Application Conditions

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  • Researchers applying to the programme are obliged to be working abroad as of the first day of the application and they must be under the age of 40*.

*For women applicants, one year is added up for each birth.

  • Researchers, who will apply to the programme, shall not be located in Turkey more than 6 months within the last 3 years as of the first day of the application. Force majeure to be accepted by Group Executive Committee and compulsory military service are not within the limits of this period.
  • As of the first day of the application, any of the work experiences set forth below shall be met.  
  1. Early career researchers who have completed their doctoral degrees within the last 4 years and who have at least 1 year post-doctoral work experience abroad,
  2. Graduate researchers who have 4-year full-time work experience abroad, provided that they work in private sector for at least 1 year (Maximum 1 year of a master degree (with thesis) completed abroad and maximum 3 years of doctoral degree completed abroad is evaluated within this scope)
  • Researchers who have the work experience above must meet one of the following requirements.  
  1. Being on the “Highly Cited Researchers List” published by Thomson Reuters in any year within the last three years as of the first day of the application,
  2. Working uninterruptedly for 12 months at least in an institution among those ranked below in any year within the last 5 years as of the first day of the application:  
    • Top 150 universities in the field-based rankings according to QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) or THE (Times Higher Education) World University Ranking
    • World’s Top 2500 Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard published by the European Commission Joint Research Centre  
    • Top 250 institutions in the sub-fields of health, higher education, public and private sectors according to Scimago Institutions Ranking
    • Successful start-up and unicorn companies receiving the most investment
      • “Unicorn” companies list published by CBInsights and reached 1 billion USD and over valuation from its venture level  
      • Top 1000 companies founded within the last 5 years and received the most investment in the last 5 years according to databases of Crunchbase and CBInsights
  • Researchers who have fellowship from any other public institution and already have compulsory service obligation cannot apply to this programme.