KInIT as your
Are you a talented postdoctoral researcher looking to advance your career through one of Europe’s most prestigious fellowships? Do you have an ambitious research idea and want to develop it in a dynamic, collaborative environment?
At KInIT, we believe that world-class research is not limited to large countries. We are building a supportive research environment right here in Slovakia and we want talented researchers to grow with us. KInIT connects researchers, educators, and innovative companies, linking together strong research with practical industry needs in a joint mission to advance world class research.
Under The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), the Postdoctoral Fellowships support excellent researchers who wish to carry out their own research project abroad, gain new skills and expand their international network, which aligns well with KInIT´s mission to cultivate excellent, responsible research and support the next generation of scientific leaders. Consequently, we welcome outstanding postdoctoral researchers who are preparing an MSCA postdoctoral fellowship proposal and are interested in developing their project ideas in collaboration with our research teams.
Who We Are Looking For
- Postdoctoral researchers with a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent experience in research (at the call deadline).
- Candidates that have not resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies) in Slovakia for more than 12 months during the last 3 years before the call deadline.
- Researchers in the following research areas: artificial intelligence and machine learning (anomaly detection, deep neural networks, explainability and fairness, ethics in AI, low resource NLP, machine learning with limited data) or related topics.
Why choose KInIT?
1. A strong interdisciplinary expertise in AI and related fields
At KInIT, we bring together top researchers across the topics of web & user data processing, green and secure environment, natural language processing, ethics and human values in technology, which is an ideal expertise for ERC projects that push boundaries across disciplines. The institute also combines primary research in high‑impact domains with applied research carried out directly in cooperation with partners from the private and public sectors.
2. International collaboration
KInIT helps integrate the research community, industry, and the public sector into a single, interconnected research ecosystem, strengthened through long-term international partnerships and collaborative projects. As a teaming Centre of Excellence, KInIT is well connected within the European research landscape and collaborates on 15+ European projects (primarily Horizon Europe) with more than 130 international partners (e.g., DFKI Germany, ADAPT Ireland, and CERTH Greece). This way, KInIT offers future ERC grantees access to a strong international network for interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral cooperation, industry partners, applied research opportunities, and pathways for broader impact.
3. Driving positive societal change
One of our goals is to encourage responsible innovation, expand knowledge, develop talent, and improve Slovakia’s competitiveness, in cooperation with the private and public sectors. As an independent private non-profit institute, KInIT tries to actively address current and emerging societal challenges, shaping a better future through ethical and green science and supports decision-making based on scientific arguments.
4. Dedicated support for MSCA candidates
We openly invite researchers seeking a host institution for their postdoctoral fellowship, offering a supportive environment, administrative backing and strategic guidance, all to maximize the potential of a successful application. Upon funding, we offer full support for implementing the project, together with dedicated supervision, mentoring, and connections to our strong international and industry networks. Additionally, in case you choose KInIT as your Host institution and your project is not selected for funding by the European Commission, we offer you help seeking an alternative funding.
5. A unique model in Slovakia
We create an environment where talented researchers can build meaningful careers in Slovakia, with a strong emphasis on scientific excellence and innovation-driven knowledge transfer in AI and related fields. As an institute inspired by similar global institutions, KInIT attracts international talent and fosters collaborations that strengthen ERC proposals and long-term research trajectories and helps create a supportive environment that actively supports grant writing, project development and international networking.
More about MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships are individual grants for postdoctoral researchers, designed to support excellent research, cross-border mobility and advanced training. They provide funding for the fellow´s living allowance, mobility allowance, family allowance (if applicable), research, training, and networking budget as well as institutional support for the hosting organization.
There are two types of fellowships
European Postdoctoral Fellowships
More info Less infoEuropean Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to researchers moving within Europe or coming to Europe from another part of the world. These fellowships take place in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country and can last between 1 and 2 years. Researchers of any nationality can apply.
Global Postdoctoral Fellowships
More info Less infoGlobal Postdoctoral Fellowships fund the mobility of researchers outside Europe. The fellowship lasts between 2-3 years, of which the first 1-2 years will be spent in a non-associated third country, followed by a mandatory return phase of 1 year to an organization based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. Only nationals or long-term residents of the EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries can apply.
Both types of fellowships may also include short-term secondments to another organization in any country (except during the return phase of a Global Fellowship), provided this secondment boosts the impact of research. Both fellowships can be extended with an additional period of up to 6 months at the end of the project to support a placement in the non-academic sector.
You can find all further information relevant to the 2026 call directly on the MCSA website and current deadlines below:
Call opening: 9.4.2026
Deadline: 9.9.2026
Notification of call results to applicants: February 2027
Grant agreement signature for successful projects: April 2027
First EU-funded projects start: May 2027
KInIT is ready to be your host institution and your partner on this exciting journey.
Interested?
We are hiring
We are growing and our research teams need new talents.
KInIT combines the excellent competencies of academic researchers and educators with innovative companies, their needs and experience. By involving the private sector, we seek to create a healthy research ecosystem that is connected to existing universities, the Slovak Academy of Sciences and above all to the international community.