Innovative Training Network
Antiviral Immunometabolism

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INITIATE (Innate-Immunometabolism as Antiviral Target) is an Innovative Training Network funded by the European Commission with the goal to train a new generation of young researchers in the emerging field of antiviral immunometabolism.

The global COVID19 pandemic emphasizes once again the urgent need for improvement and innovation in the development of new antiviral strategies. A detailed understanding of the role of metabolic regulation in the host innate immune response against virus infection, together with an understanding of the strategies used by viruses to exploit these pathways, will fundamentally change clinical intervention in the treatment of COVID-19, as well as other pathogenic viral diseases.

INITIATE brings together world leaders in virology, inflammation, innate immunity, and immunometabolism to educate a new generation of research scientists with the interdisciplinary expertise required to recognize, contain and treat future virus outbreaks.

INITIATE includes partners from 7 academic institutes and 3 industrial partners from 7 countries. The consortium will host 15 PhD students – Early Stage Researchers (ESRs), each performing an individual research project at one of the partners.

INITIATE (Innate-Immunometabolism as Antiviral Target) is an Innovative Training Network funded by the European Commission with the goal to train a new generation of young researchers in the emerging field of antiviral immunometabolism.

The global COVID19 pandemic emphasizes once again the urgent need for improvement and innovation in the development of new antiviral strategies. A detailed understanding of the role of metabolic regulation in the host innate immune response against virus infection, together with an understanding of the strategies used by viruses to exploit these pathways, will fundamentally change clinical intervention in the treatment of COVID-19, as well as other pathogenic viral diseases.

INITIATE brings together world leaders in virology, inflammation, innate immunity, and immunometabolism to educate a new generation of research scientists with the interdisciplinary expertise required to recognize, contain and treat future virus outbreaks.

INITIATE includes partners from 7 academic institutes and 3 industrial partners from 7 countries. The consortium will host 15 PhD students – Early Stage Researchers (ESRs), each performing an individual research project at one of the partners.

Training

ESRs will be part of a vibrant and stimulating international and inter-sectorial collaboration.  The INITIATE training programme will equip its ESRs with appropriate scientific and transferable skills, through related and interdependent research projects, interdisciplinary and intersectoral secondments, and network-wide training activities. Scientific training will be supplemented with workshops devoted to academia/industry collaboration, dissemination and public engagement, as well as the maintenance of a successful research environment.  ESRs will meet other ESRs involved in the program during the network meetings, secondments and international meetings.

Candidates

We are looking for talented and highly motivated early career researchers educated in biology, infection & immunity, biochemistry or related subjects and experience in cellular biology, (bio)chemistry, immunology and/or virology. We expect dedication and enthusiasm for experimental research, combined with scientific curiosity and the capacity to teamwork in an interdisciplinary environment. Positions are open from now until all the positions are filled (at the latest January 1st 2020 ) and ESRs will be based in the Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, France or Italy.

Admission Criteria

Candidates must have not been awarded a doctoral degree and have to be in the first four years of their research career.  Candidates must have excellent proficiency in written and spoken English (at least level B2) and fulfill the specific University recruitment criteria of each position. Candidates can be of any nationality, but need to demonstrate mobility in terms of moving from one country to another when taking up their appointment. Importantly, candidates must not have resided or carried out their activities – work, studies, etc.- in the country of their host organization for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before August 1st 2019.

The INITIATE training programme will comply with the EU Charter and Code of Conduct for Recruitment, ensuring no discrimination on the basis of gender, age, ethnic, national or social origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, language, disability, political opinion, social or economic condition and an open, transparent, supportive and internationally comparable recruitment procedure

Employment

The successful candidates will be employees of the beneficiary’s institutions, with a contract period of 36 or 48 months, depending on the length of the PhD program at the hosting institute. The position is funded by a Marie Curie Initial Training Network initiative. The successful candidates will receive an attractive salary in accordance with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) regulations for early stage researchers. The exact salary will be confirmed upon appointment and is dependent on the country correction coefficients (to allow for the difference in cost of living in different EU Member States) as well as applicable regulations. Basic gross rates include a living allowance subject to taxes, social security, employee and employer pension contributions), a mobility allowance and a family allowance. Envisaged Job Starting Date: between August 1st 2019 and January1st 2020.

PARTNERS

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

INITIATE will process data collected from the applicants for recruitment purposes only, according to the GDPR policies. INITIATE will not share data outside the network, unless upon authorization from the interested applicant. The data will be kept for a period of five years after the end of the project for the purpose of an audit by the EU.