EUROPE: 11 PhD positions in MSCA DN project RBP-ReguNET

Eleven PhD positions are available in the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Network “RBP-ReguNET – Deconstructing and Rewiring RNA-RBP regulatory networks”. RBP-ReguNet has been conceived to leverage new discoveries in RNA-binding protein (RBP) biology to identify druggable targets for a range of untreatable diseases, including cancer, neurological disorders, liver and infectious diseases. RBP-ReguNET is a consortium of high-profile universities, research institutions and companies located in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, UK, and the Netherlands.

RBP-ReguNet will provide advanced multidisciplinary scientific training that spans from computational, structural, molecular and cellular biology to medicinal chemistry and pharmacological screening, to the next generation of European researchers in a multi-disciplinary environment to pursue ambitious and high gain research on the development of new therapies based on RBP biology.

The following PhD projects are available:

• DC1: The role of RBPs in Schwann cell disease

Host supervisor: Dr Ashwin Woodhoo (University of Santiago de Compostela)

• DC2: The role of RBPs in cholestatic liver disease

Host supervisor: Dr Marta Varela Rey (University of Santiago de Compostela)

• DC3: The role of RBPs in the response to DNA damage and in the metabolic status of cancer cells

Host supervisor: Prof. Stephan Vagner (Institut Curie, France)

• DC4: Role of unconventional RNA-binding proteins in melanoma progression

Host supervisor: Prof. Fátima Gebauer (Fundació Centre de Regulació Genòmica, CRG; Spain)

• DC5: Dissecting the molecular functions of RBM10 in development, cardiac function, inflammation, viral host defence and cancer progression

Host supervisor: Prof. Juan Valcárcel (Fundació Centre de Regulació Genòmica, CRG; Spain)

• DC6: Defining the function of RBPs in T cell function under stress conditions

Host supervisor: Dr. Monika Wolkers (Sanquin, The Netherlands)

• DC7: Understanding the role of the RNA-binding activity of p62/SQSTM1 in SARS-CoV-2 infection

Host supervisor: Prof. Alfredo Castello (University of Galsgow, United Kingdom)

• DC8: Ribo-techniques development

Host supervisor: Prof Massimiliano Clamer (IMMAGINA BioTechnology SRL, Italy)

• DC9: Small molecules targeting RNA binding protein (RBP)-mediated post-transcriptional regulation of immune checkpoints

Host supervisor: Prof. Alessandro Provenzani (University of Trento, Italy)

DC interested in this specific position should also apply to the following call:

https://www.unitn.it/en/ateneo/bando/76993/department-cibio-call-for-the-selections-for-the-awarding-of-no-1-research-fellowship-for-the-covera

• DC10: Rational design, synthesis and structural optimization of drug-like modulators of RNA-binding proteins

Host supervisor: Prof. Pierfausto Seneci (University of Milan, Italy)

DC interested in this specific position should also apply to the following call: https://www.unimi.it/en/node/46070

• DC11: Deciphering the high-resolution structure of human Enolase-1 bound by an RNA inhibitor

Host supervisor: Prof. Matthias Hentze (EMBL, Germany)

Benefits

Successful candidates will be part of an international and interdisciplinary network.

• RBP-ReguNet fellows will be employed according to the rules for Doctoral Candidates in MSCA DNs and the general regulations of each host institution.

• The financial package will include the three-monthly researcher allowances: 1) Living allowance of €3,400 (country correction coefficient applies), 2) Mobility allowance of €600, 3) Family allowance (€660), if applicable.

The guaranteed PhD funding is for 36 months. In addition to their individual scientific projects, all doctoral candidates 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.

Skills/Qualifications

• Supported researchers must be Doctoral Candidates (DC), i.e., not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible.

• Recruited researchers can be of any nationality and must comply with the following mobility rule: 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 organization, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of their host organization 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: Candidates 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

Our selection procedure is open, transparent, merit-based and in line with the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.

Candidates should submit the following documents as one single PDF file via email to [email protected] for one to maximum three positions and indicate their preference.

• a detailed CV

• a motivation letter

• Two letters of reference

• transcripts of bachelor and master degrees

• and an English certificate.

We will choose the candidates that fit the most for the different projects through the following steps:

• Eligibility check: our recruitment committee will check that each application is complete and that applicants fulfil the eligibility criteria described in the previous section.

• Remote Evaluation: each eligible application will be assessed independently by the principal investigators of our network, according to the project interests indicated by the applicants. The principal investigators will select up to four candidates per position to pass through to the following stage.

• Online interviews: short-listed candidates will be invited for an online interview. Those who have been positively evaluated but not initially called for interviews will be put on a reserve list. Short-listed candidates will be interviewed by their putative supervisor (i.e. the supervisor responsible for the research project of interest), two additional supervisors from the network, and a member of the recruitment committee.

• Notification of the selection outcomes: our recruitment committee will notify short-listed candidates of the outcome, and those selected will be put in touch with the corresponding principal investigator and the HR Department of the hosting institution to initiate the hiring procedure. Selected candidates will have to apply to individual PhD programs at host institutes (e.g., applicants interested in the EMBL position will also have to apply to the International EMBL PhD Programme)

• Applicants who have not been successful but who have received a positive evaluation will be put on a waiting list to cover possible withdrawals and future positions.

Recruitment Calendar

• Call opening: December 2022

• Deadline for applications: March 15th, 2023

• Remote evaluation: March 20th – 31st, 2023

• Interviews: April 10th – 24th, 2023

• Notification to candidates: April 30th, 2023

• Start date of the fellowship: July-September 2023