IMMUFELLOW Postdoctoral Researcher Positions

Åbo Akademi; Turku; On-site; EUR 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mobility allowance

Family allowance

Annual travel funds

Research funds

Flexible working hours

Job summary

Åbo Akademi invites applications for IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral researcher positions in Turku, Finland. The programme funds up to eleven 36-month posts; nine at UTU and two at ÅAU, with strong emphasis on immunology research, openness, and international collaboration.

Selected researchers will pursue autonomous projects, participate in seminars, and benefit from mobility/family allowances, research and training funds, and structured career development support.

Qualifications

• PhD in immunology or a closely related field with a strong track record in independent research.
• Demonstrated ability to design and conduct immunology research with high international standards.
• Experience with peer-reviewed publications and external project funding is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Carry out an internationally excellent research project over 36 months within UTU or ÅAU.
• Disseminate results through high-impact publications and conferences.
• Collaborate with intersectoral mentoring teams and project supervisors.

Skills

Immunology

Postdoctoral experience

Research independence

Education

PhD in relevant field

Tools

Statistical analysis (R/SPSS)

Job description

IMMUFELLOW Postdoctoral Researcher Positions

IMMUFELLOW Postdoctoral Researcher Positions (Researcher/Senior Researcher) – Up to 11 Positions

The Interdisciplinary and Intersectoral Research Fellowship Programme for Future Leaders in Immunology(IMMUFELLOW) is an innovative postdoctoral training initiative of the University of Turku (UTU) and Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU) in Turku, Finland, jointly funded by the European Union’s Marie Skłodowska Curie-actions (MSCA) COFUND programme.

Immune-related diseases, such as infections, atherosclerosis, and cancer, are increasing in prevalence and pose major societal/economic challenges. IMMUFELLOW aims to train experts and leaders in the broad field of immunology who will advance research to address the needs in the prevention and treatment of immune-mediated diseases. Its goals are breakthrough innovations, scientific renewal, and accelerating the diverse career development of talented researchers by supporting the bottom-up development of outstanding early- and mid-career academics through the provision of three years of funding and enabling them to carry out research projects of their own design.

IMMUFELLOW invites applications for up to eleven (11) fixed-term three-year (36 months) IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral researcher positions (Senior Researcher at UTU and Researcher at ÅAU) starting from April/May 2027. In this Call for Applications, nine (9) positions will be filled at UTU and two (2) at ÅAU . The same eligibility and application criteria apply, and all applications will be evaluated equally. The research must be immunology-related. Applicants may select any research topic and approach to immunology, including basic, translational, and clinical immunology, diagnostics, drug development, and health economics, provided it reflects the core research strengths of UTU or ÅAU. IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral researchers are recruited internationally through an open, transparent, and merit-based recruitment process based on external anonymous peer review. Successful applications will be selected based on academic excellence.

For more information on the IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral MSCA COFUND programme, please visit the IMMUFELLOW website.

The IMMUFELLOW programme prioritises interdisciplinary and intersectoral research and is in line with the European Charter and Code of Conduct, which is designed to improve the attractiveness and conditions of a research career in Europe by standardising practices and promoting the mobility and career development of researchers. IMMUFELLOW also aims to leverage knowledge and resources outside academia to improve the quality and practical applicability of research and to promote diverse scientific approaches to address challenges in immunology and achieve innovative breakthroughs that provide scientific and societal value.

The main task of IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral researchers is to carry out an internationally excellent research project over a three-year period, during which the project results will be disseminated in a variety of ways. Dedicated intersectoral mentoring teams will guide and support IMMUFELLOW researchers. In addition, they will enjoy a high level of autonomy to pursue their research project and develop and establish their future career plans. The selected applicants will form a community of IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral researchers and will have access to exceptional training opportunities and monthly seminars/networking events.

IMMUFELLOW offers a structured postdoctoral programme that integrates science, technology, and entrepreneurship. Moreover, IMMUFELLOW ensures comprehensive research quality and training opportunities beyond academia, and postdoctoral researchers can also explore research, training, and development opportunities in corporate settings, with education on regulatory standards/good practices in diagnostics, drug development, and manufacturing.

Who we are looking for?

We are looking for qualified, highly motivated, and skilled individuals with outstanding potential and an established record of research excellence with a scientific background in immunology research and/or experience in a relevant field.

Qualification requirements and evaluation process

Eligible applicants must have completed their doctoral degree by the Call deadline, awarded no longer than 10 years before the Call deadline (excluding any declared career breaks, such as parental leave or military service). Applicants must meet the MSCA Mobility Rule Requirements, that is, they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Finland for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the Call deadline. Therefore, returning residents of Finland may be eligible to apply. The positions are located at the campus of either UTU or ÅAU, and successful applicants are required to reside in Finland.

Transparency, objectivity, and equality in the selection process are emphasised, and the Call is open to postdoctoral researchers from anywhere in the world and of all nationalities, ages, or research disciplines, as long as their proposed research is related to immunology. Successful applicants are requested to demonstrate engagement in international academic networks and provide evidence of their ability to work in a research environment of high international standard.

Applicants must define an original, autonomous research project of their own design: this must be situated within an existing unit (e.g. research group or department) within UTU or ÅAU and engage with the core research expertise of the respective university.

Applicants should request a Letter of Support from one of the potential project supervisors from relevant units at UTU or ÅAU. More information about research at UTU and ÅAU can be found on the IMMUFELLOW website: www.immufellow.fi/research .

