MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships at Cardiff University's College of Biomedical & Life Sciences

Cardiff University; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Cardiff University is inviting talented early career researchers to apply for postdoctoral fellowships under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie scheme. This opportunity offers a chance to work on impactful health and life sciences projects while gaining valuable research experience. Successful candidates will join a vibrant research community and receive comprehensive support during their fellowship.

Qualifications

• Must have a doctoral degree by 10th September 2025.
• Maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent experience in research.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research aligned with health and life sciences challenges.
• Develop original and significant contributions to the research field.

Skills

Research

Biological sciences

Health sciences

Neurosciences

Pharmacological sciences

Psychological sciences

Medical sciences

Education

Doctoral degree

Job description

Organisation/Company Cardiff University Department Research & Innovation Services Research Field Biological sciences Ethics in health sciences Neurosciences Pharmacological sciences Psychological sciences Medical sciences Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions Postdoc Positions Country United Kingdom Application Deadline 29 May 2025 - 17:00 (Europe/London) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - MSCA Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Cardiff University is seeking talented and ambitious researchers from diverse backgrounds to join our research community!

We are the sixteenth largest university in the UK and at the heart of the beautiful and thriving youngest capital city in Europe. We are a member of the research-intensive Russell Group of UK universities and our world-leading research confirmed us as a top 20 university in the UK for quality, impact and environment in the most recent major independent assessment. Wales is well positioned to welcome early career international researchers, with the Welsh Government committed to international learning exchanges that support reciprocal and long-term relationships with our European partners.

Cardiff University’sCollege of Biomedical and Life Sciences is looking to host talented postdocs as part of the European Commission's Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF) scheme, who will work with our scientists on important projects, aimed at tackling major health and life sciences challenges.

The fellowship is designed to help early career researchers launch successful academic careers. You will gain valuable research experience while making influential contacts and boosting your profile. We will offer you a comprehensive package of support to ensure that you get the most out of your time at Cardiff while working in a thriving research environment which attracts and supports leading academics from around the world.

The College of Biomedical and Life Sciences is home to 7 academic schools:

and two University Innovation and Research Institutes - the Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute and the Systems Immunity Research Institute.

We particularly welcome expressions of interest from high quality researchers in areas aligned with these Institutes but would welcome interest from excellent candidates in all areas of the life sciences aligned to our academic schools.

The institute addresses one of the major societal challenges facing the world today – the increasing burden of mental ill health and neurodegenerative disorders.

The institute consists of a diverse group of scientists and clinicians dedicated to translating our world-leading research into new and better therapies for brain and mental health disorders. The work of the institute supports three core contemporary research themes:

• Neuroexcitation and neuroplasticity
• Neurodegeneration and repair

The core underpinning methods of our outstanding interdisciplinary scientific research include:

The institute is a centre of expertise for immunology and immunotherapy and is committed to translating cutting-edge research that transforms the diagnosis, treatment, and quality-of-life for patients.

Its ambition is to advance public health for the future by developing new and improved diagnostics and treatments for disease and educating the public and next generation of scientists.

We focus on four research themes to deliver medical advances that make real impact:

• Infectious disease and pandemics
• Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases

Health and social care research boost for Wales!

Cardiff University's health and social care research has received major multi-million-pound investment from Health and Care Research Wales Homepage | Health Care Research Wales , boosting research infrastructure for 17 new research centres. Several of these centres will be based at Cardiff University:

We would also particularly welcome researchers interested in pursuing projects in these areas of health and social care research.

Applicants must have an excellent track record and an exciting research project idea that will make an original and significant contribution to their research field.

Specific Requirements

All domains of research are eligible for funding.

Please contact your nominated supervisor to determine if they are prepared to support an application prior to submitting an Expression of Interest. You will need to identify the supervisor yourself - you may already know a CU academic from meetings or conferences, or you can have a look at Cardiff University'sAcademic Schools webpages where you can view the research profiles of our academic staff.

Expressions of Interest will be evaluated by the relevant Academic School based on the project's alignment with the school/supervisor's research interests, and its potential for meeting the MSCA-PF scheme's evaluation criteria (excellence, impact and quality/efficiency of the implementation).

Additional Information

Eligibility criteria

Researchers must have:

• a doctoral degree by 10th September 2025
• a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent experience in research, measured from the date that the researcher was in possession ofa doctoral degree to the 10th September 2025

Researchers must comply with the following mobility rule: they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies etc.,) in the country of the beneficiary (for European Postdoctoral Fellowships), or the host organisation for the outgoing phase (for Global Postdoctoral Fellowships) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before 10th September 2025.

Researchers can be of any nationality. However, researchers going to a third country (as part of a Global Postdoctoral Fellowship) must be nationals or long-term residents of EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Long-term residence means a period of legal and continuous residence within EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries of at least five consecutive years.

Additional comments

If you are interested in applying for a MSCA-PF at Cardiff University, then we can offer support and guidance throughout the application process. For further details and to submit your Expression of Interest, please refer to the Cardiff MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships page.

Please note: there are two types of MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships:

European Postdoctoral Fellowships:

• Open to researchers moving within Europe, or coming to Europe from another part of the world
• Take place in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country
• Last between 1 and 2 years
• Researchers of any nationality can apply
• For example, 2 year postdoc at Cardiff University

Global Postdoctoral Fellowships:

• Fund the mobility of researchers outside of Europe
• Last between 2 and 3 years
• Fellow must spend the first 1 to 2 years in an organisation in a non-associated Third Country, followed by a mandatory return phase of 1 year to an organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country
• Only open to nationals or long term residents of EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries
• For example, 3 year postdoc with Cardiff University, with the first two years at aUS-based university, and the final year at Cardiff University