2026-2027 International PhD Call VIB CNL

Application deadline: October 30, 2026

VIB-KU Leuven Center for Neuroscience is recruiting enthusiastic, creative, ambitious, and highly motivated PhD candidates to join us starting between May (at the earliest) and September 2027

Our different research groups explore how the brain and nervous system develops, ages and functions in health and disease, in particular neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental conditions, by bridging disciplines, from artificial intelligence, microelectronics, neuroengineering and nanoscience, to single-cell, imaging and molecular analysis, functional genomics and cell biology in human and animal models.

Doing a PhD at our Center

Embedded within both VIB and KU Leuven, we offer a unique PhD experience with access to state-of-the-art facilities, expertise, and training. PhD students will have the opportunity to work together with internationally recognized scientists and develop their research projects in an innovative research environment. We also have a PhD Association, which organizes social activities, networking and upskilling events, and an annual PhD Symposium.

Curious to know more? Learn all about what it means to start a PhD at VIB in our PhD Guidebook, written for aspiring and starting researchers.

Requirements

To be considered for a PhD position, you must meet the following requirements:

• Appropriate master’s or equivalent higher education degree
• Distinction (=cum laude) based on your study results or professional realizations;
• Proficiency in oral and written English in accordance with the criteria of KU Leuven (more information available here).
• A recently obtained Master's degree is considered an asset. Candidates who are still completing their Master's degree are also welcome to apply, provided they obtain the degree before the start of the position, as this may facilitate eligibility for certain competitive funding opportunities.

Relevant experience (e.g., molecular biology, cellular physiology, neuroscience, animal behavior, computational methods, etc.) is a plus. Candidates from non-neuroscience fields but with a keen interest in understanding the brain (e.g., physics, artificial intelligence, engineering, humanities, and medical training) are also strongly encouraged to apply.

Please note that this is an international call. Local candidates should contact PIs directly, independent of the program.

Timeline

Application deadline: 30th October 2026.

Interviews: We will be in touch with applicants within one to two months after the call closes. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an online interview with the Principal Investigator (PI) of the project for which they applied.

On-site visit: Selected candidates will be invited for a 2-day on-site visit to our Center in March 2027.

Offers : Final offers will be made to selected candidates from the end of April at the earliest. A later timeline may apply depending on the completion of the evaluation and selection process by the Principal Investigator (PI).

For application inquiries, please contact hr.cnl@kuleuven.be or visit our dedicated PhD Call webpage for more information.

https://vib.be

https://vibneuroscienceleuven.be/en/phdcall2027

https://vibneuroscienceleuven.be

PhD guide: https://issuu.com/viblifesciences/docs/vib_phd_guide?fr=sNTZiMzkwNDQwMjI