Doctoral Researchers in Molecular Medicine and Life Sciences

As part of the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) invites applications for the positions of Doctoral Researchers in Molecular Medicine and Life Sciences

We currently have 2-4 openings for doctoral researchers as part of the FIMM-EMBL international PhD programme  starting in August 2024. In this interdisciplinary programme, outstanding doctoral researchers are recruited to the institute-level rotation programme, where they work with 2-3 different research groups during a 6-9 month period before matching to a research group in which they remain for their doctoral studies. The program provides an exciting opportunity to explore and combine different research areas and working environments as well as to learn a variety of science and technologies, making connections within and beyond the institute.

Qualifications and experience

Candidates are expected to have a second cycle academic degree (MSc, MD, or equivalent) in biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, biotechnology, cell biology, computer science, genetics, mathematics, medicine, or other related fields, obtained before the start of the position (August 2024). The successful candidate will have good problem-solving, troubleshooting, and analytical skills. In addition, the candidate should be fluent in English, have good interpersonal, written and oral communication skills, and be able to work independently as well as in an international team.

Application and selection process

Applicants are requested to enclose with their applications the following documents in English as a single PDF file: 

• Curriculum vitae (max. 3 pages including publications) 
• Cover letter (max. 1 page) describing the applicant’s research interests, past research experience, and motivation toward the position
• Letters of recommendation from at least two referees 

External applicants should submit the application using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via the

‘Apply Now’ button below.

Applicants who have a helsinki.fi username and a valid employment contract, a grant researcher's contract or a visiting researcher's contract at the University of Helsinki are requested to leave their application by using the ‘Employee Login’ button below.

If you need support with the recruitment system, please contact [email protected] . 

The closing date for application is February 11, 2024 at 23:59 Eastern European Time.

Please note that candidates are expected to carefully follow the application instructions above. Applications submitted after the deadline, failing to meet the requirements above, or sent directly to group leaders will not be considered.

Application review will begin after the call is closed. Top candidates will be selected and invited for two rounds of interviews with a selection committee in mid-March and early May 2024. The candidates selected for the positions will be offered an initial contract for 17 months, during the first half of which they will engage in training through research group rotations. Upon a successful review and selection of a research group after the rotational period, the initial contract will be extended up to a four-year period.

Salary and benefits

The salary is based on the job requirement scheme for teaching and research staff according to the salary system of the Finnish universities . In addition, the appointee will be paid a personal salary component. In total, the starting gross salary of a doctoral researcher is typically around 2500 EUR per month and rises gradually as the PhD work progresses based on the University of Helsinki salary scheme.

The University of Helsinki provides its staff with occupational health and support for sports services as well as professional development opportunities. More information about the employee benefits at the University of Helsinki can be found at https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/why-university-helsinki/staff-benefits .

Further information

About the positions: FIMM’s Doctoral Training Coordinator, Rubina Tabassum ([email protected] ) Rotation programme: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/hilife-helsinki-institute-life-science/units/fimm/training-fimm/fimm-embl-international-phd-programme Research training at FIMM: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/hilife-helsinki-institute-life-science/units/fimm/training-fimm Doctoral school and programmes at University of Helsinki: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/admissions-and-education/apply-doctoral-programmes/doctoral-school-and-doctoral-programmes Support for International staff: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/information-arriving-international-staff  and https://ihhelsinki.fi/  

FIMM is an international research institute focusing on human genomics and personalized medicine, and a part of the Helsinki Institute of Life Science at the University of Helsinki. FIMM integrates molecular medicine research facilities, a technology centre, and biobanking infrastructures under one roof. FIMM promotes translational research through 4 “Grand Challenge” projects: Human Genomics for Health and Disease , Digital Diagnostics for Precision Medicine , Functional Precision Medicine in Cancer , and Data Science for Population Health . The 23 research groups  at FIMM cover cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological and psychiatric diseases in the fields of Molecular Medicine, Genomics, Molecular Bioscience, Bioinformatics, Neuroscience, Computational Biomedicine, Drug Research, Data Science, and Artificial Intelligence. A particular focus is to enhance the understanding of sex-based differences in health outcomes, with an emphasis on understudied or sex-biased phenotypes and disorders.

FIMM is part of the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, composed of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the centers for molecular medicine in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, and the EU-LIFE Community. FIMM maintains a wealth of global partnerships with academic and industry groups. We are in close collaborative relationships with research institutions around the globe, strengthened by shared appointments of several of our directors and group leaders at other top institutions, including SciLifeLab , Karolinska institutet , and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard . More than half of our doctoral and postdoctoral researchers are from abroad, making FIMM a truly global community.