Rural development and talent retention have become key priorities in European policies. These policies seek to mitigate the depopulation of rural areas and promote their economic and social sustainability, recognising the importance of rural areas for territorial cohesion, balanced economic development and the preservation of cultural and environmental heritage. The EU Long Term Vision for Rural Areas (2021-2040) reinforces this trend, committing to making rural areas more attractive to young and skilled people by creating infrastructure, access to digital services and employment opportunities. However, talent retention, especially among young people with higher education, remains one of the biggest challenges in the EU's rural areas, affected by problems such as depopulation and ageing populations, particularly in peripheral areas of countries such as Spain, Italy, Greece and Eastern European countries. The TALENT4RURALSCIENCE project emerges as a tool to promote rural development and talent retention, with an international and cross-sectoral dimension. This programme seeks to attract 10 postdoctoral researchers of any nationality through an open international call, to develop innovative R+D+i projects focused on the intersection between rural development and talent retention. The project will involve 9 research institutes of the University of Extremadura, addressing three key challenges: 1) Sustainable development and natural resource management, 2) Innovation in health and technology for rural development, and 3) Education, inclusion and community development. TALENT4RURALSCIENCE will be supported with the participation of 9 associated partner organizations (7 Universities, 1 department of public administration, 1 clinical research centre of public health care system) from different European countries and beyond (Spain, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Chile).