The University of Florence (Unifi) has launched the 2026 edition of its UNIFI4FUTURE program, a competitive institutional grant designed to attract outstanding early-career researchers who want to develop a frontier research project and eventually compete for European Research Council (ERC) funding. Up to five positions are available, each supported by a €80,000 grant structured as an 18-month postdoctoral contract starting October 1, 2026. The call is open to researchers of any nationality, whether or not currently affiliated with the University of Florence. The application deadline is May 11, 2026.
What is UNIFI4FUTURE?
UNIFI4FUTURE is the University of Florence’s own call for proposals, distinct from any EU-level scheme, aimed at strengthening the institution’s competitiveness within the ERC Starting Grant program — one of Europe’s most prestigious and financially substantial individual research grants. Rather than simply hiring postdoctoral researchers for ongoing projects, UNIFI4FUTURE selects candidates with their own bold research idea, funds an 18-month residency at a University of Florence department to develop and mature that idea, and requires the selected researchers to subsequently submit a formal ERC Starting Grant proposal designating the University of Florence as the host institution. It is, in effect, a structured ERC incubator backed by institutional investment. The total budget for the 2026 edition is €350,000, distributed across up to five selected projects.
Financial Benefits
Each selected project receives a maximum contribution of €80,000, broken down as follows: €60,000 (gross employer cost) is allocated to the researcher’s 18-month postdoctoral appointment (incarico post-doc), activated under Article 22-bis of Italian Law No. 240/2010, and up to €20,000 is allocated to cover research-related expenses — including consumables, mobility costs, and publication fees — based on the justified budget request submitted at the application stage. The funded period runs from October 1, 2026 to March 31, 2028. Selected candidates also benefit from the scientific support of the University’s ERC Task Force and the technical-administrative expertise of the European and International Research Grant Office for the preparation of their ERC proposal.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must hold a PhD degree (or an equivalent qualification obtained abroad, assessed for equivalence by the Evaluation Committee), awarded between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2025. This eligibility window can be extended in the following cases: 18 months per child for maternity leave (regardless of whether the child was born or adopted before or after the PhD); the actual duration of paternity leave (with documentation); the duration of compulsory military service; or the certified period of serious illness affecting the candidate or a dependent. All eligibility conditions must be satisfied by the call deadline.
Beyond the degree requirement, applicants must demonstrate the ability to conduct independent research through at least one scientific publication as main author, without co-authorship from their PhD supervisor. They are also required to present a radically innovative research idea capable of pushing the state of the art in its field and achieving competitiveness within the ERC Starting Grant framework.
Candidates are ineligible if they hold a permanent position at a university or public research institution, have previously held a fixed-term Researcher contract (RTT) under Italian Law No. 240/2010, have been awarded a position in a previous UNIFI4FUTURE edition, or were subject to ERC restrictions due to a “C” score in the 2026 ERC call. Kinship or affinity up to the fourth degree with any member of the University’s governing bodies, the Evaluation Committee, or academic staff of the intended host department is also grounds for exclusion.
Research Project and Host Department
The research project must be designed as an 18-month frontier research pathway, following a bottom-up approach — meaning the research topic is entirely the applicant’s own, not defined by the university. The project must be hosted within one of the University of Florence’s departments, and applicants must secure a formal Letter of Intent from the Director of the intended host department before submission (a standardized template is provided as Annex 2 of the call). To facilitate this, the university publishes a Departments Information Sheet (Annex B) listing all departments, their main research areas, and relevant contacts — a practical resource that external applicants should consult before preparing their proposal. Projects can span all scientific domains, consistent with the ERC Starting Grant’s cross-disciplinary nature.
Selection Process
Selection proceeds in two independent stages, for a maximum total score of 100 points. The first stage (up to 50 points) evaluates the applicant’s profile through their CV and Track Record (up to 20 points, covering scientific output, independence, international visibility, and prior EU funding experience) and the alignment of the proposed project with ERC Starting Grant requirements (up to 30 points). Candidates must reach a minimum of 35 points in Stage 1 to advance to the interview. The second stage (up to 50 points) consists of an individual interview conducted entirely in English, during which the candidate presents their project in a short presentation of no more than 8 minutes, followed by questions from the Evaluation Committee. The interview is scored on innovativeness and scientific impact (up to 20 points), methodological robustness and feasibility (up to 20 points), and communication clarity (up to 10 points). A minimum overall score of 70/100 is required for inclusion in the final merit ranking. In the event of a tie, priority is given first to members of underrepresented genders, then to younger candidates.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted exclusively in English via the online platform at sol.unifi.it/bandiricerca, from March 11, 2026 until the strict deadline of May 11, 2026. Applicants who do not have University of Florence credentials must request them by emailing ricercaue@unifi.it no later than May 4, 2026 at 1:00 PM. The required submission package includes the completed Application Form (Annex 1), a 4-page maximum CV and Track Record, a detailed project description (up to 8,000 characters), a financial plan for the research expenses component, the Host Department Letter of Intent (Annex 2), and a self-declaration affidavit (Annex 3). Only one application per candidate is permitted.
For any queries, the responsible administrative contact is Dr. Eleonora Agresti, European and International Research Unit — Grant Office, reachable at eleonora.agresti@unifi.it or ricercaue@unifi.it.
→ Official Call: UNIFI4FUTURE 2026 – University of Florence
About the University of Florence
Founded in 1321, the University of Florence is one of Italy’s largest and most historically significant research universities, with approximately 50,000 students and 24 departments spanning all major scientific and humanistic disciplines. Located in one of Europe’s most celebrated cultural cities, it holds the HR Excellence in Research award and is an active participant in Horizon Europe, ERC, and Marie Skłodowska-Curie programs. Its institutional investment through UNIFI4FUTURE reflects a deliberate strategy to accelerate ERC competitiveness and expand its international research profile — making it a particularly supportive environment for researchers at the critical stage between PhD completion and independent grant leadership.
Leave a comment