Lund University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top universities. The University has around 47 000 students and more than 8 800 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset.

CanFaster, an EU Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND programme, is a four-year doctoral program, within cancer research and entrepreneurship. The goal is to faster forward the discoveries in cancer research, to speed up the time from discovery to clinical practice. The candidate will undertake a comprehensive training programme, that includes courses in entrepreneurship, innovation processes, as well as education in clinical aspects of cancer and attend seminar series at the business incubator. Team activities will ensure the development of a network that lasts beyond the programme, and that helps to boost the future career. The CanFaster students will be offered secondments in the non-academic sector, such as clinic or industry. The goal of CanFaster is to educate tomorrow’s cancer researchers in a broad set of scientific, transferable, and business skills to become entrepreneurs and build an international network by the end of the training. The program is administrated by CREATE Health, located in the energetic and dynamic science park, Medicon Village, and the research will be conducted at Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, as well as Social Sciences at Lund University in Sweden. Lund University and the Medicon Valley area has been nominated as one of the top 13 Brain belts in life science in the world.

Work assignments
The PhD project PROTECT (PROTECT women by PReventiOn and early deTECTion of breast cancer initiation – cellular and molecular effects of reducing breast density) is a translational concept to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind potential breast cancer preventive therapies. Breast density is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and the local microenvironment in the breast tissue is known to significantly impact on breast cancer initiation and progression. Thus, if breast density can be diminished, the risk of breast cancer may be reduced simultaneously. This innovative study design bridges an ambitious clinical trial with detailed functional laboratory experiments and a molecular pathological epidemiology approach. Development of new assays, writing manuscripts and grants, and giving seminars are also expected of the PhD candidate.

Admission requirements
A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if he or she:

  • has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
  • has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
  • has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

The specific application and eligibility criteria for the CanFaster program must be fulfilled. For details see: http://www.createhealth.lth.se/research/canfaster/application-criterias/

Applicants must fulfil the transnational mobility rules set by H2020 program-

  • The candidates cannot have stayed in Sweden for more than 12 Months within the 3 years immediately before the call deadline.
  • In agreement with the Horizon 2020: 2016-2017 Work Programme for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, applicants to CanFaster must be Early Stage Researchers (ESR), “ESR shall, at the date of the deadline of the co-funded programme's call, be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research careers and have not been awarded a doctoral degree“.

Additional requirements:

• Very good oral and written proficiency in English, a TOEFL score of at least 550, with no less than 213 points on the computer based test and no less than 79 on the internet-based one. An IELTS test, in which the "Academic Module" must be completed with at least 6.5 as a result and with no section scoring less than 5.0.

• To qualify for this third cycle program the applicant must have performed an independent research Project.

Qualifications
A successful candidate must be familiar with histology- and microscopy techniques and have direct experience of general molecular- and cell biology laboratory techniques, including handling of cell cultures. It is not a prerequisite, but a background in medicine is a merit. The applicant must have thorough analytical skills and a scientific approach to problem solving. At work, the PhD-student is expected to be able to work both independently and as an engaged team player.

Assessment criteria
Selection for third-cycle studies is based on the student’s potential to profit from such studies. The assessment of potential is made primarily on the basis of academic results from the first and second cycle. Special attention is paid to the following:

  • Knowledge and skills relevant to the thesis project and the subject of study.
  • An assessment of ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems.
  • Written and oral communication skills in English.
  • Other experience relevant to the third-cycle studies, e.g. professional experience.

Other assessment criteria:

  • Motivation to be accepted to the program and statement of career development benefits after graduation from the program.
  • The ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems will be judge on based on undergraduate research experiences, a Master's thesis or in a discussion of scientific problems during a possible interview.
  • The ability to collaborate and communicate will be judge through the application documents and interview.
  • Mobility, you cannot have resided in Sweden for more than 12 months in the last 3 years.
  • The individual projects may have assessment criteria. If so, these are provided among the additional information for the particular projects. See http://www.createhealth.lth.se/research/canfaster/application-criterias/.

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant, through his or her experience and skills, is deemed to have the abilities necessary for successfully completing the third cycle programme.

Terms of employment
Limit of tenure, four years according to HF 5 kap 7§.

The employment of doctoral students is regulated in the Swedish Code of Statues 1998: 80. Only those who are or have been admitted to PhD-studies may be appointed to doctoral studentships. When an appointment to a doctoral studentship is made, the ability of the student to benefit from PhD-studies shall primarily be taken into account. In addition to devoting themselves to their studies, those appointed to doctoral studentships may be required to work with educational tasks, research and administration, in accordance with specific regulations in the ordinance.

Instructions on how to apply
Applications shall be written in English and include a cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the position and in what way the research project corresponds to your interests and educational background. The application must also contain a CV, degree certificate or equivalent, and other documents you wish to be considered.

  • Scanned copies of the complete (Bachelor and Master equivalent) and official academic transcripts in English.
  • References: Two reference letters written in the template found at www.canfaster.se. The form should be sent to canfaster@immun.lth.se with the subject Referee form and name of the applicant before the application deadline.
  • Scanned copy of standardized test results (GRE, TOEFL, etc.).
  • All required application material, including letters of reference, must be complete and submitted by deadline in order for the application to be considered. Documents written in other languages must be translated into English by an authorised translator.
  • You will be asked to answer a number of evaluation questions when submitting the application.

Eligible applicants will be evaluated by an evaluation panel based on merit, motivation to apply to the program, motivation for career development, measured in terms of the academic record, academic excellence, and personal qualifications such as collaboration and communication abilities. The applications will be evaluated continuously and can be contacted for interview prior to the call closure.

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset. We kindly decline all sales and marketing Contacts.

Eligibility
Students with basic eligibility for third-cycle studies are those who- have completed a second-cycle degree- have completed courses of at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits are from second-cycle courses, or- have acquired largely equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or abroad.

The employment of doctoral students is regulated in the Swedish Code of Statues 1998: 80. Only those who are or have been admitted to PhD-studies may be appointed to doctoral studentships. When an appointment to a doctoral studentship is made, the ability of the student to benefit from PhD-studies shall primarily be taken into account. In addition to devoting themselves to their studies, those appointed to doctoral studentships may be required to work with educational tasks, research and administration, in accordance with specific regulations in the ordinance.

Type of employment
Limit of tenure, four years according to HF 5 kap 7§.

Type of employment Temporary position
First day of employment 2019-06-01 or upon agreement
Salary Monthly salary
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100
City Lund
County Skåne län
Country Sweden
Reference number PA2019/1237
Contact
  • Ann Rosendahl/ann.rosendahl@med.lu.se, 073-6862389
Union representative
  • OFR/ST:Fackförbundet ST:s kansli, 046-222 93 62
  • SACO:Saco-s-rådet vid Lunds universitet, 046-222 93 64
Published 29.May.2019
Last application date 18.Jun.2019 11:59 PM CEST

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