Young Scientists

In addition to day-to-day supervision by the thesis directors, students are followed throughout their doctorate by a Thesis Advisory Committee, consisting of, at least, three members, one of which is an IRB Barcelona Group Leader and one an external advisor. After each year, students write a report on their work and discuss the report with their Thesis Advisory Committee. Upon completion of their practical work, students must write their thesis and successfully defend it at the university in which they are enrolled.

English is the working language at IRB Barcelona. Some universities offer science curriculum courses in English, while courses at other local universities are taught in Catalan and/or Spanish and some in English. Therefore, IRB Barcelona offers to all its members the opportunity to attend English and Spanish lessons to improve their language level.

In compliance with article 12 of the rules governing “ajuts Joan Oró per a la contractació de personal investigador predoctoral en formació (FI 2024)”, we are publishing the list of prioritized candidates for FI-2024 fellowships.

We wish to inform you that appeals can be made until 3 January 2024.

IRB DREAM will recruit prospective early-stage researchers (ESRs) of any nationality, gender, culture, religion, sexual orientation or age to undertake a PhD in biomedicine. To be eligible for an IRB_DREAM fellowship, applicants must:

• Comply with the mobility rule: meaning that they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the call. 
• Comply with the COFUND ESR definition: at the time of recruitment by IRB Barcelona, they must be in the first four years (full‐time equivalent research experience) of their research careers and have not been awarded a doctoral degree.
• Fulfil one of the following options (mandatory requirements according to Bologna’s process to be able to enrol in a doctoral programme at the time of the effective recruitment):
  • Completion of studies that lead to an official Spanish (or from another country of the European Higher Education Area) university degree awarding 300 ECTS credits, of which at least 60 ECTS credits must correspond to master level.
  • Completion of a degree in a non-Spanish university not adapted to the European Higher Education Area that gives access to doctoral studies in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Physics, Medicine or related fields in Spain.
• Submit a complete application before the established deadline through the IRB_DREAM electronic application. Applicants will be asked to upload the following information:
  • Personal information such as first and last name, gender, nationality and contact details. This section will also ask about applications for or intention to apply for other fellowships.
  • Curriculum vitae.
  • Motivation letter (maximum 2 pages) highlighting their research experience and academic achievements and explaining why they are interested in IRB Barcelona and in a particular research group.
  • A scanned copy of their certified academic record. These documents must show the grades attained in exam periods and evidence that the required degree will be obtained by the expected time of recruitment if it has not already been awarded.
  • Any additional files considered relevant to the application.
  • At least two recommendation letters from university lecturers or scientists who are familiar with their academic work and who can judge their potential as a predoctoral researcher. A template letter for the referees will be provided, including short evaluation questions. Applicants will be responsible for ensuring that referees submit these letters.
  • A summary of any work experience and a maximum of three research groups in which they are interested.

Candidates are selected exclusively on merit, on the basis of their curricula. The academic grades and curriculum vitae of each applicant are evaluated, as well as recommendation letters and a motivation letter. No selection criteria for positive or negative discrimination are applied.

Enhanced contact with an intersectoral and interdisciplinary environment, and international mobility through secondments and new initiatives:

• Greater exposure to an intersectoral environment through personalised support from Innovation Department staff and the opportunity to visit and be seconded to companies and hospitals, the latter thanks to a new strategic action that aims to increase collaboration with the hospital system in Catalonia.
• Guaranteed exposure to an interdisciplinary environment at the local, regional and national level, thanks to existing collaborations and agreements in Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain. Within IRB Barcelona, fellows will be exposed to a wide range of disciplines and will have the opportunity to participate in activities such as weekly Research Node Seminars and Biomed seminars, annual conferences, lab rotations, PhD retreats, the Student Council, etc.
• Guaranteed international mobility, thanks to the inclusion of targets in their career development plans during their first PhD year, including participation in international workshops, conferences, seminars and international activities. Fellows will also be guaranteed international secondments, thanks to the specific travel and networking cost allowances. As of the second year of IRB_DREAM, fellows will have the opportunity to present their secondment plan to their respective Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC).

Enhanced supervision structure with higher exposure to the 3i dimension: the supervision structure will include the (i) Thesis supervisory team, comprising the supervisor, who will be the Group Leader from the lab hosting the fellows’ research activities, as well as the co-supervisor (the group leader at the secondment institution); (ii) the TAC, responsible for mentoring, following up and guiding fellows in all aspects related to their thesis. TACs will have an additional external member from the non-academic sector to reinforce intersectoral dimension; and (iii) Personalised Career Development support through Career Advisors, who will guide the fellows during their careers and help them, together with the Supervisory team,  to prepare and review their Personal Career Development Plans (PCDPs) each year.

