Opening soon PRIM2026 — First job in the national RDI system (PNCDI IV, UEFISCDI)
Universities, Romanian Academy institutes and national R&D institutes (INCD) can receive up to 84,000 lei, for a maximum of 24 months, for each young doctorate holder hired in their first permanent post. The PRIM2026 package is in public consultation until 1 November 2026.
- Who can apply
- Public-law research organisations in Romania can apply
- Funding amount
- Maximum 84,000 lei per young researcher, for up to 24 months, for an additional 20-hour contract per month…
- Submission period
- Launch not yet announced; continuous submission after launch, until the budget is exhausted (public consultation until 1 November 2026)
Checked against official sources on · funder: Ministry of Education and Research · official source
The guide has not been published yet, but good applications are built before launch. Those who start when the call window opens usually miss out on it.
Who can apply
Public-law research organisations in Romania can apply: universities, institutes of the Romanian Academy and national research and development institutes. The application is submitted by the host institution together with a young researcher. The researcher must hold a doctorate in science, with the first doctoral title obtained no more than 8 years before submission. Child-raising leave is not counted within the 8 years. They must be employed full-time, on an indefinite-term contract, as a CS/CS III researcher, university assistant, lecturer or senior lecturer. The contract must be the first of its kind in the system and must have entered into force in 2025 or later. Those declared "admitted" in 2026 in a competition for these posts are also eligible.
What it covers
- Staff costs, the only eligible category
- Additional individual employment contract of 20 hours per month for the young researcher
- Payment of the additional hours at 175 lei per hour
- Activity in 13 fields: mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, engineering sciences, materials science, earth and atmospheric sciences, biology, medicine, biotechnology, social sciences, economics and the humanities
We prepare your application before the window opens
- We analyse whether you qualify and under which programme exactly.
- We build the application: business plan, budget, supporting documents.
- We submit during the call window and follow the evaluation.
- We stay with you through the reimbursement file and final payment.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an institution receive through PRIM2026 for a young researcher?
Maximum 84,000 lei per young researcher, for up to 24 months. The money covers an additional employment contract of 20 hours per month, paid at 175 lei per hour. The amount is granted in proportion to the implementation period. UEFISCDI estimates that it will fund up to 300 young researchers.
Who can be a young researcher in the First Job in RDI programme?
A doctor of science who obtained their first doctoral title no more than 8 years before submission. Child-raising leave is not counted within the 8 years. They must be employed full-time, on an indefinite-term contract, as a CS/CS III researcher, university assistant, lecturer or senior lecturer. The contract must have entered into force in 2025 or later and must be their first indefinite-term contract in the national higher education and research system.
When can applications for PRIM2026 be submitted?
The launch date has not yet been announced. The information package is in public consultation until 1 November 2026, and proposals are sent to PRIM@uefiscdi.ro. After launch, submission will be continuous, until the budget is exhausted. Applications received are evaluated periodically, in 3-month intervals.
How is the application submitted and evaluated?
The host institution sends UEFISCDI the list of eligible young researchers (Annex 1). For each of them, UEFISCDI creates an account on the uefiscdi-direct.ro platform, where the young researcher submits the funding application, in Romanian. Each application is evaluated by two experts appointed by the host institution and can receive a maximum of 30 points. Applications with fewer than 20 points cannot be funded.
How many grants can a university or institute receive?
The maximum number of grants for a host institution depends on the number of full-time CS/CS III researcher, assistant, lecturer or senior lecturer posts held by doctorate holders employed on indefinite-term contracts since 2025. The institution declares this number on its own responsibility. The list of admitted applications is set according to the available budget and each institution's "pro rata" share.
Is PRIM funding considered a research project?
No. The information package states that the funding granted is not considered a research project. The young researcher does not have the status of director of a project funded from public funds.
How long does it take to prepare the application?
It depends on the complexity of the project and the documents you already have. The first step is the eligibility analysis, which tells you what needs to be prepared.
What happens if I do not qualify?
We tell you before any contract is signed, and if another suitable programme exists, we point you to it.
Next step
We prepare your application until it opens — PRIM2026 — First Job in the National RDI System (PNCDI IV, UEFISCDI)
Fill in the form and we will tell you whether you qualify. If you do not qualify under this programme, we will tell you which other one you could apply for — or that there is none, if that is the case.
or call us directly on 0755 167 167
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