It is mandatory for IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral researcher to commit to the host university’s policies on equal opportunities (UTU, ÅAU) and open science principles (UTU, ÅAU), including free access to peer-reviewed publications, adherence to FAIR data management, and compliance with UTU or ÅAU policies (including those on research ethics) and local law. They must adhere to the Act on the Right in Inventions made at Higher Education Institutions (369/2006) and the ‘Guideline for Inventions’ (UTU) and the ‘Regulations on Inventions’ (ÅAU) that cover the management of patentable inventions, processes for documentation, disclosure, classification, university rights, inventor obligations, confidentiality, commercialisation, inventor compensations, and dispute resolution. Research or training outside the recruiting organisation is capped at 12 months per MSCA rules.

All applications will be evaluated using the same criteria, after which separate ranking lists will be established for UTU and ÅAU, with appointments made in rank order within each list. Eligible IMMUFELLOW applicants will be selected based on an objective, international peer review process with no in‑person interviews to ensure objectivity and equality. The selection committee ranks the applicants based on the external evaluations. After the final rankings are completed, a selection meeting will be held between the selection committee and IMMUFELLOW supervisory board to finalise the rankings and confirm the selection of successful applications and reserve lists. Please see the criteria for evaluating the excellence of the applicant and research project along with the scoring criteria on the IMMUFELLOW website.

The closing date for applications is 19 October 2026 at 23:59 (EEST UTC +3).

Attach to the application form the following documents in English in PDF form (8 attachments):

• Copy of the Doctoral Certificate (if unavailable, a copy of the official confirmation of PhD completion).
• Curriculum Vitae (maximum two pages; template provided ; do not provide age, gender, or a photo).
• A list of publications indicating the five most significant (non-English titles must be translated into English).Please provide the author, title of the article, name of the journal, year, volume and issue, page range, and DOI code (if available).
• Research Plan, including secondment strategy and consideration of ethical issues (maximum 20,000 characters no spaces, including references, template provided ).
• Research Plan Abstract (maximum 2,000 characters, no spaces).
• Ethics Self-Assessment form ( template provided based on European Commission checklist and guidance).
• A Letter of Support from the host laboratory (UTU or ÅAU) is required. At least one Letter of Support should be provided by the potential host unit using the template provided on the IMMUFELLOW webpage.
• All of the eight (8) above mentioned attachments must be in PDF-format.
• All attachments must be written in English with a font size of 11 in Arial, single spaced.
  • This font size must be used throughout the application, except for the footnotes, which must have a font size of 9.
  • Any text within figures, tables, etc., must have a font size of at least 8.
• Name all the attachment documents using your last name and the document title (e.g. Last name_Doctoral certificate, Last name_Curriculum vitae).
• Upload attachments 5–8 as ‘Other attachments’ in the application form in the given order and name them accordingly (e.g. Last name_Research Plan Abstract).

Employment as a full-time postdoctoral researcher for 36 months under a fixed-term contract at UTU (9 positions) or ÅAU (2 positions). The employment contract is based on a collective agreement and a total working time of 1,612 hours per year. For more information, see the ‘Benefits’ section below.

Salary and the trial period

IMMUFELLOW offers attractive remuneration comprising a salary and additional allowances. The salary of IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral researcher is determined in accordance with the university’s salary system. It consists of a task-specific salary component and a personal performance salary component. The individual salary component ranges from a minimum of 6% to a maximum of 50% of the task-specific salary. The salary for a IMMUFELLOW postdoc corresponds to requirement level 6 for teaching and research personnel and the pre‑estimated personal performance percentage of 17% (current gross salary around 4500 € per month), and is subject to potential yearly increases determined by the collective agreement. Progress in the researcher's personal performance can be taken into account during the employment. Salary and allowances are taxable income.

Recruited IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral researchers are granted a mobility allowance of €100 per month, if they are eligible, and a family allowance of €100 per month, if they are eligible (researchers who are married, have a formal status equivalent to marriage, or have dependent children), as per the MSCA guidelines. Family allowance eligibility can be updated during employment if the following criteria are met: spouse, partner in a legally recognised relationship, or dependent children supported by the researcher.

In addition, the researchers are entitled to annual travel costs (up to €1,200 per year), research costs (up to €5,000 per year for justified expenses), training costs (up to €1,200 per year), and opportunities for innovation funding (up to €10,000 over three years for innovation activities, e.g. proof of concept).

The primary workplace is UTU or ÅAU in Turku, and the position is subject to a trial period of six (6) months.

Benefits and working conditions

UTU and ÅAU offers you an exciting opportunity to freely pursue and develop your own research concepts. Both universities prioritise well-being by offering, for example, occupational health care-services. You will also have access to diverse university services to support your work and professional development, and we will help you grow a competitive career profile with an inspiring work environment and community. We invest in your work well‑being and promote work‑life balance, for example, by offering flexible working hours and comprehensive well‑being and support services. Please read more about UTU and ÅAU as an employer from our ‘Come work with us!’ (UTU , ÅAU) pages.

The European Commission has awarded both UTU and ÅAU the right to use the HR Excellence in Research quality label. The label is a token of the university’s commitment to continuous development of the position and working conditions of researchers according to the guidelines set forth in the European Charter for Researchers. The university offers good support and orientation for international hires.

Learn more about Finnish culture and relocation to Finland:

UTU is among the world’s top universities in most rankings and among the best universities in the world in certain fields. Our high‑quality basic research, a multidisciplinary research profile, and close cooperation in research infrastructures create the basis for international top research.

ÅAU is an internationally acknowledged research university with an extensive responsibility for providing education in Swedish in Finland. With its international research community and strong Nordic ties, ÅAU has a nationally and internationally acclaimed and recognised position within research and education.