Personalised career development advice and integration with the training plan, allowing them to create their own training itinerary in function of their future career perspectives. Fellows will have access to state-of-the-art training in technical and scientific skills, as well as training in transferable skills. All fellows will be required to complete the core training modules of the programme, which will include: training through research, research-oriented scientific-technical skills, and transferable skills, as well as a minimum number of optional training courses. Advanced training in research integrity, open science and research data management, as well as cross-disciplinary technical training, will be compulsory for all fellows. In addition, fellows will be required to complete a minimum number of dissemination and training activities. Upon joining IRB Barcelona, fellows will undertake a 1-week induction course to familiarise themselves with their host groups, the Institute and IRB DREAM.

• Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Netherlands
• Institute de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), France
• European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL-EBI), United Kingdom
• Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Singapore
• RMIT University (RMIT), Australia
• University of Copenhagen-Center for Protein Research (CPR), Denmark
• Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI), Italy
• Diabetes Complications Research Center-University College Dublin (UCD-DCRC), Ireland
• Universidade nova de Lisboa (ITQB-NOVA), Portugal
• Centre national de la Recherche Scientifique (IGFL-CNRS), France
• Hokkaido University, Japan
• European School of Molecular Medicine (SEMM), Italy
• Systems Biology-University College Dublin (Systems Biology Ireland), Ireland
• University of Helsinki, Finland
• VIB, Belgium

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (MSCA) provide grants for all stages of researchers' careers—be they doctoral candidates or highly experienced researchers—and encourage transnational, intersectoral and interdisciplinary mobility. The MSCA enable research-focused organisations (universities, research centres, and companies) to host talented foreign researchers and to create strategic partnerships with leading institutions worldwide.

The MSCA aim to equip researchers with the necessary skills and international experience for a successful career, either in the public or private sector. The programme responds to the challenges faced by researchers, offering them attractive working conditions and the opportunity to move between academia and other settings.

The MSCA are open to all domains of research and innovation, from fundamental research to market take-up and innovation services. Research and innovation fields are chosen freely by the applicants (individuals and/or organisations) in a fully 'bottom-up' manner.

For more information, please visit the following web pages:

https://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/

https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/

IRB-TARGET will recruit prospective early-stage researchers (ESRs) of any nationality, gender, culture, religion, sexual orientation or age to undertake a PhD in biomedicine. To be eligible for an IRB_DREAM fellowship, applicants must:

• Comply with the mobility rule: meaning that they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the call
• Not be in possession of a doctoral degree at the deadline of the call. Any candidate that has successfully defended their doctoral thesis will not be considered eligible, even if they have not formally been awarded a doctoral degree.
• Fulfil one of the following options (mandatory requirements according to Bologna’s process to be able to enrol in a doctoral programme at the time of the effective recruitment):
  • Completion of studies that lead to an official Spanish (or from another country of the European Higher Education Area) university degree awarding 300 ECTS credits, of which at least 60 must correspond to master level.
  • Completion of a degree in a non-Spanish university not adapted to the European Higher Education Area that gives access to doctoral studies in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Physics, Medicine or related fields in Spain.
• Submit a complete application before the established deadline through the IRB-TARGET electronic application. Applicants will be asked to upload the following information:
  • Personal information such as first and last name, gender, nationality and contact details. This section will also ask about applications for or intention to apply for other fellowships.
  • Curriculum vitae.
  • Motivation letter (maximum 2 pages) highlighting their research experience and academic achievements and explaining why they are interested in IRB Barcelona and in a particular research group.
  • A scanned copy of their certified academic record. These documents must show the grades attained in exam periods and evidence that the required degree will be obtained by the expected time of recruitment if it has not already been awarded.
  • Any additional files considered relevant to the application.
  • At least two recommendation letters from university lecturers or scientists who are familiar with their academic work and who can judge their potential as a predoctoral researcher. A template letter for the referees will be provided, including short evaluation questions. Applicants will be responsible for ensuring that referees submit these letters.
  • A summary of any work experience and a maximum of three research groups in which they are interested.

Candidates are selected exclusively on merit, on the basis of their curricula. The academic grades and curriculum vitae of each applicant are evaluated, as well as recommendation letters and a motivation letter. No selection criteria for positive or negative discrimination are applied.

