INSF - IIASA Joint Postdoctoral Fellowship Call Announced

Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) jointly invite eligible researchers to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship in the fields of environment, energy, ecology, natural resources, risk and resilience, and advancing systems analysis.
Under this call, up to three postdoctoral researchers jointly approved by INSF and IIASA will be funded.

Priority Areas

Environment, Energy, Ecology, Natural Resources, Risk and Resilience, and Advancing Systems Analysis

Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria

• Each postdoctoral fellowship may last up to 12 months, extendable for another 12 months upon the agreement of INSF and IIASA. The researcher must divide their time equally between Iran and IIASA. Each fellowship must have one supervisor in Iran and at least one supervisor at IIASA. The researcher is expected to maintain continuous interaction with both supervisors throughout the research period. A joint virtual meeting between the researcher, the Iranian supervisor, and the IIASA supervisor to co-design the research proposal is mandatory. The exact distribution of time between Iran and IIASA must be approved by both supervisors, with time spent at IIASA not exceeding half of the total fellowship duration. Maintaining and facilitating communication between supervisors in Iran and IIASA by the postdoctoral researcher is highly important and regular joint meetings with supervisors must be held.
• Funding is provided to Iranian nationals who have earned their PhD degree from universities or research institutes in Iran, demonstrate strong research capabilities, and are at the beginning of their research careers. The maximum time elapsed since the PhD graduation to proposal submission is five years. Faculty members or candidates in the process of faculty recruitment are not eligible to apply. Applicants are strongly advised to carefully review the detailed conditions and regulations for IIASA researchers and postdoctoral programs via this link.
• Submitted proposals must align with the research objectives of at least one of IIASA’s research activities. Applicants must review IIASA’s research programs in advance and identify their target research group. Applicants may find relevant programs within their area of expertise via this link.  
• Applicants should note that IIASA does not conduct laboratory research and provides no laboratory facilities.
• During the fellowship, the researcher must submit a progress report before the end of the six-month period. This report will be the basis for performance evaluation. If the report is not approved, INSF and IIASA reserve the right to terminate the fellowship. If an extension is needed, the request must be submitted before the end of the 12-month period. Final evaluation of each fellowship will be conducted jointly by INSF and IIASA at the end of the program.

Call Timeline

• Opening Date: August 17 2025
• Deadline for Proposal Submission: September 6, 2025

Funding

• Postdoctoral salary for 12 months according to the approved rate of the INSF Scientific Board
• Project implementation costs (living expenses in Austria for 6 months and round-trip economy class airfare Tehran–Vienna–Tehran): equivalent to €12,000 in Iranian Rials, with the exact amount determined by the INSF International Committee at the time of departure
• Supervisor’s honorarium according to the approved rate of the INSF Scientific Board
• Short-term visit costs (up to 6 days in Austria, including round-trip economy class airfare Tehran–Vienna–Tehran): 120 million Tomans for the Iranian supervisor, subject to approval by the INSF International Committee when travel is arranged

Attachments

• IIASA Postdoctoral Proposal Form

Proposal Submission Steps

• Complete the INSF-IIASA Postdoctoral Proposal Form
• Submit the proposal via the INSF Research Management System (rtms.insf.org)

Additional Notes

To facilitate connections between Iranian researchers and IIASA faculty members, the call will be conducted in two stages:

• Stage 1: Applicants, in line with the call’s conditions, submit their completed proposal form in the INSF Research Management System (rtms.insf.org).

• .After the deadline, proposals will be evaluated by the INSF Systems Analysis Committee.
• Stage 2: IIASA faculty members relevant to the research field will be linked to applicants. Applicants must correspond with the IIASA faculty member, obtain a letter of intent to collaborate, upload it to the INSF Research Management System (rtms.insf.org), after which proposals will proceed to peer review.

Required Documents for Stage 1

All documents must be prepared in English and include:

• Proposal form and timeline (including tables/figures, references, and intellectual property management plan)
• Applicant’s CV (maximum 4 pages)
• Two recommendation letters (preferably one from the applicant’s PhD supervisor)

Registration and Submission Procedure

Applicants must register in the INSF Research Management System (rtms.insf.org) under the “Applicants/Researchers” section. If the applicant does not already have a profile, they must first register, then log in using their email and assigned password. After logging in, applicants can submit their proposal through the “New Proposal Submission” section in the IIASA Postdoctoral Fellowship portal.

Contact Person

Applicants with questions may submit a ticket from their profile to the Systems Analysis Committee office (Dr. Asma Mirzaei).