With a view to building up the capacity for excellent research at Babeș-Bolyai University (UBB), the UBB Scientific Council (CS-UBB) and the Institute for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology (STAR-UBB) are launching the 2025 competition for International Advanced Fellowship applications within the framework of the CNFIS-FDI-2025-F-0154 project.

The project aims to advance the Open Science (OS) practices in the research centres of the STAR-UBB-N network with a focus on the consolidation, optimisation, and management of research data in the context of Big Data and FAIR developments, and to support the development of human resources by offering excellence International Advanced Fellowships (IAFs) for the exploration of (new) core or multi- and transdisciplinary research topics and projects that involve the collection and management of research data.

• Up to five (5) International Advanced Fellowships will be granted to prominent international researchers who are qualified to promote the development of multi- and trans-disciplinary research topics involving the collection and management of research data in the context of OS, in collaboration with UBB laboratories and research centres;
• Fellowships are awarded to top researchers (e.g., highly cited researchers, researchers from Top 500 universities, etc.) who, based on their submitted research topics, may significantly contribute to the development of UBB key strategic fields of expertise and of OS practices;
• The fellowships are awarded for the following period: 01 September – 28 November 2025;
• The funding for each International Advanced Fellowship is granted for a duration of one month[1] and amounts to 8,000 RON (which includes travel to UBB, accommodation, daily allowance, etc.);
• Any institutionally-accredited research unit may recommend for a fellowship an outstanding member of the academic staff / researcher from a European/international prestigious institution. Proposals aimed at strategic UBB RDI fields may be submitted directly by the CS-UBB Operations Council;
• Applications must be submitted to CSU (Centre for University Strategy) between 10 and 30 of June 2025 by email to Ms. Carmen Pop (carmen.pop@ubbcluj.ro).
• The application file must include:

1. i) CV and a list of the applicant’s most relevant academic contributions (maximum 10 publications);
2. ii) The project proposal for the International Advanced Fellowship, maximum 3 pages, in free format. It should outline the activities to be carried out in the research unit recommending them, with an emphasis on the Open Science component of research data collection and management. Collaborative STEAM approaches (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Humanities, Mathematics) constitute an advantage;

iii) Recommendation from the institutionally-accredited research unit in UBB or CS-UBB, as applicable, indicating the extent to which the applicant will contribute to the development of new multi- and trans-disciplinary research topics and projects with an OS component in collaboration with UBB laboratories, centres or research institutes;

• Following the implementation of the project at UBB level, each fellowship recipient is required to hold at least one conference / scientific lecture / seminar / workshop (either online or on-site), under the aegis of the STAR-UBB Institute / Network, on a research topic with an OS component carried out in one of the institutionally-accredited research units or in a department of the UBB Academic Schools of Science. The fellowship recipient is also required to prepare and submit for publication at least one scientific paper in collaboration with a member of the academic staff / researcher of UBB on core or multi/transdisciplinary research topics relevant to OS practices;
• Applications will be shortlisted by the CS-UBB Operations Council by taking into consideration n the applicant’s CV and list of relevant academic publications/contributions, the project proposal, and the reputation of the university/RDI unit.
• Competition calendar:

[1] One month (recipient’s choice) between 1 September and 28 November 2025