This postdoc position offers Amsterdam UMC Principal Investigators (PIs) the opportunity to attract talented early career researchers from outside Amsterdam UMC.

Concept
The researcher will be embedded in a research group led by an Amsterdam UMC PI. This position provides candidates with the chance to strengthen their academic profile by generating scientific and societal impact, thereby improving their prospects for securing future EU (MSCA-PF, ERC-StG) or national (NWO-VENI) personal grants. The grant amount is a maximum of €125,000, with up to €100,000 allocated for the researcher’s salary for a minimum of one year and a maximum of €25,000 for other costs (e.g., training, consumables, outreach activities). Mandatory departmental co-funding of €20,000 is required to be eligible for the grant, which should be allocated to support the project (as outlined in the budget proposal). A maximum of three postdoc grants will be awarded in 2025.

The postdoc grant encourages applications for (EU) funding opportunities and the initiation of new (inter)national collaborations. The grant can be used to cover the researcher’s salary, publications, consumables, outreach activities, and training in transferrable skills. The grant is intended for candidates who can personally dedicate at least 0.8 FTE to the research activities described in the grant.

Application Process
Together with the host PI at Amsterdam UMC, candidates should complete the application form and submit it to rgs@amsterdamumc.nl by Monday, 13 January 2025, 9:00 AM CET. Applications will be reviewed by the Amsterdam UMC Postdoc Career Bridging Grant Committee, which may invite additional internal reviewers. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an online interview, where they will present their plans for the one-year project. If candidates receive the same ranking after the interview, the written application score will be decisive.

Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this grant, candidates must:

  • Hold a PhD by the time of application (or by the start of the project, 1 December 2025, at the latest)
  • Have the endorsement of an Amsterdam UMC Principal Investigator and department (evidenced by a signed letter of support)
  • Not have worked at Amsterdam UMC for more than one year in the past three years
  • Not have other funding available to initiate research at Amsterdam UMC (candidates must disclose any existing funding)
  • Be eligible to apply for early career funding opportunities with their Amsterdam UMC host PI during the duration of the grant (e.g., MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship, NWO-VENI)
  • Not have previously received the Postdoc Career Bridging Grant or applied for it more than once.

Evaluation
Applications will be evaluated based on:

  • Quality & feasibility of the proposed research activities (25%)
  • Relevance of the proposed activities (10%)
  • Interdisciplinary, interfaculty, or intersectoral collaborations (10%)
  • Quality & appropriateness of the proposed societal impact activities (20%)
  • Expected impact on the candidate’s career development (20%)
  • Quality of the candidate’s CV (15%)

The selection process will include an online interview, where candidates will present their plans for the one-year period. The PI will not attend the interview.

Duration and Financial Conditions
The postdoc position is for a minimum duration of one year. The grant will be awarded to a maximum of three candidates in 2025, with a start date no later than 1 December 2025. Mandatory departmental co-funding of €20,000 must be provided for the application to be eligible. The grant budget can cover salary, publications, consumables, outreach activities, and training.

Impact
At the end of the project, the candidate’s career development will be assessed based on applications for (EU) funded personal or project grants.