ARISE Fellowships for technology developers

Key information

• Location: All EMBL Sites (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain)
• Staff category: Postdoctoral Fellow - Science, research and training
• Contract duration: 3 years
• Grading: Stipend
• Closing date: 31 January 2021
• Reference number: EF00002

About this position

In the frame of ARISE (Career Accelerator for Research Infrastructure Scientists) programme, EMBL is looking for experienced professionals with a background in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) eager to develop novel technologies for life sciences and get trained to operate life science research infrastructures of tomorrow.

Successful applicants will become ARISE Fellows and will receive a three-year Fellowship to:

• work on method or technology development of their choice in various areas (from bioinformatics or engineering, see the full list below), towards service provision to external life science researchers and
• get trained in operation and management of research infrastructures and service provision.

ARISE is the first Fellowship programme of its kind in Europe and is designed to train Fellows to become highly skilled leaders or senior staff at research infrastructures or other service providing facilities.

In addition, ARISE Fellows will gain broad understanding of life sciences, data management and FAIR data policies. The programme will also provide broad professional networking opportunities, raising awareness about technology and science developments, and the needs of the user community.

Each ARISE Fellow will be hosted by an EMBL group or team of their choice at one of EMBL's six sites (Barcelona, Grenoble, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Hinxton, or Rome) and will do secondments at partner organisations from industry or academia. EMBL group and team leaders participating in ARISE, all have a track record in developing new methods and technologies, providing these as a service to external researchers, and applying them to answer novel scientific questions.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 945405.

Your role

As an ARISE Fellow, you will be carrying out research work on a method or technology development project of your choice. The technology that you wish to develop should facilitate research in life sciences and should have a potential to be integrated in the service catalogues of research infrastructures.

As a Fellow, you will work in one or several diverse technology fields such as AI and machine learning, bioinformatics, (bio)chemical engineering, chemistry or chemical biology, computational modelling, software development, data management, data science, automation, detector development, X-ray optics, X-ray crystallography, high-precision mechanics, image analysis, Imaging, microscopy, microfluidics, robotics, and omics technologies.

The technologies that you will develop should support research in EMBL life science fields, e.g., bioinformatics research, biophysics, biotechnology, cell biology, computational biology, developmental biology, disease modelling, drug design, epigenetics, genome biology, neurobiology, structural biology, tissue biology, translational research, planetary biology.

You should start planning your own project proposal already during the application phase for the Fellowship, discuss it with EMBL groups of interest, and include it in your application (see below How to apply). The project should reflect your interests and align with the expertise of the EMBL group or team that you wish to join, as well as the research focus of the ARISE partner organisation in which you wish to complete your secondment.

You have

• A University degree in natural sciences or related STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
• At least four years of full-time equivalent research experience (in technology development) in STEM fields, a high level of skills (postdoctoral standard) or expertise in a specialisation in which doctoral degrees are not usually awarded. Experience can be both in academia or non-academic sectors, but must be relevant to the research fields of EMBL groups and teams that are participating in the programme.
• Experience relevant to technology development related to service provision
• Strong scientific potential that can be shown through g., scientific publications, scientific software unique or problematic data sets, technical documentation or similar, contributions to patents, examples of management of technology development projects or detailed description of any other innovative research you have performed and your achievements or through other ways to demonstrate experience relevant to technology development and scientific services.
• Fluency in English (written and oral) and excellent communication skills
• Demonstrated experience in collaborative working
• The capacity to work independently and think creatively, excellent time management and organization skills

You might also have

• A PhD degree

Why join us

We are Europe’s flagship research laboratory for the life sciences – an intergovernmental organisation performing scientific research in disciplines including molecular biology, physics, chemistry and computer science. We are an international, innovative and interdisciplinary laboratory with more than 1800 employees from many nations, operating across six sites, in Heidelberg (HQ), Barcelona, Hinxton near Cambridge, Hamburg, Grenoble and Rome. Our other missions are to offer vital services in training scientists, students and visitors at all levels; to develop new instruments and methods in the life sciences and actively engage in technology transfer activities, and to integrate European life science research. The working language of the institute is English.

EMBL is an inclusive, equal opportunity employer offering attractive conditions and benefits appropriate to an international research organisation with a very collegial and family friendly working environment. The remuneration package comprises from a competitive salary, a comprehensive pension scheme, medical and other social benefits.

What else you need to know

How to apply

Application deadline: 31 January 2021.

For details on how to apply, please visit ARISE website. The application with all required documents should be submitted using the online submission system. Please register in the system early and start preparing your application (saving and continuing is possible).

In your online application, you will be asked to submit a project proposal as well as additional documents relevant for the evaluation of your application. Please download the Guide for Applicants here to learn which documents are required and to find the list of necessary steps and templates. Should you have questions, please feel free to contact the ARISE project management team (arise@embl.org). Interviews are planned for April 2021 (expected by indicative: week 12 – 16 April 2021). The Fellowship has a fixed duration of 3 years. Expected start of the Fellowship is in May 2021 or later, if needed.