Postdoctoral Fellowships for the BRIDGE - Translational Excellence Programme

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

University of Copenhagen

BRIDGE – Translational Excellence Programme

The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is seeking 11 highly motivated and dynamic researchers to commence the BRIDGE – Translational Excellence Programme on 1 April 2020. Fellows will be appointed for a period of two years and receive an annual sum of DKK 50.000 to cover costs for PC, travel, participation in meetings and conferences, language courses and activities not offered within the programme.

The BRIDGE - Translational Excellence Programme is financed by the Novo Nordisk Foundation with the ambition to train postdoctoral fellows in the area of translational medicine, mentored by fully committed and top level professionals in research, medicine and life science industry.

The BRIDGE - Translational Excellence Programme is developed as a clear career path for applicants whose ambition is a career within research and for those wishing to become leaders in the field of translational medicine.

• Applicants have an MD and a PhD or equivalent (proof of an appointment that requires doctoral equivalency). Specialist training is no hindrance to apply, and medical training is appreciated

• Applicants have an MSc and a PhD within a relevant discipline such as veterinary science, biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, bioinformatics, pharmacy, dentistry or medical engineering

As a PhD student you may apply, provided that you attach a declaration from your supervisor stating that your thesis will be submitted and defended prior to project commencement 1 April 2020.

Fellows must apply for the programme in cooperation with a Mentor Team listed on the BRIDGE website (link).

Application deadline is 31 October 2019 at 23:59 PM. Appointed fellows are expected to participate in a two-day Boot Camp on 15 April – 16 April 2020. Mentors solely on the first day 15 April 2020.

Research area

The BRIDGE – Translational Excellence Programme will provide the fellows with the ability to translate insights from the basic into the clinical sciences and vice versa and the training to manage the essential collaboration between disciplines.

The programme will cover the translational stages T0 (Population/clinic to lab feedback, Disease modelling –omic studies, Basic research), T1 (Biomarker discovery, Target development, Pre-clinical development) and border to early T2 (First in human, Phase 1 clinical trials, Phase 2 clinical trials, Phase 2b clinical trials).

Job description

Appointed fellows will spend 80 % of their time on individual translational research projects mentored by a Mentor Team consisting of a basic biomedical scientist and a clinical scientist from a hospital or life science industry. The fellows will spend 20 % of their time on a mandatory Academic Curriculum that will cover the translational stages T0 to early T2, and teach generic skills such as research management and leadership, ethics, communication and grant writing. Please find more information about the Academic Curriculum here.

Qualifications

As a BRIDGE fellow you are highly motivated to participate in the courses in the Academic Curriculum, to network and cooperate with other BRIDGE fellows and you are an ambitious scientist that will work on bridging the gaps between research and medical treatment.

We expect BRIDGE fellows to be scientifically independent, have a high degree of academic maturity and have:

• An enthusiastic interest in a translational research project co-developed with a Mentor Team and a good match with a committed Mentor Team

• A strong CV, having published in high-quality journals and presented at international meetings

• The ability to manage one’s own academic research and associated activities

• Experience with project management

• Evidence of excellent interpersonal skills and leadership, with the ability to communicate research ideas and results in a clear and logical way and the ability to confidently and effectively interact with colleagues and the broader research community

How to apply

As a BRIDGE fellow you will be working on a translational research project co-developed with a Mentor Team. As such, the first step in the application process is to find a Mentor Team. You may already be in contact with appropriate mentors. If not, please browse through the list of Mentor Teams and project synopses here. Potential fellows should contact a Mentor Team and if the match is successful together develop a joint application for the program.

If you are already in contact with an appropriate Mentor Team, please note that it is an eligibility criterion that the Mentor Team is listed on the programme website and approved by the University of Copenhagen prior to call closure. As such, you may encourage potential mentor(s) to sign up on your initiative too.

Read about the requirements for Mentor Teams here.

Application material

• Part 1a: Project description (must be co-developed by the applicant and mentor team)

• Part 1b: Budget (must be signed by the Head of Department(s) and merged with Part 1a)

• Part 2: Project abstract and CV (must be composed by the applicant independently)

Please find the requirements for the application and download the application templates here.

Applications must be submitted online and via the link 'Apply now' below or via this advertisement found on https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/ no later than 31 October 2019 at 23:59 PM.

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications or application material that does not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

Recruitment procedure

The received applications will be shortlisted and assessed according to the Ministry Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities 2012 and the University of Copenhagen’s guidelines 2013.

After the expiry of the application deadline, the authorised recruitment manager selects applications for assessment based on the advice of the Appointment Committee. The Appointment Committee is composed of a subset of members of the BRIDGE Executive Scientific Committee (link).

All applicants are notified whether their application has been passed for assessment. The Assessment Committee makes a non-prioritised assessment of the academic qualifications and requirements of the fellows to match the respective translational research project. Each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him-/herself (Part 2).

You can read about the recruitment process here.

In succession of the completion of the assessments, a subset of candidates will be invited for an interview with the Appointment Committee. The BRIDGE programme will reimburse expenses from travel and accommodation for applicants invited to the interview.

The interviews are scheduled to take place 27 January and 28 January 2020.

The University of Copenhagen International Staff Mobility office offers support and assistance to all international researchers on all issues related to moving to and settling in Denmark. Read more at www.ism.ku.dk and https://www.workindenmark.dk/.

Non-Danish and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions, if they hold a PhD degree and have not lived in Denmark the last 10 years.

Financial composition of the fellowships

The fellowships covers salary in accordance with the collective agreement between AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) and the Ministry of Finance. The financing of running costs for the individual research projects will be covered by the hosting environments. Each fellow will in addition receive an annual sum of DKK 50.000 during their two-year employment to cover costs for PC, travel, language courses, participation in meetings and conferences, and activities not offered within the programme.

Successful fellowship recipients will be enrolled in the BRIDGE - Translational Excellence Programme and employed at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.

Upon fulfilment of course participation and the individual research project fellows will be awarded a Certificate of Excellence.

For more information about the BRIDGE - Translational Excellence Programme

Please visit www.bridge.ku.dk and/or contact Programme Coordinator Danny Damsgaard on telephone +45 9350 9265.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.