HORIZON MSCA COFUND – 13 Fully Funded PhD Positions in Chronic Inflammatory Disease Research: MAP-ID

The Jagiellonian University invites applications for 13 fully funded PhD positions within the MAP-ID (Multilevel Approaches to Understanding Chronic Inflammatory Diseases) program, co-funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND scheme.

Program Overview:

MAP-ID aims to train a new generation of researchers to tackle chronic inflammatory diseases through interdisciplinary approaches, combining academia and industry insights. PhD candidates will engage in cutting-edge research projects, benefiting from international collaborations and secondments. A detailed description of the program and individual research projects is available on the website: https://cofund.project.uj.edu.pl/.

Partner Universities:

Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Spain;

KU Leuven, Belgium;

Medical University of Graz, Austria;

Sapienza University of Rome, Italy;

University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland;

University of Groningen, Netherlands;

University of Nevada Las Vegas, USA;

University of Oxford, UK;

University of Pavia, Italy;

Universitat de Vic – Unviversitat Central de Catalunya, Spain;

West Virginia University, USA;

Virginia Commonwealth University, USA;

Partner biotech companies:

Bacteromic, Scope-Fluidics;

BGI Tech Solutions;

Cambridge Protein Works;

IntoDNA;

PerioTrap;

Polish Stem Cell Bank;

Ryvu Therapeutics;

WPD Pharmaceuticals;

 

Key Features:

• Duration: 48 months
• Start of employment: First call: October 1, 2025; Second call (if applicable): March 1, 2026
• Salary: €2,800/month gross (approximately €1,700 net)
• Mobility Opportunities: 6–9 months’ secondments at partner universities in Europe and the USA; 3 months’ secondments at European biotech companies
• Employment: Full-time contract with social security, health, and pension benefits

 

Research Projects:

Each PhD position is associated with one of the following 13 research projects:

1. Regulation of chronic neuroinflammation and glioblastoma progression by RNase Regnase-2.

2. Chronic inflammation as a regulator of molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for the initiation and progression of renal and liver cancer.

3. Hypoxia and tumor redox modulation in response to immunotherapy.

4. Immune and inflammatory properties of tissue-specific fibroblast populations.

5. Crosstalk between the immune and nervous system at barrier sites in the context of chronic inflammatory disorders.

6. How does epigenetic memory of hematopoietic stem cells drive chronic inflammation?

7. PIN containing RNases – similarities in the mechanism of transcriptome regulation.

8. Formation of neoepitopes by periodontal pathogens – searching for a molecular link between periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis.

9. The role of chronic diseases with bacterial etiology in the development of renal carcinoma.

10. Correlation between toxin-antitoxin system expression and antibiotic susceptibility in Staphylococcus aureus and its relation to virulence potential.

11. Immunomodulatory and pro-regenerative properties of human stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles dedicated for ischemic tissue repair.

12. Role and molecular mechanisms of receptors that drive innate immunity. 

13. The role of small RNAs in wound healing. 

 

Eligibility Criteria:

Hold a Master’s degree in biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, medicine, or related fields by the program start date; Do not possess a PhD degree or have defended a doctoral thesis; Comply with the MSCA mobility rule: not have resided or carried out main activity in Poland for more than 12 months in the 36 months before recruitment; Demonstrate English proficiency at an upper-intermediate level (minimum B2).

 

Application Process:

First Call: Opens/closed: April 28, 2025 / June 30, 2025

Second Call: (If positions remain unfilled) Opens/closed: September 1, 2025 / November 2, 2025

Recruitment is only conducted via the IRK system. Detailed information on required documents and the electronic application link is available on the website: https://cofund.project.uj.edu.pl/.

 

Contact: For inquiries, please email: cofund_mapid@uj.edu.pl