Marie Curie INTEGRATE ETN announces 11 PhD student positions in antibacterial drug discovery
Key dates:
9 March 2015: Deadline for on-line application for ESR positions (http://www.cdr.fi/news-and-events/integrate-etn-student-application-form)
27 March 2015: Communication list “preselected candidates”
5-6 May 2015: Recruitment Event (Verona) for preselected candidates
6 May 2015: Communication list “recruited INTEGRATE ESRs”
Benefits and salary
Applicants need to fully respect three eligibility criteria:
- 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.
The available 11 positions
- You have a master degree, preferentially in pharmaceutical sciences, microbiology, biochemistry or molecular biology
- You have a true research spirit and you enjoy problem solving
- You are highly motivated to work in a multidisciplinary team
- You have excellent organizational and communication skills and you are prepared to work under strict timelines
- You will be responsible for synthesis of the novel compounds
- You will perform the analytical and biochemical evaluation of the compounds
- You will write project reports for your supervisor on a regular basis
- You will be working within our international group of 25 researchers
- You will get in contact with the other members of this international consortium and will benefit from the training platform
- Profile and requirements
- You have a master degree, preferentially in chemistry or pharmaceutical sciences
- You have a solid knowledge of synthetic organic chemistry and you are prepared to become an expert in medicinal chemistry
- You have a true research spirit and you enjoy problem solving
- You are highly motivated to work in a multidisciplinary team
- You have excellent organizational and communication skills and you are prepared to work under strict timelines
Public Abstract INTEGRATE
Antimicrobial resistance is posing a continuously-rising threat to global health. Indeed, one key recommendation from the recent “Action plan against the rising threats from Antimicrobial Resistance” report (submitted by the Commission to the European Parliament and Council (15.11.2011)) is the development of effective antimicrobials or alternatives for treatment of human and animal infections. The INTEGRATE project is a direct response to this. We have assembled a team of 10 beneficiaries from eight EU member states, encompassing both academic and non-academic sectors and different disciplines, to form a consortium committed to training Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) in the discovery and preclinical validation of novel Gram-negative antibacterial agents and antibacterial targets. The principle aim of the consortium is to provide a training platform where students are exposed to every aspect of the antimicrobial discovery process, ranging from target identification and validation, through organic synthesis, in silico design and compound screening, to mode-of-action and possible resistance mechanisms. This exposure will be accomplished through a concrete secondment plan, coupled with a series of high-level consortium-wide training events and networking programmes. Our intention is to reverse the current fragmentation of approaches towards antibacterial discovery through mutual cooperation. The INTEGRATE training framework is built on an innovative research project aimed at targeting important but non-essential gene products as an effective means of reducing bacterial fitness, thereby facilitating clearance of the pathogen by the host immune system. To achieve this, the individual work programmes have been designed to seamlessly inter-mesh contributions from the fields of in silico design, organic synthesis, molecular biology and biochemistry, and the very latest in vitro and in vivo screening technologies.
General contact persons:
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Appendix 1: Recruitment Procedure INTEGRATE – Full description
The Recruitment Committee (General Coordinator (GC) and one Supervisor per Beneficiary) oversees the recruitment of the 11 ESRs during the Recruitment event (5-6 May 2015, Verona). Initially, the search for the appropriate candidates is based on normal recruitment strategies (e.g., publication on ec.europa.eu/euraxess, etc.; personal contacts of the network partners). The pre and final selection will be made in a collective process, led by the Recruitment Committee (RC), which consists of experts highly experienced with selection procedures. The candidates apply for maximum three specific projects and list their order of preference. Applications are made on-line through the appropriate website. Approximately 30 fellows are invited to the Recruitment Workshop (Verona, 5-6 May 2015). In order to facilitate their travel, selected candidates (if outside Italy) will receive a fixed, lump sum of 250 euro. Each candidate gives a presentation and is interviewed. The committee selects the ESRs (1) based on their scientific background and potential, (2) based on the expected benefit of scientific exchange between the trainees’ home countries and institutions and the hosts, and (3) in accordance to gender equality and minority rights. The candidates are ranked and a collective decision is made, taking into account the order of preference. The envisioned Supervisor gets the final say. In this way a complementary team of ESRs can be assembled. All recruitment 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 as a set of principles and ensures that the selection procedures are transparent and fair. The recruitment strategy of INTEGRATE fully complies with the Code of Conduct definition of merit. For example, merit is not only measured on 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 RC has members of each gender and considers the promotion of equal opportunities and gender balance as part of the recruitment strategy. Special efforts are made to attract women and fellows from new EU member states. INTEGRATE aims at a participation of 50% women in the network. Among equally qualified applicants, women receive preferential consideration. 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 employment benefits as governed by the universities and industrial companies. In case not all ESRs can be recruited during the collective Recruitment Event, the recruitment procedure is “decentralised”, meaning that the Involved Supervisors will continue the search for good candidates and have the authority to decide which person they recruit. However, the GC will be kept informed at all times when new eligible candidates appear. The GC will make 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. Recruitment problems will also, if still needed, be discussed during the Recruitment Committee meeting (Month 6) in order to deliver specific action plans to target specific networks relevant for any missing ESR positions. Recruitment committee: Gabriele Costantino, Andrea Mozzarelli (UNIPR), Päivi Tammela, (UHEL), Antti Poso (UEF), Aigars Jirgensons (LIOS), Martin Welch (UCAM), Danijel Kikelj (UL), Fabrizio Giordanetto (TAROS), Philip Gribbon (ESP), Koen Augustyns (UA), Antonio Felici (APT). Paul Bromann (UHEL) will facilitate the whole procedure.
