2026 Top-Up Marco Fanno & Foscolo Europe Fellowships

Who Can Benefit as a Researcher?

Although researchers do not apply as ordinary individual scholarship applicants, the programme can benefit candidates who:

1. Have recently completed a PhD in Economics or Finance.

2. Are competing for early-career academic positions in Europe.

3. Are being considered through recognised international academic recruitment processes.

4. Are candidates for postdoctoral positions.

5. Are candidates for tenure-track positions.

6. Have a strong academic and research profile.

7. Are being recruited by an eligible university department or research institute.

8. Are selected through a rigorous and transparent institutional recruitment process.

Research Areas

The fellowship supports academic recruitment in Economics, Finance and related disciplines. Relevant research areas may include:

1. Economics.

2. Finance.

3. Financial economics.

4. Microeconomics.

5. Macroeconomics.

6. Econometrics.

7. Banking and financial markets.

8. International economics.

9. International finance.

10. Development economics.

11. Labour economics.

12. Public economics.

13. Applied economics.

14. Quantitative economics.

15. Other closely related areas of Economics and Finance.

The key requirement is that the recruiting department or research institute must operate in Economics, Finance or an eligible related discipline.

Benefits

1. Seven Top-Up Fellowships will be awarded.

2. Two fellowships will be awarded under the Marco Fanno category.

3. Five fellowships will be awarded under the Ugo Foscolo category.

4. Each fellowship has a total value of €150,000.

5. Each fellowship has a duration of three years. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

6. Provides salary top-up support that can make academic positions more internationally competitive.

7. Helps eligible institutions compete for highly qualified early-career economists and finance researchers.

8. Supports the recruitment and retention of promising young academic researchers.

9. Can strengthen the ability of European universities and research institutes to attract researchers from international academic job markets.

10. Provides participating researchers with an academic position supported by a competitive institutional recruitment package.

Who Is This Opportunity For?

This opportunity is primarily for:

1. University departments in Economics or Finance.

2. Research institutes working in Economics or Finance.

3. Eligible European academic institutions located in countries where UniCredit Group operates.

4. Institutions recruiting recently graduated PhD researchers.

5. Universities recruiting candidates for postdoctoral positions.

6. Institutions recruiting candidates for tenure-track positions.

7. Academic departments participating in internationally recognised economics or finance job markets.

8. Early-career economists and finance researchers who are being considered for eligible positions at participating institutions.

How the Fellowship Works

The programme has an institutional recruitment structure:

Step 1 — Recruitment: An eligible university department or research institute conducts an internationally competitive recruitment process.

Step 2 — Candidate Selection: The institution identifies an outstanding early-career researcher who meets the programme requirements.

Step 3 — Fellowship Application: The eligible institution applies to UniCredit Foundation for the Top-Up Fellowship associated with the recruitment.

Step 4 — Award: If selected, UniCredit Foundation provides the €150,000 fellowship top-up for the three-year period.

This structure means that an individual researcher generally cannot treat the programme as a standalone scholarship application. The researcher's opportunity to benefit is linked to recruitment by an eligible participating institution.

Application Process

1. The eligible university department or research institute reviews the official 2026 Top-Up Fanno & Foscolo Fellowships call.

2. The institution confirms that it is located in a country where UniCredit Group operates.

3. The institution confirms that its academic activities fall within Economics, Finance or an eligible related discipline.

4. The institution identifies the relevant academic recruitment process.

5. The institution conducts a rigorous and transparent international recruitment process.

6. The institution identifies an outstanding recently graduated PhD researcher for an eligible early-career position.

7. The institution confirms that the recruitment process meets the programme requirements.

8. The institution prepares the required application materials.

9. The application is submitted through the official UniCredit Foundation procedure.

10. The institution verifies that all required information and supporting documentation have been provided.

11. The completed application must be submitted by 30 October 2026.

12. UniCredit Foundation evaluates the applications and announces the selected fellowships.

Important Information

1. The application period runs from 20 July 2026 to 30 October 2026. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

2. The application deadline is 30 October 2026.

3. Seven fellowships will be awarded.

4. The seven awards comprise two Marco Fanno Fellowships and five Ugo Foscolo Fellowships.

5. Each fellowship has a total value of €150,000.

6. Each fellowship lasts for three years. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

7. The programme is primarily directed at eligible university departments and research institutes, not individual scholarship applicants.

8. Eligible institutions must be located in countries where UniCredit Group operates.

9. The programme concerns Economics, Finance and related disciplines.

10. The intended researchers are outstanding early-career academics who have recently obtained a PhD in Economics or Finance.

11. Eligible recruitment can include postdoctoral and tenure-track positions.

12. Institutions are expected to use recognised international recruitment processes and rigorous, transparent candidate-selection procedures. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

13. The winners are expected to be announced by 11 December 2026. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

14. Individual researchers should not assume that they can submit a personal application independently of an eligible recruiting institution.

15. Universities and research institutes should consult the complete official call and FAQ for the detailed documentation, selection and post-award requirements.

Key Dates

Application Opens: 20 July 2026

Application Deadline: 30 October 2026

Winner Announcement: By 11 December 2026

Number of Fellowships: 7

Marco Fanno Fellowships: 2

Ugo Foscolo Fellowships: 5

Value: €150,000 per fellowship

Duration: 3 years

How to Apply

The application is submitted by the eligible university department or research institute through the official UniCredit Foundation application procedure.

Individual researchers interested in benefiting from the programme should therefore look for eligible academic recruitment opportunities at participating European institutions and confirm with the recruiting institution whether the position is being supported through the Top-Up Fanno & Foscolo Fellowship programme.