Funding
Alliance Interinstitutional Postdoc Program
The Alliance Interinstitutional Postdoc Program fosters early scientific independence and supports innovative research ideas. Embedded in an excellent interdisciplinary scientific environment, the program offers access to high-end technologies and state-of-the-art labs at world-class research institutions in Heidelberg and Mannheim, Germany – one of the largest biomedical research hubs in Europe. In order to attract talent to the Alliance partner institutions and to the Rhine-Neckar region, the Health + Life Science Alliance carries out annual recruitment rounds. Based at at least two Alliance labs, highly talented and motivated postdoctoral fellows are funded over up to two years to work on interdisciplinary and interinstitutional research projects by members of the Alliance.
Application to the Program
The submission deadline for applications is March 28, 2025, 5 pm CET.
The Health + Life Science Alliance Heidelberg Mannheim is looking for outstanding early career postdoctoral scientists/ clinician scientists for bridging projects between two or more Alliance partner institutions. Suitable candidates may choose from a wide variety of innovative, interinstitutional projects specifically proposed by Project Leaders of the Alliance for this initiative. Alternatively, applicants are also welcome to define their own research project with at least two PIs at two different Alliance institutions.
The Alliance primarily supports basic and translational research in the fields of cancer research, cardiovascular research, neuropsychiatric diseases, genomics, synthetic immunology, molecular engineering, medical technologies and novel applications of AI concepts in health and life science research.
Candidates for the postdoctoral positions should have a PhD, MD or MD/PhD in a relevant area of research at project start. At the time of the submission deadline, applicants should have not worked for more than 6 months as a postdoctoral researcher or clinician scientist at Alliance institutions co-supervising the selected or proposed project(s).
What we offer
- Accepted postdocs will receive a two-year contract at a partner institution of the Alliance with the earliest start date in August/September 2025 and the latest start date in January 2026.
- Clinician scientists will receive 12 months of funding from the Alliance for the research project over a period of 24 months during the “Facharztausbildung”/specialist medical training. The 12 months for the clinical position must be guaranteed by the employing hospital/PI where the “Facharztausbildung”/specialist medical training will be performed.
- This interinstitutional program offers an excellent interdisciplinary scientific environment.
- The program offers access to high-end technologies and state-of-the-art labs at world-class research institutions in the life sciences at the campus environment of Heidelberg University in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, one of the largest biomedical research hubs in Europe.
- Through the unique expertise across the institutions, we offer you the exclusive opportunity to gain insight into transfer of knowledge and the development of new applications.
Application Process
For your application you need to prepare the following information:
- Option A: indicate the project(s) you are interested in and choose up to three projects from the offered list (in the download box below), or
- Option B: prepare your own Project proposal with at least two PIs at different Alliance partner institutions, and a Support letter signed by the hosting Alliance PIs (information sheets for Option A or Option B and templates are in the download box below; read them and prepare the information accordingly before you register for submission).
- Cover letter outlining your scientific interests and explaining why you are the right candidate with the right skills for the Alliance labs you want to work with. Attach to the Cover letter your CV, publication list with at least one first-author publication, PhD/ MD certificate and two reference letters (all in english), save it as one single pdf (file size max. 8 MB). Please make sure that the reference letters bear the original letterhead and the referee’s signature, otherwise the reference letters are not acceptable. Prepare all before you submit.
- Read the Guide for Applicants to find out more (download box below).
- For further questions check the FAQ.
Link to registration and submission of Option A
Link to regsitration and submission of Option B
Important notice - please read before you submit: If you have clicked the consent in the webform as “Yes”, the information will upload accordingly. Please refrain from submitting again! The browser will reply that your submission was succesful. Only resubmit if the browser has NOT shown the message that the upload was successful. Only get in touch if you cannot manage to submit your application (in case the browser does not reply the success message). You will NOT receive an automatic notification email confirming your application. We will contact you mid of May 2025. Thank you.
The Heidelberg Mannheim Health + Life Science Alliance stands for equal opportunities and diversity. Qualified female candidates are especially invited to apply. Disabled persons will be given preference if they are equally qualified.
