IMMUFELLOW Postdoctoral Researcher Positions (Researcher/Senior Researcher) – Up to 11 Positions: 2 at ÅAU and 9 at UTU

The Interdisciplinary and Intersectoral Research Fellowship Programme for Future Leaders in Immunology (IMMUFELLOW) is an innovative postdoctoral training initiative of the University of Turku (UTU) and Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU) in Turku, Finland, jointly funded by the European Union’s Marie Skłodowska Curie-actions (MSCA) COFUND programme.

Immune-related diseases, such as infections, atherosclerosis, and cancer, are increasing in prevalence and pose major societal/economic challenges. IMMUFELLOW aims to train experts and leaders in the broad field of immunology who will advance research to address the needs in the prevention and treatment of immune-mediated diseases. Its goals are breakthrough innovations, scientific renewal, and accelerating the diverse career development of talented researchers by supporting the bottom-up development of outstanding early- and mid-career academics through the provision of three years of funding and enabling them to carry out research projects of their own design.

IMMUFELLOW invites applications for up to eleven (11) fixed-term three-year (36 months) IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral researcher positions (Senior Researcher at UTU and Researcher at ÅAU) starting from April/May 2027. In this Call for Applications, nine (9) positions will be filled at UTU and two (2) at ÅAU. The same eligibility and application criteria apply, and all applications will be evaluated equally. The research must be immunology-related. Applicants may select any research topic and approach to immunology, including basic, translational, and clinical immunology, diagnostics, drug development, and health economics, provided it reflects the core research strengths of UTU or ÅAU. IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral researchers are recruited internationally through an open, transparent, and merit-based recruitment process based on external anonymous peer review. Successful applications will be selected based on academic excellence.

For more information on the IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral MSCA COFUND programme, please visit the IMMUFELLOW website.

Please note that you can only apply for a position at UTU using this application form. If you wish to apply for a position at ÅAU, you must use their separate application system. For more details, see the section How to Apply.

Job description

The IMMUFELLOW programme prioritises interdisciplinary and intersectoral research and is in line with the European Charter and Code of Conduct, which is designed to improve the attractiveness and conditions of a research career in Europe by standardising practices and promoting the mobility and career development of researchers. IMMUFELLOW also aims to leverage knowledge and resources outside academia to improve the quality and practical applicability of research and to promote diverse scientific approaches to address challenges in immunology and achieve innovative breakthroughs that provide scientific and societal value.

The main task of IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral researchers is to carry out an internationally excellent research project over a three-year period, during which the project results will be disseminated in a variety of ways. Dedicated intersectoral mentoring teams will guide and support IMMUFELLOW researchers. In addition, they will enjoy a high level of autonomy to pursue their research project and develop and establish their future career plans. The selected applicants will form a community of IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral researchers and will have access to exceptional training opportunities and monthly seminars/networking events.

IMMUFELLOW offers a structured postdoctoral programme that integrates science, technology, and entrepreneurship. Moreover, IMMUFELLOW ensures comprehensive research quality and training opportunities beyond academia, and postdoctoral researchers can also explore research, training, and development opportunities in corporate settings, with education on regulatory standards/good practices in diagnostics, drug development, and manufacturing.

Who we are looking for?

We are looking for qualified, highly motivated, and skilled individuals with outstanding potential and an established record of research excellence with a scientific background in immunology research and/or experience in a relevant field.

Qualification requirements and evaluation process

Eligible applicants must have completed their doctoral degree by the Call deadline, awarded no longer than 10 years before the Call deadline (excluding any declared career breaks, such as parental leave or military service). Applicants must meet the MSCA Mobility Rule Requirements, that is, they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Finland for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the Call deadline. Therefore, returning residents of Finland may be eligible to apply. The positions are located at a campus of either UTU or ÅAU, and successful applicants are required to reside in Finland.

Transparency, objectivity, and equality in the selection process are emphasised, and the Call is open to postdoctoral researchers from anywhere in the world and of all nationalities, ages, or research disciplines, as long as their proposed research is related to immunology. Successful applicants are requested to demonstrate engagement in international academic networks and provide evidence of their ability to work in a research environment of high international standard.

Applicants must define an original, autonomous research project of their own design: this must be situated within an existing unit (e.g. research group or department) within UTU or ÅAU and engage with the core research expertise of the respective university.

