Jena Doctoral Positions - Germany

The Jena School for Microbial Communication (JSMC) is funded by the German Excellence Initiative. It conceptionally combines different research areas (microbial communities, interactions with plant, animal and human hosts and environmental interactions) to a comprehensive picture of microbial communication (http://www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/). JSMC is an ambitious Graduate School prospectively comprising 150 PhD students who will be educated in a structured, interdisciplinary training program based on top-level fundamental research. Four faculties of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, six non-university research institutions as well as twelve partner companies are participating in this cutting edge research and training program which includes an innovative PhD program, career development and intensive sociocultural care. Three embedded existing Research Training Groups as well as twelve other cooperative research projects are engaged to incorporate novel research areas to achieve a complete view of microbial communication.

We invite applications forDoctoral Positions.

The positions are immediately available.

We expect:
- an excellent recent university degree in Natural Sciences (e.g. Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Medicine): M.Sc., German diploma or equivalent (candidates about to obtain such a degree are welcome to apply)
- an integrative and co-operative personality
- motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of the Graduate School
- creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
- achievement-oriented performance to promote JSMC as a groundbreaking Graduate School in Life Sciences
- outstanding communication skills in English

We offer:
- a top-level research environment
- a doctoral fellowship and generous research funding
- a periodic research report system
- efficient supervision by a team of two supervisors
- a comprehensive mentoring program
- courses in novel technologies and soft skills
- a highly communicative atmosphere between the involved institutions and companies
- Jena – the German City of Science 2008: a young and lively city with dynamic business activities, successful scientific centers of innovation and a vibrant cultural scene around the famous Friedrich Schiller University

The Research fellowship is paid according to the rules of the DFG (German Research Foundation).
The Friedrich Schiller University Jena is an equal opportunity employer.

For the first step of the application procedure please aquaint yourself with the scientific themes of the 1stcall on our website: www.jsmc.uni-jena.de and thoroughly fill in the "Statement of Interest" also available on this site.

Deadline: December 21st, 2007.
Decisions will be communicated to applicants by the end of December and selected applicants willbe able to start as early as February 2008.