UKRI Guarantee Doctoral Network Student (ArcTech) Job profile

A UKRI Guarantee Doctoral Network Student (ArcTech) post is available from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2027. The 3-year post includes a PhD programme within the Living Systems Institute at the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.

The Doctoral Candidate will work on a project entitled “Bioinspired applications of archaeal surface proteins” as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network (MSCA DN) project called ArcTech: Harnessing the potential of Archaea Training Europe’s next visionaries for an innovative and sustainable future. ArcTech is an EU Horizon Europe funded project [grant agreement 101120407] and the UK element of the project is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee [grant number EP/Y031407/1].

The 3-year post includes a PhD programme within the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences and will use the research undertaken as part of their studies.

The successful candidate will work in the group of Dr Bertram Daum and will engineer archaea-derived surface polymers into customisable nanomaterials for biotechnology and targeted drug delivery. This will involve the conversion of archaeal surface layers into a bioactive encapsulation matrices, and the transformation of archaeoviral nanomachines called Virus Associated Pyramids into triggerable membrane pores.

As part of their project, the candidate will undertake two secondments, one at the lab of Sonja Albers (University of Freiburg, Germany) to learn genetic modification in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, and a second to the company Novozymes (Copenhagen, Denmark) to learn about the commercialisation of biotech products.

The successful applicant will be able to present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and prepare proposals and applications to external bodies.

Applicants will possess an undergraduate degree (2:1 or above) or equivalent in a relevant science field and possess excellent communication skills. They must be eligible to be appointed as Doctoral Candidates in the UK under the EC Horizon Europe Marie-Skłodowska Curie Action, Doctoral Networks (DN) scheme. Therefore, at the time of recruitment, the candidate should;

The starting salary will be a spot salary in the range from £32,332 to £38,205 per annum on Grade E, depending on qualifications and experience. In addition, allowances are payable in line with the Marie Curie Horizon Europe requirements for Doctoral Candidates as follows: a mobility allowance of £5,090.58 per annum.

Additional allowances may be payable in line with Marie Curie EU Horizon Europe requirements for researchers. Salary and allowances will be paid in pounds sterling.

The University pay scale will be subject to a cost of living review each year, but you will not receive annual increments.

The successful applicant will be enrolled on a PhD and will use the research undertaken as part of their studies. There is a fee waiver in place for any successful candidate that meets the MSCA DN criteria and the University of Exeter criteria.

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.

Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today. More than 99 percent of our research is of international quality and 47 percent is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).

We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City

We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community.

With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.

How to apply
To apply, please note that you will be asked to upload your CV and a cover letter. Please note that you will also be asked to provide references.

For further information please contact Bertram Daum, b.daum2@exeter.ac.uk or telephone (01392) 727455.

If you have any general enquiries about the application process, please email recruitmentadmin@exeter.ac.uk.

The closing date for completed applications is 12th May 2024 at 23:59 BST. Interviews are expected to take place in July.