The Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy and the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials of the Faculty of Science and Engineering offers a scholarship PhD position for the most talented and motivated national or international student, starting before June 1st 2018. The PhD position is part of larger research programmes, spanning across different expertise groups and being strengthened by complementary PhD projects already in progress.

Candidates are invited to write and develop their own research project on the topic of the biophysics of how nano-sized drug delivery vehicles enter human cells. The PhD candidate will work jointly within the research groups of Dr. Christoffer Åberg and Prof. Dr. Wouter Roos. We envision an approach using a combination of optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and related biophysical and cell biology techniques. The Åberg lab works on how nano-sized objects enter cells and their subsequent intracellular transport, and also has experience with the effect of nanoparticle biomolecular coating on the efficiency of uptake. The Roos lab has specialized experience with AFM based approaches to characterize nanoparticles of a variety of different origins. Together these labs possess the ideal background and expertise to guide the PhD student in this challenging project to study and quantify nanoparticle-cell interactions in the context of drug delivery.

Being part of a cutting-edge research programme, the PhD candidate will receive excellent training in the form of hands-on instruction, advanced courses and/or summer/winterschools, complemented by workshops on generic research and transferable skills as well as teaching training. As a PhD candidate, you are committed to conduct independent and original scientific research, to report on this research in international publications and conference presentations, and to describe the results of the research in a PhD dissertation, to be completed within 4 years.

Successful candidates will have completed a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in physics, pharmacy, chemistry or a related, relevant field. They have good command of English (oral and written), are enthusiastic and have the ability to work in an interdisciplinary team, have a passion for science, are highly motivated to work in biophysics/drug delivery, possess excellent communication skills and an affinity for writing scientific papers and delivering presentations. Experience with the described research topic and techniques is an advantage.

Fixed-term contract: 48 months.

The PhD student will be enrolled in the PhD Scholarship Programme and receive a scholarship of € 2099 per month (gross) from the University of Groningen for a period of 4 years. Information about the terms and conditions of the PhD Scholarship Programme can be found via: https://www.rug.nl/education/phd-programmes/phd-scholarship-programme/

The scholarship PhD student will participate in the Graduate School of Science training programme for PhD students and will draw up a personal training and supervision plan together with his or her supervisors. The Graduate School also provides a progress monitoring scheme to ensure an efficient PhD trajectory resulting in a PhD thesis within 4 years. A Career Perspectives curriculum is part of the training, which aims to prepare students for their (academic or non-academic) careers after the PhD trajectory.

Faculty of Science and Engineering

The University of Groningen has an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative institution of higher education, offering high-quality teaching and research. Balanced study and career paths in a wide variety of disciplines encourage the 30,000 students and 5,500 employees to develop their own individual talents. The University of Groningen is proud to be among the global elite with a classification in the top 100 of the Shanghai ARWU, the THE World University Rankings, the U.S. News ‘Best Global Universities Ranking’, and the NTU Ranking. It marks the 24th place in the global ranking of Best Places to Work in Academia, scoring 3rd best in Europe and 5th non-US university. Joining forces with prestigious partner universities and networks, the University of Groningen is truly an international place of knowledge.