On 7 October 2026, Saarland University celebrated the award of its first Transform4Europe (T4EU) Fellowships. The unique funding scheme offers partial financing for postdoctoral positions while supporting researchers in building long-term collaborations with fellow Transform4Europe universities. By combining career development with international mobility and joint research activities, the programme strengthens the European dimension of research and innovation across the alliance.

Advancing Research Across Borders

The selected projects of this first round reflect both the scientific diversity and collaborative spirit of Transform4Europe:

Fighting Antibiotic Resistance

Morane Lucas, a researcher in the Drug Design and Optimization Group led by Professor Anna Hirsch at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), focuses on one of the major global health challenges of our time: antibiotic resistance. In cooperation with the University of Trieste, her project investigates novel compounds against bacterial pathogens.

“The Transform4Europe Fellowship provides a framework to meet researchers from other European universities and to create collaborations that we might not otherwise have had the opportunity to develop,” Lucas explains. “Combining different skills, approaches and resources can bring a new perspective to our research and help us move our project forward: the discovery of new antibiotic compounds.”

Quantum Technology and Quantum Mathematics

In the field of quantum technology and quantum mathematics, Francesca La Piana, supervised by Professor Moritz Weber, is working with researchers from the University of Primorska and the University of Trieste. Together, they are exploring new aspects of the quantum Birkhoff theorem and its significance for quantum information theory and operator algebras.

Thermal Energy Storage and Sustainable Energy Technologies

Milad Tajik Jamalabad, a researcher at the Chair of Automation and Energy Systems under the supervision of Professor Georg Frey, is investigating innovative porous materials for next-generation thermal energy storage systems. His project combines Saarland University’s expertise in thermal storage technologies with the advanced materials research conducted at the University of Alicante.

“I was motivated to apply for the Transform4Europe Fellowship because it offers an excellent opportunity to strengthen the international dimension of my research and become part of a broader European academic network,” says Jamalabad. “By combining Saarland University’s experimental facilities with the University of Alicante’s expertise in advanced materials, we can improve the performance of sorption-based thermal energy storage systems and deepen our understanding of how material properties influence storage efficiency.”

Strengthening European Research Cooperation

The T4EU-Fellowships are designed to increase the international visibility of early-career researchers while fostering sustainable collaboration across the alliance. Fellows undertake research visits at partner universities and are encouraged to develop joint publications, workshops, courses, summer schools, and other collaborative activities.

By supporting ambitious researchers and connecting expertise across institutions and countries, the fellowships contribute to the shared goal of building a stronger, more integrated European research and innovation ecosystem.

Apply for the Next Call

The next application deadline for the Transform4Europe-Fellowships is 1 March 2027. Doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and advanced researchers from Saarland University are encouraged to apply.

Further information is available via the Internationalisation Fund of Saarland University: www.uni-saarland.de