Friday, October 5, 2012

Joint Post-doctoral Fellowship Program (CRG-NCBS) NCBS - inStem - CRG Post-doctoral Fellowships


Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG),
PRBB Building, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona (Spain) – Ph: +34 93 316 01 00 – www.crg.eu

National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS),
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK, Bellary Road, Bangalore 560065 (India) - Ph: +91 80 23636460 - www.ncbs.res.in

NCBS - inStem - CRG Post-doctoral Fellowships



Joint Post-doctoral Fellowship Program between National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore, India, and the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona, Spain

The National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (inStem) in Bangalore, India, and the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona, Spain, announce joint postdoctoral fellowships called NCBS-inStem-CRG Postdoctoral Fellows Program.

This programme aims to attract post-doctoral fellows of any nationality to link ongoing collaborations between researchers at the NCBS-inStem and the CRG to develop new research directions. The primary goal of this program is to provide a unique training experience to postdoctoral scientists who aspire work at the interface between fundamental, interdisciplinary areas of biology with the possibility of applying pioneering technology to creating applications and new research tools.

Deadline for applications: 15th October, 2012
Online application: www.crg.eu/ncbs-crg_call

For further information:

Positions open in these labs:
James Sharpe - Sandeep Krishna - Matthieu Louis - Thomas Graf Mukund Thattai - Toni Gabaldón - Jérome Solon - Jyotsna Dhawan Mara Dierssen - Ben Lehner - Raghu Padinjat - Pia Cosma Guillaume Filion - Isabelle Vernos - Madhu Venkadesan - Pedro Carvalho

Eligibility criteria

a)     Eligibility criteria

Applicants, of any nationality, must hold a PhD degree at the start of the fellowship obtained not more than 4 years before the call deadline (exceptions for up to 3 years for maternity/paternity leaves and other documented career breaks).
Applicants must have a proven record of research accomplishments and at least one original first author publication either published or accepted in an international peer-reviewed journal at the time of application
Candidates must provide at least two reference letters

b)    Completeness of the proposal, i.e. the presence of all requested information (including reference letters)

c)     Receipt of the proposal before the deadline


Duration & General Conditions
Appointments will be for a maximum of 4 years. Fellows will divide their time between NCBS-inStem and CRG according to the requirements of the project, as decided in consultation with the mentors at each location, ideally starting at the NCBS/inStem.
Selected candidates will be employed by the NCBS/inStem
Selected candidates will be evaluated after the second year for the continuation of their fellowship

Training and Benefits
Fellowships will be funded by NCBS/inStem, with research costs and bench fees at Barcelona or Bangalore location met by the host institution.

While at NCBS/inStem in Bangalore, fellows will be paid a competitive salary on par with the NCBS Fellows program and house rent allowance. While at the CRG, fellows will be paid competitively with international fellowships such as the EMBO long-term fellowship used as a benchmark. Medical insurance in Bangalore and Barcelona will be covered.

The NCBS-inStem & CRG Research and Training Programme includes:
International scientific environment.
Advanced research training (training-through research, specific scientific and technology courses and a variety of seminars and conferences with international invited speakers)
Cutting-advanced core facilities

How to apply
Applications for the NCBS-inStem & CRG Fellows Program are accepted exclusively online through our online application system. Candidates must register in order to be able to use the online application system. .
The application deadline is the 15th of November, 2012

Applicants must identify one laboratory or paired laboratories with which they would like to be associated in preliminary discussions with the host laboratory heads. Single laboratories will select the pair in the other institute.
All applications must be accompanied by a viable research proposal developed in consultation with the sponsoring PIs outlining the details/plan of the work to be carried out. The application may be structured using the following format:

1. Project Title
2. Summary of the proposed research project (250 words) and 5 keywords.
3. The main research proposal, which may be structured on the following format:
a. Biological significance of the proposed research (250 words) including a statement on the significance of the project to NCBS-InStem and CRG sponsor’s research program.
b. Proposed work. A synopsis of the proposed project (1500 words) and References
c. Keywords (5 short keywords)
The online application form includes all of the necessary information for the selection process (scientific CV, list of publications, meetings, research experience and interests, fellowships obtained under competitive calls, etc.)

Candidates must ensure that all information is included before the deadline, including the reference letters. Incomplete proposals will not be considered eligible.

Once the application is submitted, an acknowledgement of receipt will be automatically sent by e-mail to the applicant. A reference number will be assigned, which should be included in any further correspondence.

Groups recruiting in this call

We invite you to submit research proposals that map one of the themes listed below. Each postdoctoral fellow will have two sponsors – a NCBS-Instem PI and a CRG PI – who will jointly direct and advice the research project.

Already PAIRED
Design principles for gene regulatory networks James Sharpe – Sandeep Krishna
Active sensing and odor-search strategy in the Drosophila larva Matthieu Louis – Madhu Venkadesan
Re-targeting of metabolic pathways during the evolution of compartmentalized cells Toni Gabaldón – Mukund Thattai
Control theory of embryonic development Jérome Solon - Madhu Venkadesan
Modelling Wnt/beta-catenin oscillations in adult and embryonic stem cells Pia Cosma – Jyotsna Dhawan
Mechanisms of lipid droplet biogenesis Pedro Carvalho – Raghu Padinjat
Currently SINGLES
Role of DNA modifications during cell reprogramming – Thomas Graf
Neurobehavioral Phenotyping of Mouse Models of Disease – Mara Dierssen
Genetic Systems – Ben Lehner
The chromatin of a single cell – Guillaume Filion
Microtubule function and cell division – Isabelle Vernos

Application Review Criteria
The goal of these fellowships is to create a unique postdoctoral training experience allowing
candidates to work international scientific settings, providing a unique opportunity to interface between fundamental and interdisciplinary research.
The criteria to be applied in evaluating the merits of the proposals include:

Potential of the research to create enabling tools or information in biology
Alignment of research objectives between the partnering institutions
Potential for peer-reviewed publication
Feasibility of achieving the project aims within the project funding period and with the resources available

Selection Process
Selection Parameters: Content of the proposal,­candidate’s CV according to the number and relevance of publications, fellowships obtained under competitive calls, participation in international meetings, reference letters and other merits (teaching, patents, mobility etc).

Personal interviews: Selected candidates will be invited to visit Bangalore or Barcelona campus for a seminar and a formal interview with the committee
The travel expenses for candidates invited for interviews will be reimbursed.

Evaluation Criteria: A committee comprising faculty from CRG and NCBS/InStem will review the applications based on the candidate’s scientific background, qualifications during the pre-selection, the scientific-technological quality, and originality of the proposed project  during the seminar given by the candidate.

Notification to candidates: The decision of the evaluation committee will be communicated within 4 months after the corresponding deadline.

Deadline: Calls for this programme will be announced in due time.

Call calendar 2012 selection round
Call opening 15th September 2012
Call deadline EXTENDED 15th November 2012
Notification to candidates Within 4 months from the call deadline
Start date of fellowships      
Within 6 months (min.) to 12 months (max.) of the acceptance date.


Related documents and pages


Contact information

For any additional information, please contact:

Apurva Sarin
Head Academic Activities
National Centre for Biological Sciences
Bellary Road
Bangalore 560065, Karnataka, India


Imma Falero
Academic Officer
Center for Genomic Regulation
Doctor Aiguader 88, 08008 Barcelona

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