student – scholarship position Recruitment No 75/2026

Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences; Poland; Vor Ort; PLN 16.000 - 19.000; Teilzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

ERASMUS+ programme eligibility

Research training in IPC PAS

Zusammenfassung

Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw offers a student scholarship position within the NSC SHENG-4 project focused on viral protection through polymeric excipients. The project combines high-throughput polymer synthesis, biophysical characterization, and formulation studies for phages, bacteriophages, and related virus-like particles.

The successful candidate will work under Dr hab.

Qualifikationen

• Background in biology, chemistry, biotechnology, materials science, or a related field.
• Excellent in English speaking and writing.
• Ability to work independently as well as in a group.

Aufgaben

• Compare and evaluate the effectiveness of selected stabilizers in maintaining the stability of bacteriophages under stress conditions.
• Carrying out experimental work, maintaining regular research notes.
• Taking part in and presenting at group meetings and conferences.

Kenntnisse

Biology

Chemistry

Biotechnology

Materials science

English

Ausbildung

Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Jobbeschreibung

Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences

Organisation/Company Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences Department Team 02, Living materials, https://www.livingmaterials.org/ Research Field Biological sciences » Biological engineering Biological sciences » Biology Engineering » Biomaterial engineering Technology » Biotechnology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Bachelor Positions Application Deadline 23 Nov 2026 - 12:00 (Europe/Warsaw) Country Poland Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Other Job Status Extra Information scholarship position Hours Per Week 20 Offer Starting Date 1 Dec 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number Recruitment 75/2026 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Student – scholarship position available in the Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS within National Science Center (NSC) SHENG-4, 2025/56/Q/ST5/00356, entitled “ Viral Protection through Advanced Polymeric Excipients for Biomedical Applications

Leader Dr hab. Jan Paczesny, Team 02 Living materials

This project focuses on the development and optimization of polymer-based excipients for bacteriophage stabilization, addressing a critical challenge in the storage, transport, and application of phages in medicine, biotechnology, and industry. Bacteriophages have significant potential as alternative antimicrobial agents, particularly in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. However, their widespread use is hindered by poor stability under environmental stressors, including temperature fluctuations, desiccation, and long-term storage conditions. The proposed research aims to overcome these limitations by designing and characterizing novel polymeric formulations that enhance phage stability, ensuring their viability and efficacy across various applications. The project takes an interdisciplinary approach, combining high-throughput polymer synthesis, advanced biophysical characterization, and structural analysis. The Polish team at the Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS brings expertise in colloidal stability, self-assembly, and bacteriophage research. The project will establish structure-property-function relationships, guiding the development of optimized polymeric stabilizers tailored to different phage types and storage conditions. Beyond bacteriophages, the research will extend to virus-like particles (VLPs) and protein systems, broadening the impact on vaccine formulation and biopharmaceutical stabilization. By investigating polymer-mediated stabilization in both phages and VLPs, this project will generate insights applicable to a range of biological formulations, contributing to the advancement of nanomedicine, vaccine technology, and bioengineering. The project will not only advance fundamental knowledge in virology, polymer science, and biophysics but also provide practical solutions for enhancing phage therapy, vaccine development, and other biopharmaceutical applications. The findings will lay the groundwork for future translational research and potential industrial applications, making a significant contribution to both scientific innovation and public health advancements.

Responsibilities:

• Compare and evaluate the effectiveness of selected stabilizers in maintaining the stability of bacteriophages under stress conditions.
• Carrying out experimental work, maintaining regular research notes.
• Taking part in and presenting at group meetings and conferences.

Requirements

Research Field Biological sciences » Biology Education Level Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Research Field Technology » Biotechnology Education Level Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Research Field Engineering » Biomaterial engineering Education Level Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• Background in biology, chemistry, biotechnology, materials science, or a related field
• Excellent in English speaking and writing
• Ability to work independently as well as in a group

Specific Requirements

NCN scholarships may be awarded to a person who meets any of the following criteria:

a) is a student of a full-time first or second-cycle degree programme or uniform Master’s studies at a university in Poland;

b) is a participant in a doctoral programme (Within the meaning of the Act on Higher Education of 27 July 2005);

c) is a doctoral candidate at a doctoral school (Within the meaning of the Act on Higher Education and Science of 20 July 2018)

According to REGULATIONS FOR AWARDINGNCN SCHOLARSHIPS FOR NCN-FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS:

At the starting date of the work within the project : status of a student or doctoral student in biology, chemistry, biophysics, biotechnology or a related field. Document confirming the status of a student or doctoral student (in accordance with the rules defined by National Science Center’s document REGULATIONS FOR AWARDING NCN SCHOLARSHIPS FOR NCN-FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS) will be required before concluding the scholarship agreement.

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Research Field Engineering » Biomaterial engineeringTechnology » BiotechnologyChemistry » Physical chemistry Years of Research Experience 1 - 4

Additional Information

We offer a scholarship position in the Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS with a monthly stipend of 1600 PLN per month, financed from the SHENG-4, 2025/56/Q/ST5/00356, The stipend is for 6 months with possible extensions based on the performance The successful candidate will benefit in form of the knowledge and methods developed in the laboratory.The successful candidate will be eligible for all programs at the IPC PAS, including the IPC PAS Young Scientists competition and the IPC PAS Young Scientists Mobility competition.Institute provides an opportunity to participate in ERASMUS+ programme.

Eligibility criteria

• NCN scholarships may be awarded to a person who meets any of the following criteria:

a) is a student of a full-time first or second-cycle degree programme or uniform Master’s studies at a university in Poland;

b) is a participant in a doctoral programme (Within the meaning of the Act on Higher Education of 27 July 2005);

c) is a doctoral candidate at a doctoral school (Within the meaning of the Act on Higher Education and Science of 20 July 2018)

According to REGULATIONS FOR AWARDINGNCN SCHOLARSHIPS FOR NCN-FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS:

Complete application should include the following items:

• list of scientific achievements (publications, patents, conference presentations, etc.)

The recruitment committee will evaluate the candidates’ research achievements, their research-related achievements and competencies as regards specific tasks in the research project, expressed as a point score:

• the candidate’s research achievements, including publications in prestigious academic press /journals (50% of the final score)
• research-related achievements, scholarships, awards and research experience gained in Poland or abroad, research workshops and training courses, participation in research projects (20% of the final score)
• the candidate’s competence to carry out specific tasks in the research project (30% of the final score)

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Institute of Physical Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences Country Poland City Warsaw Postal Code 01-224 Street Kasprzaka 44/52 Geofield