We have recruited 18 post-doctoral fellows for bottom-up, interdisciplinary research concerning the origin and evolution of life, and its distribution in the universe. These are fundamental questions for humanity. Key questions revolve for instance around the formation of biomolecules, the emergence of life on planetary surfaces, the evolution of cellular functions, extra-terrestrial life and how life will cope with human-induced challenges.Fellows in the oLife Fellowship Programme are given the opportunity to work on their own interdisciplinary research project with advisors and research institutes of their choice. Together, they will follow a joint research and training programme, consisting of scientific lectures, academic and professional skills training, and career guidance. In the Netherlands, teaching and supervising students is an integral part of a researcher’s position. Therefore, they will be expected to prepare and teach their own lecture series on their field(s) of expertise and to supervise student research projects. Also, they are offered the opportunity to go on secondments with our leading industrial, academic or non-profit partner organisations.