NeuroCure InViTE Postdoc Program

NeuroCure recognizes the importance of diversity for scientific quality and impact. To include a greater diversity of perspectives in our own community and in the neurosciences overall, NeuroCure is establishing the InViTE program to stimulate scientific exchange and collaboration with researchers from regions that are underrepresented in the neurosciences, including Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia*.

Specifically, the InViTE program aims to foster scientific interactions with early career researchers from these regions with a focus on mutual network building, bidirectional knowledge exchange, and training in state-of-the-art methods. We therefore invite highly qualified early career researchers from these regions to apply for a NeuroCure InViTE Fellowship. Successful applicants will be invited to Berlin for scientific exchange and networking with the Berlin neuroscience community, and the possibility of longer research stays, as follows:  

• Phase 1 – Up to 10 candidates will be invited to Berlin for visits to NeuroCure labs and participation in the Berlin Neuroscience Meeting (BNM) on October 8-9, 2026. At the BNM fellows will contribute short talks and posters about their research and pitch ideas for a one-year project within a participating NeuroCure lab.
• Phase 2 – Up to five candidates from Phase I will be offered a one-year internship in a NeuroCure lab, starting in January 2027. Selection will be based on a combination of the candidate’s application and match to the scientific scope of the Cluster.
• Phase 3 – Up to three candidates from Phase II will be offered two-year postdoc positions in a NeuroCure lab.
• For all Fellows (Phases 1-3), we will seek to maintain connections and explore collaborations or other joint activities post return.

*For this call, Southeast Asia includes the following countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. Due to its status as a high-income country and its highly developed neuroscience research infrastructure, Singapore is not included in this call.

What we offer:

• Participation in the Berlin Neuroscience Meeting 2026: Including travel, hotel, and meals. The BNM attracts around 250 local and international scientists from all career levels, and offers a dynamic two-day program with keynote speakers, panel talks, and poster sessions. See here for a recap of the 2025 BNM meeting.
• Full salary positions for internships and postdoc positions in NeuroCure labs, including social security benefits (German public sector pay grade E13*) and travel costs to/from the home country when the position begins and ends.
• Collaborative environment: NeuroCure brings together basic and clinical researchers in an interdisciplinary and translational research network that aims to better understand disease mechanisms and develop new therapies for neurological and psychiatric disorders. The Cluster is embedded in Berlin’s diverse and vibrant neuroscience community, including numerous renowned research institutions and a wide range of research foci from cellular and molecular neurosciences to systems and computational approaches. Collaborations with other labs - both within and outside NeuroCure - are actively encouraged to foster interdisciplinary projects that advance basic, clinical, and translational neurosciences.
• Professional development: Workshops, seminars, and peer networking events.
• Family-friendly & inclusive culture: NeuroCure is committed to fostering a family-friendly and inclusive work environment that welcomes researchers from all backgrounds, including underrepresented groups. The InViTE program will be supported by workshops on intercultural teamwork and collaboration for fellows and host lab members.

Eligibility:

• Nationality: Preference will be given to applicants with a nationality from the above-mentioned regions, who are also currently working in these regions.
• Career stage: Researchers who hold a PhD, MD, or equivalent but do not yet have their own research groups (e.g., postdocs, lecturers, clinical researchers) are eligible to apply.
• Research experience: Candidates should have a track record of producing high-quality and impactful research in the neurosciences, relative to opportunity. Familiarity with open science practices and robust research data management is appreciated.
• Thematic fit: Research interests must align with the thematic areas of the participating NeuroCure labs (see below).
• Skills: Fluency in spoken and written English is essential.
• Diversity: Women and other underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply.
• Availability: Candidates must be available to attend the Berlin Neuroscience Meeting and lab visits during the timeframe October 6-10, 2026.

 Selection Criteria:

• Fit to the NeuroCure community
• Quality of the project idea
• Scientific credentials
• Clearly articulated benefit for the applicant and/or home lab

 How to Apply:

• Register on the NeuroCure MERIT portal. We recommend registering with the portal as early as possible to review the application guidelines and familiarize yourself with the required information.
• Complete the application by entering all required information and uploading all required documents. Incomplete drafts can be saved and resumed at any time up to the deadline.
• Submit the completed application by noon (Central European Summer Time) April 9, 2026.

Participating NeuroCure labs:

Please see the NeuroCure members’ profiles for detailed information about their research foci.

Application support:

See our FAQs below, send an email to neurocure@charite.de, or zoom with us at the following times:

^{According to § 110 of the Berlin Higher Education Act (BerlHG), the employee is granted time for their own scientific qualification.}

^{* German public sector pay grade E13 within the “Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst (TVöD) -VKA ” – the labor agreement governing salaries for municipal employees in Germany. The exact experience level is determined by the employee’s qualifications and number of years of relevant work experience.}

^{**Academic age is calculated as years after receiving your doctoral degree (life/natural sciences candidates and others) or license to practice medicine (medical candidates) , deducting times outside of research due to, e.g., parental leave, full-time care responsibilities, long-term serious illness or other personal hardships (e.g., asylum seeking), clinical training, full-time employment in industry, etc.}