpose. Below are a few examples of common capital expenditures:
  • Costs of equipment such as:
    • Office equipment
    • Computer equipment
    • Research/Lab instrumentation
    • Multiple equipment items purchased separately but used only in aggregate to perform a business function (e.g., individual components of what is effectively a single lab instrument).
  • Costs of Software
    • Software to integrate a database with a website.
    • Computer, smartphone or tablet applications.
    • Databases, including the front-end user-interface and/or the back-end systems.

What is not a Capital Expenditure?
Expenditures of less than 5,000 USD (or foreign currency equivalent) for equipment or software creation do not qualify as capital expenditures. In addition, expenditures for equipment, or software with a useful life of less than one year are not considered capital expenditures. Other expenditures that are not considered capital expenditures include:
  • Aggregate costs of individual pieces of equipment used independently e.g., three laptop computers each costing 2,000 USD, totaling 6,000 USD (or foreign currency equivalent).
  • Costs to lease items from a third party.
  • Purchase of software licenses such as Mathematica, Microsoft Office, Sequel, Salesforce, etc.
Overheads

Notice that even if not included directly in the form, the hosting institution can claim a maximum of 10% of the fellowship as overheads to cover administrative costs. The details on how these overheads funds will be used by the hosting institution must be declared in the institutional statement and can be used to pay expenses of the following kind (the list is indicative):

  • Rent, utilities (including phone and internet), maintenance, insurance (e.g., general liability, cybersecurity, and media liability), and other general facilities costs.
  • Clerical, administrative, legal, technical, information technology, and accounting services.
  • General use office equipment, lab instruments, or equipment not 100% dedicated to the grant or project.
  • Printers, mail services, and miscellaneous office supplies.

The Selection Process

The selection process involves four main steps. Applicants will be notified at the end of each step. Please refer to the EFF Team section for the complete and updated list of members of the EFF Managing Committee and the EFF Scientific Panel.

  1. 1

    Call for Applications Deadline

    October 19th, 2025 at 23:59(Marseille time)

  2. 2

    End of Preliminary Screen

    November 16, 2025

    The EFF Managing Committee initially screens applications for completeness and eligibility. This process will take up to 4 weeks from the end of the call for applications.

  3. 3

    Referee Review Completion

    January 25, 2026

    An external panel of referees selected by the EFF Scientific Panel examines the applications. The review period lasts up to ten weeks.

  4. 4

    Final Ranking Announcement

    February 22, 2026

    The EFF Managing Committee and the EFF Scientific Panel compile the final ranking of applicants based on the referees' assessments. Fellowships are awarded according to this ranking, depending on the available budget.

  5. 5

    Accepting the Fellowship

    March 1st, 2026

    The fellowship winner has one week to accept or decline the offer. If declined, the next eligible applicant is considered. If accepted, the CSTQ will arrange the fellowship transfer with the awardee's institution, and the fellowship can officially start. Note that this process require up to a few months.

Selection Criteria

Each application will be reviewed by two expert anonymous referees, selected by the EFF Managing Committee and the EFF Scientific Panel.

During the final ranking, the Managing Committee will aim to select a diverse cohort, taking into account the geographical distribution of the host institutions as well as the gender and cultural backgrounds of the selected candidates.

Applicants for the Enrico Fermi Fellowships will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:

Focus Quality of the candidate
  • Academic excellence and relevant competencies.
  • Research track record and evidence of original scientific contributions.
  • Preparation and alignment with the proposed project.
  • Quality and complementarity of the proposed research groups.
Focus Quality of the project
  • Coherence and plausibility of the proposed project.
  • Clarity of the theory-experiment cross-training and its added value.
  • Feasibility and soundness of the proposed methodology.
  • Fit of the project within the scientific context of the involved research group(s).
  • Relevance and originality of the research topic.
  • Scientific depth and potential to address "big questions".