IRB-TARGET Programme

IRB-TARGET will recruit prospective early-stage researchers (ESRs) of any nationality, gender, culture, religion, sexual orientation or age to undertake a PhD in biomedicine. To be eligible for an IRB_TARGET fellowship, applicants must:

• Comply with the mobility rule: meaning that they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the call
• Not be in possession of a doctoral degree at the deadline of the call. Any candidate that has successfully defended their doctoral thesis will not be considered eligible, even if they have not formally been awarded a doctoral degree.
• Fulfil one of the following options (mandatory requirements according to Bologna’s process to be able to enrol in a doctoral programme at the time of the effective recruitment):
  • Completion of studies that lead to an official Spanish (or from another country of the European Higher Education Area) university degree awarding 300 ECTS credits, of which at least 60 must correspond to master level.
  • Completion of a degree in a non-Spanish university not adapted to the European Higher Education Area that gives access to doctoral studies in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Physics, Medicine or related fields in Spain.
• Submit a complete application before the established deadline through the IRB-TARGET electronic application. Applicants will be asked to upload the following information:
  • Personal information such as first and last name, gender, nationality and contact details. This section will also ask about applications for or intention to apply for other fellowships.
  • Curriculum vitae.
  • Motivation letter (maximum 2 pages) highlighting their research experience and academic achievements and explaining why they are interested in IRB Barcelona and in a particular research group.
  • A scanned copy of their certified academic record. These documents must show the grades attained in exam periods and evidence that the required degree will be obtained by the expected time of recruitment if it has not already been awarded.
  • Any additional files considered relevant to the application.
  • At least two recommendation letters from university lecturers or scientists who are familiar with their academic work and who can judge their potential as a predoctoral researcher. A template letter for the referees will be provided, including short evaluation questions. Applicants will be responsible for ensuring that referees submit these letters.
  • A summary of any work experience and a maximum of three research groups in which they are interested.

Candidates are selected exclusively on merit, on the basis of their curricula. The academic grades and curriculum vitae of each applicant are evaluated, as well as recommendation letters and a motivation letter. No selection criteria for positive or negative discrimination are applied.

Each IRB-TARGET fellow will build their own unique doctoral training itinerary that is adapted to their research, academic, professional and personal requirements and will prepare them to excel during and after their doctoral training. The personalized IRB-TARGET itinerary will be composed of several mandatory and options components that fellows will complete to complement their research work categorized under research, training and engagement. The itinerary will be defined in collaboration with the supervisory team and will be reflected in their Personal Career Development Plan (PCDP). Fellows will need to complete a minimum required dedication (200 hours) to each category and subcategory to successfully complete the IRB-TARGET programme.

The major components of this itinerary include ( see table below):

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1. Core biomedical research project: Fellows will undertake a research project in a given field under the supervision of a Group Leader leading to a doctoral degree at the University of Barcelona. They will further enrich this research training through weekly participation in group (lab) meetings, interdisciplinary node and plenary seminars, PhD retreats, and symposiums.
2. Collaborations & research stays or secondments in academia, clinical setting, or industry (1-3 months): Either through a secondment or a short stay, IRB-TARGET fellows will be required to complete a mandatory research stay or secondment as part of their doctoral training itinerary, unless explicitly discouraged by their Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC).
3. Network-wide training events organised by and for IRB-TARGET (100 hours): These mandatory training events will provide fellows with knowledge, skills and expertise in several core areas that are integral to their doctoral training, including research integrity, gender in research, entrepreneurship skills, open science and research data management, and communication.
4. Complementary training actions from local and other initiatives (25 hours): Fellows will have the opportunity to choose the training sessions and topics that best suit their needs and interests.
5. Communication and Dissemination actions to maximise research impact (50 hours): Having done a mandatory training course on communication given by Scienseed and had opportunities to fine-tune these skills at the institutional level by participation and presentation at group meetings, node seminars and plenary seminars, fellows will be required to further their communication and dissemination skills.
6. Outreach and Stakeholder network engagement for responsible innovation (25 hours): (a) With the support and guidance of IRB Barcelona´s Communication Department and the Public Engagement Officer in particular, IRB-TARGET fellows will contribute to outreach actions to disseminate science to the general public. (b) To engage with the stakeholders and/or end-users of biomedical researchers, IRB-TARGET fellows will organise, conduct and amplify the impact of an online talk show to discuss important themes with respect to science, research and policy with guests representing key stakeholders.

Each fellow has the support of the following actors in the implementation and revision of their PCDP: the Group Leader and the co-supervisor(s), including in the secondment lab(s); the Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC); and the Career support team.

IRB-TARGET fellows will be awarded their doctoral degrees from the University of Barcelona. More information on the available doctoral programmes within this university can be found here.

Nostrum Biodiscovery S.L.

Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona-Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer

Fundació Privada per a la Recerca i la Docència Sant Joan de Déu (FSJD-CERCA)

Fundació Privada Institut d’Investigació Oncològica de Vall d’Hebron (VHIO)

Radboud University Medical Centre (Radboudumc)

Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute

European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Københavns Universitet

University of Groningen, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP)

School of Biomedical Science, McGill University

National University of Ireland Galway

University of Twente

Università degli Studi di Torino, Molecular Biotechnology Center (MCB)

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (MSCA) provide grants for all stages of researchers' careers—be they doctoral candidates or highly experienced researchers—and encourage transnational, intersectoral and interdisciplinary mobility. The MSCA enable research-focused organisations (universities, research centres, and companies) to host talented foreign researchers and to create strategic partnerships with leading institutions worldwide.

The MSCA aim to equip researchers with the necessary skills and international experience for a successful career, either in the public or private sector. The programme responds to the challenges faced by researchers, offering them attractive working conditions and the opportunity to move between academia and other settings.

The MSCA are open to all domains of research and innovation, from fundamental research to market take-up and innovation services. Research and innovation fields are chosen freely by the applicants (individuals and/or organisations) in a fully 'bottom-up' manner.

For more information, please visit the following web pages:

https://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/

https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/