Spain : The CNIO-Caja Navarra International Postdoctoral Programme 2010

CNIO-CAJA NAVARRA INTERNATIONAL POSTDOCTORAL PROGRAMME 2010 CALL
The CNIO-Caja Navarra International Postdoctoral Programme 2010 is calling for highly motivated individuals interested in carrying out their postdoctoral training within the CNIO’s research programmes on Molecular Oncology, BBVA Foundation – CNIO Cancer Cell Biology, Structural Biology and Biocomputing, Molecular Pathology or Human Cancer Genetics.

The CNIO-Caja Navarra International Postdoctoral Program is possible thanks to the generous support of the ‘You choose: you decide’ initiative of Caja Navarra.

ELIGIBILITY

• Applicants must hold a PhD or MD degree before the start of the fellowship but not necessarily when applying. Candidates may also apply if they will obtain their degree before May 2010.
• The date when the degree was awarded must be no more than 3 years prior to the deadline of this call.
• Applicants must have a proven record of research accomplishments and at least one original first author publication (including joint authorship), either published or accepted, in an international peer-reviewed journal with a high impact factor at the time of application.
• The upper age limit for eligibility is 35 years.
• This call is open to applicants from all nationalities. We particularly encourage applicants who have obtained their PhD or MD degrees outside Spain to apply.
• Candidates must have a solid working knowledge of English.
• Researchers who have carried out their doctoral thesis (or any part of it) at the CNIO or who are already working at the CNIO as postdocs are not eligible for the programme.

If you have any doubts about your eligibility for the programme, please contact the Training Office (postdoc@cnio.es) prior to submitting your application.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

• Selected candidates will be employed by the CNIO in accordance to Spanish laws and regulations.
• Accepted applicants must start working at the CNIO within six months after they have been offered the position.
• The position will be awarded for a period of up to 2 years, depending on a positive evaluation by the supervisor at the end of the first year.
• During the duration of the contract, postdoctoral scientists must work full time at the CNIO and may not be the beneficiary of any other fellowship, grant, stipend or other regular income.
• Employees will be included in the Spanish Social Security system, which entitles them to a pension, unemployment benefits, sick pay, maternity pay and free healthcare.
• At the end of the two year contract, the postdoctoral scientist may continue working at the CNIO provided additional funding from other sources can be secured.
• This contract does not imply any obligation on the part of the CNIO regarding further employment.
• This programme will fund only one postdoctoral researcher per group per year.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Postdoctoral scientists hired under the CNIO-Caja Navarra International Postdoctoral Programme will receive a gross annual salary of 32,000 to 36,000 Euros (depending on marital status, children, etc., this salary corresponds to a net income of approximately 2,000 – 2,250 Euros per month). The starting salary will depend on the applicant’s experience at the time of the application. The salary will be adjusted to the next level at the end of the first year.

CNIO-Caja Navarra postdoctoral scientists will be entitled to all benefits available to CNIO employees, including subsidized meals, childcare etc.

Postdoctoral scientists will also be offered free, in-house Spanish classes.

EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE INTERVIEW

Applicants invited for an interview will be sent an APEX fare air ticket. The CNIO will also arrange overnight accommodation as well as cover most local meals. In addition, each invited applicant may request an allowance of 100 Euros for any additional expenses they may incur.

HOW TO APPLY

Application is only possible online. A link to the online application form can be found at http://www.cnio.es/postdoc

At the end of this document you will find a copy of the application form. We suggest you prepare all texts (statement of purpose, list of publications, …) in a text processor and paste them into the application form.

• Application form must be completed in English.
• In the application form you will be asked to select, in order of preference, a maximum of three research groups from the list of CNIO groups that are accepting applications in the 2010 call. These groups belong to five of the research programmes at the CNIO: Molecular Oncology, Structural Biology and Biocomputing, BBVA Foundation – CNIO Cancer Cell Biology, Molecular Pathology and Human Cancer Genetics. Summaries of their research interests and lists of publications can be found in the CNIO’s 2008 Scientific Report.
• Use the “Publications” text box to list all of your publications. Publications should include the complete title and author list (as published) in standard PubMed format. If there are more than six authors, an abbreviated author list is acceptable but your position in the list of authors must be clearly identified.
• Use the “Statement of purpose” text box to outline your current research interests and address your skills, knowledge, and other relevant abilities. Also, briefly state the reasons that have led you to choose the CNIO for your postdoctoral training.
• In the application form you will have to give the names and email addresses of three referees. Your three referees must submit scanned signed letters of recommendation directly to postdoc@cnio.es, stating the applicant’s name in the subject line. Alternatively letters may be also faxed to +34 912246980, attention Dr. Mar Perez. It is your responsibility to ensure that all reference letters are sent to the CNIO before the application deadline.
• Use the “Comments” text box to include any information you consider relevant for your application and which you have not provided elsewhere. Also, use this space to make any comments you may have. You can also leave it blank.
• At the end of the application process you will be asked to upload a file containing your CV in doc, pdf or rtf format (maximum size 1MB).

After having entered all required information you can submit your application by pressing the “Submit” button. Immediately after submission of the electronic application form you will receive an automatic e-mail acknowledging receipt of the application. However, remember that your application will not be considered complete and will not be reviewed until all reference letters have been received.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Only one application per candidate will be accepted.

For more information or if you have any question about the application process, please email postdoc@cnio.es

DEADLINE

Applications are considered at regular monthly or bi-monthly intervals. Yet, no application will be considered after December 31st, 2009, the closing date of this call.

For information on this new programme and on the different groups at CNIO, please follow the links below:

• Call (89 KB)
• List of participating groups (53 KB)
• Poster (287 KB)
• Advertisement (New Scientist, September 26, 2009 issue and Nature, September 24, 2009 issue) (540 KB)
• 2008 Scientific Report
• Application form

REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS AND SELECTION

Applications will initially be screened by CNIO’s Training Office to ensure they are complete and eligible.
All eligible applications will be reviewed by an ad hoc selection committee, formed by CNIO faculty members, which will evaluate candidates based on the following criteria:

• The candidates’ research track record during their graduate work and their potential for successful research while at the CNIO
• The letters of recommendation.
• The information given by the candidate regarding his/her motivation and goals.

The ad hoc selection committee will select a number of candidates for interviews at the CNIO. Interviews are tentatively scheduled to take place on February 22-23, 2010. Selected candidates will be asked to give a presentation on their current research topic and to discuss their research interests.