Prof. Dr. Xiang Liu

The Humboldt Research Fellowship supports researchers of all nationalities and research areas in Germany. For more details, please visit Humboldt Research Fellowship.

Highlights

• The fellowship supports postdoctoral researchers (doctorate completed during last 4 years) and experienced researchers (doctorate completed during last 12 years).
• All countries excluding Germany or Germans with a strong connection to other countries.
• 6–24 month research stay in Germany

Important Dates

• Applications are reviewed every March, July and November.
• Results are usually notified in 6-8 months.
• The fellowship may start within 2-12 months after selection.

Researchers interested in developing a proposal in the following theoretical and/or applied areas under Prof. Liu's supervision at TH Wildau are encouraged to contact him for a preliminary discussion:

• Wireless Communications and Digital Signal Processing
• Software-Defined Radio
• Embedded Systems
• Combinatorial Optimization using Machine Learning
• Cloud Computing

Interdisciplinary proposals are highly valued. Please initiate contact by submitting the following documents:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Preliminary Research Concept (max. 2 pages, with necessary references)

Academic Integrity

The use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools, if any, in preparing application documents or future publications must adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical use.

Disclaimer

The information provided on this page regarding Humboldt Research Fellowship is unofficial and for informational purposes only.

It is based on the personal understanding and experience of the application process and is shared in good faith. This information:

• Does not constitute formal advice from the Humboldt Foundation or its Agencies.
• Is not guaranteed to be complete, current, or error-free.
• May not reflect the latest official guidelines, rules, or evaluation criteria of the Humboldt Research Fellowship program.

Prospective applicants must consult the corresponding official and definitive sources.

This information is provided as a courtesy and on a "best-effort" basis. Prof. Liu assumes no responsibility or liability for any decisions, actions, or outcomes arising from the use of this unofficial information. Any reliance on this information is strictly at the user’s own risk.

To enhance the attractiveness of the state of Brandenburg, Germany, for international researchers, the universities in Brandenburg offer the Marie Curie Coaching (MC²) Programme. This programme supports researchers interested in applying for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA PF) and being hosted by a university or research institute in Brandenburg, Germany. While the MC² mentorship is conducted remotely, the subsequent MSCA PF is an on-site research position. For more details, please visit

• the previous MC² programme 2025
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA PF)

Eligibility

• The MC² and MSCA PF programmes are open to applicants of any nationality and research discipline.
• Applicants must have successfully defended their doctoral thesis by the MSCA PF call deadline.
• Applicants must possess no more than eight years of full-time research experience by the MSCA PF call deadline.
• Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Germany for more than 12 months within the 36 months immediately preceding the MSCA PF call deadline.
• Please refer to Section 2.3. Eligibility (Page 80-83) of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Work Programme part 2 and Annex B Eligibility (Page 5-20) of the Work Programme General Annexes for more details.

Important Dates

The process involves two key stages: First, selection for the MC² coaching programme, followed by the formal MSCA PF submission.

• March 2026: MC² 2026 application starts (tentative).
• April 2026: MC² 2026 application ends (tentative).
• 9 April 2026: MSCA PF 2026 submission period opens.
• 9 September 2026: Deadline for MSCA PF 2026 applications (submitted via TH Wildau).
• February 2027: Results notification (expected)
• May 2027: Signing the grant agreement (expected)
• The project start date will be agreed with the host and defined in the grant agreement.

The fellowship has a duration of 12 to 24 months.

Researchers interested in developing a proposal in the following theoretical and/or applied areas under Prof. Liu's supervision at TH Wildau are encouraged to contact him for a preliminary discussion:

• Wireless Communications and Digital Signal Processing
• Software-Defined Radio
• Embedded Systems
• Combinatorial Optimization using Machine Learning
• Cloud Computing

Interdisciplinary proposals are highly valued. In 2025, Prof. Liu supported a candidate for an MSCA PF. The proposal focused on statistical methods for non-Euclidean data and their applications in wireless communications.

Please initiate contact by submitting the following documents:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Preliminary Research Concept (max. 2 pages, with necessary references)

Academic Integrity

The use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools, if any, in preparing application documents or future publications must adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical use.

Unofficial FAQ (for European Postdoctoral Fellowships only)

• Where can more information be found?
  Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA PF)
  HORIZON-MSCA-2026-PF-01-01 at EU Funding & Tenders Portal
• What is the relationship between MSCA PF and MC²?
  MSCA PF is funded by Europe Union, while MC² is offered by the universities in Brandenburg, Germany. The successfully applicant will be funded by MSCA PF. MC² does not provide any funding, but may improve the chance to win MSCA PF without gurantee.
• How will the MSCA PF application be submitted?
  The MSCA PF application MUST be submitted by the host institution, e.g. TH Wildau if Prof. Liu is the host. An applicant can only submit one application.
• Which research domains are eligible for MSCA PF?
  All domains of research and technological development are eligible for funding. Please refer to  Section 2.3. Eligibility (Page 80) of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Work Programme part 2 for more details. Of course, the host should agree with the research domain.
• How is the success rate of MSCA PF?
  2023: 1249 selected / 8039 applicants
  2024: 1694 / 10360
  2025: expected 1650 / 17058
• Can a PhD candidate apply for MSCA PF?
  The applicant MUST have successfully defended his/her doctoral theis before the application deadline of MSCA PF. Please refer to Section 2.3.2 Recruited researchers (Page 81-83) of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Work Programme part 2 for more details.
• What are award criteria?
  The award criteria are described in Section 2.4 Award criteria under Specific conditions for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (Page 83-85) of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Work Programme part 2.
• How much funding does the MSCA PF provide?
  The monthly contribution given in Section 2.1 Applicable unit contributions (Page 77-80) of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Work Programme part 2 is the budget received by the host institution. Typically, it does not cover all costs of the host institution. The actual salary will be determined in the contract with the host instituion, which follows the so-called TV-L (Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst der Länder) in Germany. An example salary table in State of Brandenbug from 01.02.2025 can be found at Zentrale Bezügestelle des Landes Brandenburg. Typically, a postdoctoral researcher has a salary grade (Entgeldgruppe) of E13. The experience-based level (Stufe) depends on the experience of the postdoctoral researcher. The living allowance is a gross amount, including compulsory deductions under national law, such as employer and employee social security contributions and direct taxes. The other allowances are added on top of the living allowance.
• Where is TH Wildau?
  TH Wildau is a Technical University of Applied Science University, located just south of Berlin. The campus is located directly in front of the S-Bahn station Wildau. It can be reached from Berlin via S-Bahn (every 10 minutes) or directly from Berlin-Brandenburg airport (BER) via Bus (every hour, duration 34 minutes).

Disclaimer

The information provided on this page regarding Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA PF) and Marie Curie Coaching (MC²) is unofficial and for informational purposes only.

It is based on the personal understanding and experience of the application process and is shared in good faith. This information:

• Does not constitute formal advice from the European Commission or its Agencies.
• Is not guaranteed to be complete, current, or error-free.
• May not reflect the latest official guidelines, rules, or evaluation criteria of the MSCA PF program and the MC² program.

Prospective applicants must consult the corresponding official and definitive sources.

This information is provided as a courtesy and on a "best-effort" basis. Prof. Liu assumes no responsibility or liability for any decisions, actions, or outcomes arising from the use of this unofficial information. Any reliance on this information is strictly at the user’s own risk.