An outstanding opportunity to establish your independent research group in a supportive, world-[...]

An outstanding opportunity to establish your independent research group in a supportive, world-class environment.

We invite applications for junior group leader positions at the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna, Austria. The IMP is a curiosity-driven biomedical research institute, internationally recognised for research excellence and impactful discoveries. Situated within the Vienna BioCenter, a thriving, interdisciplinary campus, we offer an exceptional environment for ambitious scientists to develop and lead their own research groups.

Running a lab & doing research at the IMP

The IMP fully backs new faculty members...

When Diana Pinheiro joined the IMP to set up her lab, she was immediately absorbed into a collaborative and supportive environment.

"My background is not in molecular biology, I am an engineer..."

Principal investigators at the IMP can have different careers - in the case of Francisco Balzarotti, engineering took him to developing cutting-edge imaging technology.

"Vienna is vibrant, clean, and well-connected to the rest of the World..."

Elly Tanaka and her lab moved to Vienna in 2016, here she shares her views on the city.

"The IMP is very understanding and supportive to working parents..."

Two postdoctoral researchers share their experience of balancing science and family life.

The IMP provides internationally competitive salaries and generous, long-term funding to establish and grow your group, including multiple positions (students, postdocs, technician), investments and running costs. Research groups are supported by state-of-the-art core facilities, including high-performance computing, bio-optics, cryo-electron microscopy, next-generation sequencing, mass spectrometry, and more.

We seek outstanding scientists with innovative and independent research programmes in cell and molecular biology, synthetic biology, genomics, gene regulation, development, cancer, immunology and infection biology. We also welcome applications that incorporate artificial intelligence, proteomics, or novel methodological approaches.

The IMP is committed to building a diverse faculty and strongly encourages applications from female scientists. We offer on-site childcare and a range of family-friendly benefits. Our international community brings together scientists from over 40 countries, fostering open exchange and collaboration across disciplines. The IMP participates in the Vienna BioCenter PhD Program and Summer School—among the most competitive graduate and undergraduate programmes in Europe—ensuring access to excellent trainees.

Vienna offers a vibrant, multicultural setting with an outstanding quality of life. The city is known for its safety, culture, green spaces and efficient public services, and consistently ranks among the top cities worldwide for liveability.

Applications, including a CV, a summary of research achievements, future research plans, and the contact details for 3 referees, should be submitted via our application system (button below) by 9 January 2026.