2236 - Co-Funded Brain Circulation Scheme3 (CoCirculation3)

CoCirculation3 is a prestigious postdoctoral fellowship program co-funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe MSCA COFUND scheme and implemented by TÜBİTAK. With a total budget of €15 million—the highest level of funding awarded under the 2023 COFUND call—the program aims to support experienced researchers from around the world in carrying out high-quality research at Türkiye’s leading academic and non-academic institutions.

The program offers incoming mobility fellowships for up to 24 months, with an optional additional period of up to 12 months in a non-academic organization within the Turkish Research Area. Through advanced training, international collaboration, and intersectoral exchange, CoCirculation3 enhances researchers’ professional development and promotes knowledge transfer across disciplines and sectors. By attracting global talent, the program contributes to strengthening Türkiye’s research and innovation ecosystem.

Under the 2236-A program, three calls will be launched in 2025, 2026, and 2027 for the CoCirculation3 project.
The 2025 call under the CoCirculation3 project will be open from 1 September 2025 to 1 December 2025.

You can access the 2025 Call Document by clicking the image below.

Co-funded Brain Circulation Scheme3 (CoCirculation3) is to contribute to the following:

• Supporting postdoctoral researchers in conducting their projects at leading academic or industrial institutions in Türkiye.
• Making Türkiye an attractive destination for postdoctoral researchers.
• Providing support to qualified researchers wishing to return to Türkiye.
• Contributing to the development of Türkiye’s R&D human resources.
• Promoting international and intersectoral mobility of researchers.
• Supporting the career development of researchers through research and training opportunities.

Under Co-funded Brain Circulation Scheme3 (CoCirculation3), the following types of support are provided to the selected researchers.

The tax system in Türkiye is progressive. In other words, the higher your income, the higher the rate at which you will pay tax. 2025 Individual tax rates vary from 15% - 40%.

In general fellows’ monthly net salary calculated as below;
Net salary = Gross salary (€ 3980 * exchange rate of Euro - Turkish Lira) – Total deductions (Social Security Premium Employee’s Share (including Unemployment Insurance) + Income Tax + Stamp Tax+ Social Security Premium Employer’s Allocation (including Unemployment Insurance). 

According to above information a fellow approximately may be paid a salary of € 1,850 to € 2,400 per month. Plus € 390 to € 510 per month family allowance.

Applications to the calls are open to researchers from all disciplines without any thematic restrictions. However, the proposed research topics must be related to the globally significant European Green Deal.

You can access the information note on the Green Deal and related research areas through the following link:

• European Green Deal and Related Research Areas

Within the scope of the CoCirculation3 Project, researchers holding a doctoral degree are expected to carry out their research projects for a period of 24 months under the supervision of a designated advisor (supervisor) at an academic or industrial institution of their own choosing, located in Türkiye.

1. There is no age limit to apply for the program, and researchers of any nationality are eligible. There are no restrictions regarding the researchers' origin or destination.

2. Applicants must be postdoctoral researchers at the date of the CoCirculation3 call deadline they apply to (December 1, 2025), i.e. in a possession of a doctoral degree. 

*Applicants who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but have not yet formally been received their doctoral degree will also be considered postdoctoral researchers and eligible to apply. The successful defence must be unconditional (i.e, no further requirements or corrections must be addressed) and must take place before the call deadline. Supporting documentation may be requested.

*A medical doctor degree will be accepted only when it corresponds to a doctoral degree or if the researcher can demonstrate his/her appointment in a position that requires doctoral equivalency (e.g. professorship appointment
 

3. Applicants must comply with the following mobility rule: They must not have resided or carried out thair main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Türkiye for more than 12 months within the 36 months immediately preceding the deadline of the relevant CoCirculation3 call.  Short stays that do not exceed a total of 20 days per year and compulsory national service are not counted.

4. Proposals having a Green Deal aspect will be eligible in accordance to national priorities under Green Growth Technology Roadmap and Priority Research, Develeopment and Innovaiton (RDI) Topics for the Compliance to “EU Green Deal and Adaptation to Climate Change” of Turkiye*.

