NextGenerationEU 2026
About this scholarship
NextGenerationEU is the European Union’s recovery funding instrument that supports projects, research posts and training opportunities implemented through national and institutional calls across Europe.
NextGenerationEU is a major European Union recovery instrument created to support economic recovery, resilience, reform and investment across EU member states. Rather than being a single centrally applied scholarship, it is a broad funding framework that finances many national and institutional programmes, including research posts, fellowships and project-based academic opportunities.
For students and researchers, NextGenerationEU funding is commonly encountered through specific calls run by universities, research institutes, governments, or agencies under national recovery and resilience plans. The reference opportunities linked to this programme include postdoctoral research positions in countries such as Romania, Portugal and Spain, covering fields like medical science, engineering and history. Because the scheme is implemented through many sub-programmes, the level funded, duration, benefits and eligibility rules can vary significantly by call.
Funding usually supports research activity directly, and may include a salary or maintenance allowance, project costs, and sometimes other employment-related benefits depending on the host institution. Some opportunities are short-term project contracts, while others are fixed-term research fellowships. Eligibility is typically defined by the individual host call and may include requirements related to academic degree level, disciplinary background, citizenship or work authorization, language ability, and prior research experience.
NextGenerationEU-funded opportunities are generally hosted in European Union member states and are often tied to national recovery plans such as Romania’s PNRR or Portugal’s PRR. Applicants should therefore search for open calls at participating universities, research centres, government portals, and institutional recruitment pages rather than expecting one universal application portal for the whole programme.
If you are interested in a NextGenerationEU opportunity, read the specific project call carefully, confirm the host institution, funding terms, and eligibility conditions, and apply directly through the method indicated by that institution.
Eligibility
Who can apply for this scholarship
Eligibility depends on the specific NextGenerationEU-funded call. In the referenced postings, applicants typically needed a PhD in a relevant field. Some calls required Romanian citizenship, citizenship of another European Union or European Economic Area member state, or the right to work in Romania; some also required Romanian language proficiency. Other calls in Spain or Portugal had their own institutional and project-specific criteria.
Requirements
Documents typically needed to apply
Language requirements
Varies by call; referenced opportunities required Romanian in some Romanian posts and English in at least one Spanish research post.
Where you can use this
Open positions accepting NextGenerationEU.