Each IRB-TARGET fellow will build their own unique doctoral training itinerary that is adapted to their research, academic, professional and personal requirements and will prepare them to excel during and after their doctoral training. The personalized IRB-TARGET itinerary will be composed of several mandatory and options components that fellows will complete to complement their research work categorized under research, training and engagement. The itinerary will be defined in collaboration with the supervisory team and will be reflected in their Personal Career Development Plan (PCDP). Fellows will need to complete a minimum required dedication (200 hours) to each category and subcategory to successfully complete the IRB-TARGET programme.

The major components of this itinerary include ( see table below):

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1. Core biomedical research project: Fellows will undertake a research project in a given field under the supervision of a Group Leader leading to a doctoral degree at the University of Barcelona. They will further enrich this research training through weekly participation in group (lab) meetings, interdisciplinary node and plenary seminars, PhD retreats, and symposiums.
2. Collaborations & research stays or secondments in academia, clinical setting, or industry (1-3 months): Either through a secondment or a short stay, IRB-TARGET fellows will be required to complete a mandatory research stay or secondment as part of their doctoral training itinerary, unless explicitly discouraged by their Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC). The specific secondment plan of each fellow will be established as part of the PCDP development. While this itinerary establishes the minimum requirements, the number of short stays/secondments and their length may vary from fellow to fellow, to ensure the relevance of the outcome for the thesis project to be developed and/or for the training of the fellow. The choice of the host institution (research laboratory, industry, or hospital) will be based on the research projects developed by the fellows and the collaborations that their supervisors have. IRB-TARGET has secured the commitment of 20 Associated Partners from 7 countries to host fellows, thereby providing a wide offer of international secondments (in addition to local/national options).
3. Network-wide training events organised by and for IRB-TARGET (100 hours): These mandatory training events will provide fellows with knowledge, skills and expertise in several core areas that are integral to their doctoral training, including research integrity, gender in research, entrepreneurship skills, open science and research data management, and communication.
4. Complementary training actions from local and other initiatives (25 hours): Fellows will have the opportunity to choose the training sessions and topics that best suit their needs and interests.
5. Communication and Dissemination actions to maximise research impact (50 hours): Having done a mandatory training course on communication given by Scienseed and had opportunities to fine-tune these skills at the institutional level by participation and presentation at group meetings, node seminars and plenary seminars, fellows will be required to further their communication and dissemination skills through the following: (a) participation and presentation (poster and/or talks) in international symposia/meetings/conferences/trade fairs (at least 3 during the IRB-TARGET Programme); and (b) dissemination of their research results as open-access peer-reviewed scientific publications will be highly encouraged and recommended.
6. Outreach and Stakeholder network engagement for responsible innovation (25 hours): (a) With the support and guidance of IRB Barcelona´s Communication Department and the Public Engagement Officer in particular, IRB-TARGET fellows will contribute to outreach actions to disseminate science to the general public. A total of 2 actions per fellow will be mandatory before the completion of the programme. (b) To engage with the stakeholders and/or end-users of biomedical researchers, IRB-TARGET fellows will organise, conduct and amplify the impact of an online talk show to discuss important themes with respect to science, research and policy with guests representing key stakeholders from the society, including doctors, patients, patients’ associations and civil society.

Each fellow has the support of the following actors in the implementation and revision of their PCDP: the Group Leader and the co-supervisor(s), including in the secondment lab(s); the Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC); and the Career support team.

IRB-TARGET fellows will be awarded their doctoral degrees from the University of Barcelona. More information on the available doctoral programmes within this university can be found here.

Nostrum Biodiscovery S.L.

Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona-Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer

Fundació Privada per a la Recerca i la Docència Sant Joan de Déu (FSJD-CERCA)

Fundació Privada Institut d’Investigació Oncològica de Vall d’Hebron (VHIO)

Radboud University Medical Centre (Radboudumc)

Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute

European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Københavns Universitet

University of Groningen, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP)

School of Biomedical Science, McGill University

National University of Ireland Galway

University of Twente

Università degli Studi di Torino, Molecular Biotechnology Center (MCB)

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (MSCA) provide grants for all stages of researchers' careers—be they doctoral candidates or highly experienced researchers—and encourage transnational, intersectoral and interdisciplinary mobility. The MSCA enable research-focused organisations (universities, research centres, and companies) to host talented foreign researchers and to create strategic partnerships with leading institutions worldwide.

The MSCA aim to equip researchers with the necessary skills and international experience for a successful career, either in the public or private sector. The programme responds to the challenges faced by researchers, offering them attractive working conditions and the opportunity to move between academia and other settings.

The MSCA are open to all domains of research and innovation, from fundamental research to market take-up and innovation services. Research and innovation fields are chosen freely by the applicants (individuals and/or organisations) in a fully 'bottom-up' manner.

For more information, please visit the following web pages:

https://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/

https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/