Applicants should request a Letter of Support from one of the potential project supervisors from relevant units at UTU or ÅAU. More information about research at UTU and ÅAU can be found on the IMMUFELLOW website: www.immufellow.fi/research.

It is mandatory for IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral researcher to commit to the host university’s policies on equal opportunities (UTU, ÅAU) and open science principles (UTU, ÅAU), including free access to peer-reviewed publications, adherence to FAIR data management, and compliance with UTU or ÅAU policies (including those on research ethics) and local law. They must adhere to the Act on the Right in Inventions made at Higher Education Institutions (369/2006) and the ‘Guideline for Inventions’ (UTU) and the ‘Regulations on Inventions’ (ÅAU) that cover the management of patentable inventions, processes for documentation, disclosure, classification, university rights, inventor obligations, confidentiality, commercialisation, inventor compensations, and dispute resolution. Research or training outside the recruiting organisation is capped at 12 months per MSCA rules.

All applications will be evaluated using the same criteria, after which separate ranking lists will be established for UTU and ÅAU, with appointments made in rank order within each list. Eligible IMMUFELLOW applicants will be selected based on an objective, international peer review process with no in-person interviews to ensure objectivity and equality. The selection committee ranks the applicants based on the external evaluations. After the final rankings are completed, a selection meeting will be held between the selection committee and IMMUFELLOW supervisory board to finalise the rankings and confirm the selection of successful applications and reserve lists. Please see the criteria for evaluating the excellence of the applicant and research project along with the scoring criteria on the IMMUFELLOW website.

How to apply?

Detailed instructions and guidance for applicants can be found on the IMMUFELLOW website and Guide for Applicants.

Please apply through our online recruitment systems.

Applicants to UTU submit their application through UTU’s online recruitment system TalentAdore. Please see instructions for submitting a job application.

or

Applicants to ÅAU submit their applications through ÅAU’s online recruitment system LAURA. Please see instructions for submitting a job application.

Complete the application with all required documents according to the instructions provided and submit the application by the Call deadline. Please write your application and all accompanying documents in English. The closing date for applications is 19 October 2026 at 23:59 (EEST UTC +3). Applicants may submit no more than one application for this Call. If multiple applications are submitted, only the last one submitted will be taken into account and this applies to applications to either UTU or ÅAU.

Attach to the application form the following documents in English in PDF form (8 attachments):

1. Copy of the Doctoral Certificate (if unavailable, a copy of the official confirmation of PhD completion).
2. Curriculum Vitae (maximum two pages; template provided; do not provide age, gender, or a photo).
3. A list of publications indicating the five most significant (non-English titles must be translated into English). Please provide the author, title of the article, name of the journal, year, volume and issue, page range, and DOI code (if available).
4. Research Plan, including secondment strategy and consideration of ethical issues (maximum 20,000 characters no spaces, including references, template provided).
5. Research Plan Abstract (maximum 2,000 characters, no spaces).
6. Ethics Self-Assessment form (template provided based on European Commission checklist and guidance).
7. Initial Data Management Plan (DMP) (maximum one page, template provided).
8. A Letter of Support from the host laboratory (UTU or ÅAU) is required. At least one Letter of Support should be provided by the potential host unit using the template provided on the IMMUFELLOW webpage.

• You can use this check list to confirm you have prepared and submitted all eight (8) documents.
• Please note that incomplete submissions, including missing attachments, will result in the application being deemed ineligible.

Formatting requirements:

• All of the eight (8) above mentioned attachments must be in PDF-format.
• All attachments must be written in English with a font size of 11 in Arial, single spaced.
  • This font size must be used throughout the application, except for the footnotes, which must have a font size of 9.
  • Any text within figures, tables, etc., must have a font size of at least 8.
• Please use the provided standard templates to ensure uniformity and follow the specified instructions for each attachment.
• If you do not use the provided templates, or adhere to character/word limits, you run the risk of administrative rejection.
• Name all the attachment documents using your last name and the document title (e.g. Last name_Doctoral certificate, Last name_Curriculum vitae).
• Upload attachments 5–8 as ‘Other attachments’ in the application form in the given order and name them accordingly (e.g. Last name_Research Plan Abstract).
• Please note that in the templates, the content in italics and purple font within <...> marks are for guidance only and should be removed before submission.
• Templates for attachments and more detailed instructions on how to prepare application documents can be found in the Guide for Applicants and on the IMMUFELLOW webpage.
• For further information, please contact [email protected].