*CoCirculation3 is open to applications from all scientific areas but they need to have a Green Deal aspect. CoCirc3 is “individually driven mobility” programme and TÜBİTAK assures that the applicants will be able to freely choose a research topic which will have a Green Deal aspect, host and supervisor fitting their individual needs. Please check the document for detail information about Green Deal and RDI topics.

5. Researchers who are already permanently employed by their proposed host institution are not eligible for funding under CoCirculation3. However, they may submit an application with a different host institution. If deemed eligible for support, they must terminate their current employment contract (whether fixed-term or indefinite) with their existing institution and sign a fixed-term employment contract with the new host institution where they will conduct their project. Otherwise, they will not be able to receive support.

6. Researchers who have previously been funded under Co-Circulation or CoCirculation2 are not eligible to apply for this scheme.

7. Any Turkish national who has a mandatory service obligation in Türkiye due to a previous fellowship and/or support cannot apply to CoCirculation3.

3 Calls will be published within the duration of CoCirculation3 program. The dates for the first call is fixed, however following calls’ publication date may change slightly. 

• 1st Call: Opens on 01 September 2025, and closes in 01 December 2025. (33 researchers will be funded.)

• 2nd Call: Opens on 03 August 2026, and closes in 03 November 2026. (33 researchers will be funded.)

• 3rd Call: Opens on 01 July 2027, and closes in 01 October 2027. (34 researchers will be funded.)

• Applications will be made online via TYBS within the dates indicated in the call announcement.

• Before applying, the application conditions, the evaluation method and process should be read carefully. (See Call Text)

• Documents to be uploaded to the application system must be in Turkish or English. Certified Turkish or English translations must be provided for any documents prepared in other languages.

• Uploading the required documents to the system will be sufficient during the application stage, additional submission of documents to BİDEB is not required.  

• Following the announcement of the call evaluation result, applicants must submit the required documents to the project tracking system (PTS).

Application can be withdrawn at any stage. For withdrawal, a petition must be sent to program’s official email address (cocirculation3@tubitak.gov.tr) stating the application year and period. BİDEB will update the application after receipt of the petition.

• Procedures and Principles related to execution of Fellowships and Support Programs of TÜBİTAK Science Fellowships and Grant Programmes Department.  (TÜBİTAK Bilim İnsanı Destek Programları Başkanlığı Burs ve Destek Programlarının Yürütülmesine İlişkin Usul ve Esaslar )

• Grant Agreement for the Co-Funded Brain Circulation Scheme, which is signed between TÜBİTAK and European Research Executive Agency with the Grant Agreement number 101179377.

• The Rules and Procedures regarding the running of TÜBİTAK Science Fellowships and Grant Programmes Department. (TÜBİTAK Bilim İnsanı Destek Programları Başkanlığı Çalışma Usul ve Esasları)

• The Guidelines with regard to the Evaluation and Monitoring of Applications and Reports by Panel/Advisor/Advisory Board Method under BİDEB Science Fellowships and Grant Programs. (BİDEB Burs ve Destek Programlarında Başvuruların ve Raporların Panel/Danışman/Danışma Kurulu Yöntemi ile Değerlendirilmesi ve İzlenmesine İlişkin Yönerge)

• TÜBİTAK Research and Publication Ethics Committee Regulation. (TÜBİTAK Araştırma ve Yayın Etiği Kurulu Yönetmeliği )

• Procedures and principles to be applied in financial transactions of amounts to be transferred for projects from TÜBİTAK funds to research infrastructures and to public administrations not included in the scope of Law No. 5018 on Public Financial Management and Control. (TÜBİTAK Kaynaklarından Araştırma Altyapıları İle 5018 Sayılı Kamu Malî Yönetimi ve Kontrol Kanununun Kapsamı Dışında Kalan Kamu İdarelerine Proje Karşılığı Aktarılacak Tutarların Mali İşlemlerinde Uygulanacak Usul ve Esaslar )

TÜBİTAK-BİDEB

2236-Co-Funded Brain Circulation Scheme

Adress: TÜBİTAK Başkanlık Binası
Tunus Caddesi No:80 Kavaklıdere
ÇANKAYA/ANKARA PK:06100

e-mail: cocirculation3@tubitak.gov.tr

Tel : 444 66 90