Overview
Pharmacological sciences » Clinical pharmacology
Organisation/Company Medical University of Graz Department Division of Immunology
Research Field Medical sciences » Health sciences Pharmacological sciences » Clinical pharmacology
Position: First Stage Researcher (R1) – PhD Position
Country: Austria
Application Deadline: 30 Nov 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Brussels)
Contract: Temporary; Full-time (40 hours per week)
Start date: 1 Oct 2025
Funding: Horizon Europe - MSCA Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number 101225248
Is the Job related to a staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description
General information for BioTransform job applications
BioTransform is a multidisciplinary doctoral network investigating health-promoting constituents found in food products (food bioactives - FB) and their metabolism. The program includes human pilot studies, in vitro and in silico metabolism simulations, gut microbiome sequencing, metabolite profiling and metabolomics, with 11 doctoral projects across 9 entities and partnerships with private sector and academia.
BioTransform will recruit 11 doctoral candidates who will be enrolled in a PhD degree programme and employed full-time.
What BioTransform will offer
* A thorough scientific education in a doctoral training programme.
* A role in a cutting-edge European research project with high international visibility.
* Participation in international secondments, courses, workshops, conferences and outreach activities.
* A three-year MSCA Fellowship.
* A competitive salary including mobility and family allowance.
* Potential funding extension up to 12 months to complete a four-year doctoral degree, depending on host organization evaluation.
* Start date options: 1/3/26, 1/5/26 or 1/7/26 as per job description.
* Supervision by an interdisciplinary Supervisory Team.
Eligibility criteria
* Supported researchers: Doctoral candidates not yet in possession of a doctoral degree at recruitment date.
* Mobility rule: Must not have resided or carried out main activity in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months prior to recruitment.
* Local requirements: PhD applicants must fulfil local requirements of the recruiting institutions listed in the specific job descriptions.
Application Procedure
* Applications may be submitted for different positions simultaneously.
* All applications must be submitted through the BioTransform online platform at https://biotransform-msca.eu/. Include a motivation letter, a recent CV (including transcript), and contact information for two references.
* In some cases, you may also need to submit via the hosting institute’s website; this will be indicated in the job description.
* Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed by web conferencing or in person.
BioTransform aims to ensure fair and transparent selection in line with the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers and best practices for ethics, professionalism and non-discrimination. The network seeks gender balance and diversity among PhD candidates.
Project and Host Institution
DC5: A blinded placebo-controlled human pilot study investigating the role of bilberry and olive bioactives on oxidative stress parameters and inflammatory markers in a Central-European population.
Host institution: Division of Immunology, Medical University of Graz (MedUniGraz), Austria
Co-Supervisors: Prof. Nikoletta Fotaki, University of Bath (Academic); Dr. Olaf Kelber, Steigerwald Arzneimittelwerk (Industrial)
BioTransform research areas include FB metabolism, gut microbiota, and health outcomes; the program comprises in vitro, in silico and in vivo methods and secondments to partner institutions.
Secondments This project collaborates with partner groups, and visits abroad are expected. Willingness to travel is essential:
* Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, UK
* Natural Products & Food Research and Analysis – NatuRAPT, University of Antwerp, Belgium
Application window: 1 Oct 2025 – 30 Nov 2025.
Research Field: Pharmacological sciences » Clinical pharmacology
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
General Selection Criteria
* Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field or you will obtain it by recruitment.
* Relevant scientific background and necessary academic skills.
* Strong English language skills, both spoken and written.
* Motivation to pursue a doctoral degree through an individual research project.
* Quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation in work.
* Willingness to present findings at international conferences and publish in peer-reviewed journals.
* Mobility to participate in international meetings, trainings and secondments.
* Additional institutional selection criteria may apply (as described in specific job descriptions).
Specific Requirements
* Graduation in human medicine or Master’s in biomedical analytics, natural sciences or related field.
* Basic knowledge of immunology and nutrition physiology with experience in cell culture, qPCR, ELISA, FACS, Western blot, HPLC.
* Experience in design and/or conduct of clinical studies.
* Very good German and English language skills (C1).
* Excellent IT skills (statistics and data management tools).
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