14 PhD positions in the EU Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Project PRECODE

The main PRECODE R&D objectives are:

1. To establish an European resource of pancreatic cancer organoid and integratomic analysis of those organoids.
2. Identify drug resistance and sensitivity in those organoids to develop new treatment and diagnostic strategies.
3. To improve organoid culture and establish a model system containing all parts of a pancreatic cancer tissue for growing in vitro.
4. To identify new genes essential for pancreatic cancer progression and metastasis.

Career stage

Early Stage Researcher (ESR) or 0-4 yrs (Post Graduate)

Benefits

The successful candidates will receive an attractive salary in accordance with the MSCA regulations for Early Stage Researchers. The exact (net) salary will be confirmed upon appointment and is dependent on local tax regulations and on the country correction factor (to allow for the difference in cost of living in different EU Member States). The salary includes a living allowance, a mobility allowance and a family allowance (if married). The guaranteed PhD funding is for 36 months (i.e. EC funding, additional funding is possible, depending on the local Supervisor, and in accordance with the regular PhD time in the country of origin). In addition to their individual scientific projects, all fellows will benefit from further continuing education, which includes internships and secondments, a variety of training modules as well as transferable skills courses and active participation in workshops and conferences.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants need to apply via the project web site http://precode-project.eu/jobs-board/

and fully respect three eligibility criteria (to be demonstrated in the Europass CV format):

Early-stage researchers (ESR) are those who are, at the time of recruitment by the host, in the first four years (full-time equivalent) of their research careers. This is measured from the date when they obtained the degree which formally entitles them to embark on a doctorate, either in the country in which the degree was obtained or in the country in which the research training is provided, irrespective of whether or not a doctorate was envisaged.

Conditions of international mobility of researchers:

Researchers are required to undertake trans-national mobility (i.e. move from one country to another) when taking up the appointment. At the time of selection by the host organisation, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of their host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment. Short stays, such as holidays, are not taken into account.

English language: Network fellows (ESRs) must demonstrate that their ability to understand and express themselves in both written and spoken English is sufficiently high for them to derive the full benefit from the network training.

Selection process

Deadline for applications is 2.12.2019. To attract the right students, the required profiles are clearly listed for each ESR position.

The candidates apply on the PRECODE web site (http://precode-project.eu/jobs-board/) for a maximum of three specific ESR positions and list their order of preference. The Supervisors provide the names of their preferred candidates to the Supervisory Bord (SB), which in its turn produces a short list. After a thorough evaluation, the candidates are ranked and a collective decision is made. In this way a complementary team of ESRs can be assembled, as positively experienced from previous ETN recruitment events.

The SB is kept informed at all times when new eligible candidates appear. The SB makes an official complaint in case the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers is breached. The involved supervisor is then expected to find another candidate.

All chosen candidates are expected to start their contract by the end of February 2020.

All details concerning the recruitment-procedure principles are communicated on the on-line application portal, so that potential ESRs know exactly what to expect and are stimulated to apply. All recruitment (pre and final selection) is in line with the European Charter for Researchers, providing the overarching framework for the roles, responsibilities of both researchers and employers. The Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers functions ensures that the selection procedures are transparent and fair.

Additional comments

The recruitment strategy of PRECODE fully complies with the Code of Conduct definition of merit. For example, merit is not just measured by a researcher’s grades, but on a range of evaluation criteria, such as teamwork, interdisciplinary knowledge, soft skills and awareness of the policy impact of science.

The SB has members of each gender and considers the promotion of equal opportunities and gender balance as part of the recruitment strategy. Also, in view of the RRI principles, special efforts are made to attract women and ESRs from new EU Member States.

PRECODE aims at a participation of 50% female ESRs in the network. Researchers are employed on fixed-term contracts and are registered as staff candidates for PhD degrees. Therefore, they are entitled to pension contributions, paid holidays, and other benefits as governed by the universities and industrial companies.