With leading research into chemical nanomedicine, we can contribute to revolutionizing the healthcare of today and tomorrow. This requires curious individuals who want to push the experimental boundaries of science with their talent and expertise. 
As a PhD Candidate, you get to explore the field of drug activation and drug delivery with our state-of-the-art facilities. The Chemical Nanomedicine Group in the Systems Chemistry Department at Radboud University (Nijmegen, Netherlands) is seeking a PhD Candidate to work on a project in the field of drug activation and drug delivery. You will work on this project under the supervision of Dr Kevin Neumann and Prof. Daniela Wilson. 
A key element in the treatment of many diseases is the selective delivery of drugs to site of interests such as tumour tissues without unspecific off-targeting, which often results in severe side effects. Functionalised polymer-based delivery tools such as polymersomes offer exciting opportunities to overcome these challenges. As a PhD candidate, you will work in the field of polymer chemistry and develop new approaches for accessing functionalised polymeric nanostructures, which will be used for the design of new therapeutics. In this interdisciplinary project, you will work together with scientists from different fields, including chemists, biologists and clinicians.
Your teaching load may be up to 10% of your appointment.

• You hold, or will shortly hold, a Master's degree in chemistry (or an equivalent degree). 
• You have a strong interest in synthetic polymer chemistry and characterisation.
• You are willing to work at the interface of chemistry and medicine.
• You are willing to work in an interdisciplinary team and learn new preparative and analytical techniques.
• You have good oral and written English communication skills.

Fixed-term contract: You will be employed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract) or 3.5 years (5 year contract).

• Employment for 0.8 (5 year contract) - 1.0 FTE (4 your contract).
• The gross starting salary amounts to €2,443 per month based on a 38-hour working week, and will increase to €3,122 from the fourth year onwards (salary scale P).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• It concerns a temporary employment for You will be employed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract) or 3.5 years (5 year contract).
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment  and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 29 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.

Additional employment conditions
Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

The position is in the Systems Chemistry Department of the Institute for Molecules and Materials (IMM) which is part of the Faculty of Science (FNWI). The research aim of the SC department is utilising nano medicinal approaches to overcome existing challenges in drug delivery that cannot be addressed by traditional pharmaceutical approaches such as efficient precision medicine. We focus on the design and synthesis of complex macromolecular structures with applications in the field of nanomedicine such as in-vivo drug synthesis directly at the site of interest. We are synthetic chemists working at the interface of chemistry and medicine.

IMM is a research institute in chemistry and physics promoting interdisciplinary research. Its mission is to design and create functional molecules and materials to fundamentally understand their behaviour. IMM consists of 24 research groups active in fields ranging from condensed matter physics to organic chemistry and biochemistry. It focuses on fundamental research with an open eye to societal applications and trains the next generation of leaders in science and innovation. You will have the opportunity to interact with researchers at IMM and participate in institute-wide activities.

Want to know more about the department you will be working in? Click here!

The Faculty of Science is a complete, student-oriented science faculty where research and teaching are closely intertwined. The faculty aims to be an academic community with an international character where staff from different backgrounds combine their talents with the goal of being a leading science faculty in Europe.