For further questions contact programs@health-life-sciences.de
We look forward to your application!
Contact
Dr. Sabine Rehberger-Schneider
Email: programs [at| health-life-sciences.de
Phone: +49 6221 54 15962
Awardees
Alexander Aivazidis, EMBL
Dynamical causal modelling of gene regulation and cellular trajectories in neural organoids
Oliver Stegle, EMBL + Lars Steinmetz, EMBL + Moritz Mall, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Zahra Haider, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Molecular profiling of liquid biopsies for brain tumor diagnostics and monitoring of treatment response
Felix Sahm, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University + David Jones, DKFZ
Sabrina Lewis, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Using spatial omics to study the effects of combinatorial drug therapies in tumour biopsies
Denis Schapiro, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University + Peer Fischer, Heidelberg University
Jan Fabio Nickels, DKFZ
Revealing mechanisms of chromatin domain organization and epigenetic gene regulation
Karsten Rippe, DKFZ + Simon Anders, Heidelberg University
Priyanka Pant, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Deciphering the role of RNA granules vs. missplicing in RBM20 cardiomyopathy; will the real culprit please stand up?
Maarten van den Hoogenhof, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University + Lars Steinmetz, EMBL
Jose Augusto Pochapski, ZI
Shared and distinct cellular and molecular mechanisms of drug addictions
Rainer Spanagel, ZI + Andreas Draguhn, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Lukas Scheiderer, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Understanding the role of kinesin in HSP on a molecular level using MINFLUX tracking
Rebecca Schüle-Freyer, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University + Timo Zimmermann, EMBL
Lea Weber, DKFZ
Dynamics of somatic mosaicism in stem cell systems: From data to models
Thomas Höfer, DKFZ + Anna Marciniak, Heidelberg University
Martin Würtz, EMBL
Understanding microtubule organisation by the augmin complex in space and time
Sebastian Eustermann, EMBL + Elmar Schiebel, Heidelberg University + Stefan Pfeffer, Heidelberg University
Céline Zheng-Gérard, Heidelberg University
Structural and functional characterisation of the potassium channel TASK-1 in health and disease
Cristina Paulino, Heidelberg University + Constanze Schmidt, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Sathyanarayanan Amritha, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Using Single Cell RNA-sequencing and Spatial Transcriptomics to Elucidating the Ovarian Cancer Tumor Microenvironment in Patients treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and PARP inhibitors
Frederic Marme, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University + Benedict Brors, DKFZ
Eleanor Burgess, Heidelberg University
Microcapsules for immunotherapy of solid tumors
Adelheid Cerwenka, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University + Christine Selhuber-Unkel, Heidelberg University
Hairuo Dang, EMBL
Exploring the mechanism of pronuclear migration in mouse and human oocytes
Jan Ellenberg, EMBL + Thomas Strowitzki, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Roger Ottenheijm, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
New Ca2+ entry and release channels in platelets – relevance for thrombosis and inflammation
Marc Freichel, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University + Daniel Dürschmied, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University
Esra Oktay, Heidelberg University
VIROGAMI – Synthetic virology meets DNA/RNA origami
Dirk Grimm, Heidelberg University + Kerstin Göpfrich, Heidelberg University and MPI for medical research
Changgyun Park, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Integrative analyses of drug responses in tumor organoids of brain metastases
Christel Herold-Mende, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University + Peter Lichter, DKFZ
Andrea Zanotti, DKFZ
General and cell type-specific mechanisms for the coupling of protein uptake and lysosomal catabolism
Wilhelm Palm, DKFZ + Matias Simons, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Katharina Zirngibl, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Understanding regulation of differentiation from multi-omics single-cell assays
Simon Anders, Heidelberg University + Ana Martin-Villalba, DKFZ
Zahra Rezaei, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Using MALDI-MS Imaging to determine insecticide cellular localization and potential as malaria-transmission blocking interventions Victoria Ingham, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University + Carsten Hopf, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University
Maja Bencun, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Functional characterization of uORF-encoded microproteins in cardiomyocytes
Christoph Dieterich, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University + Rebecca Wade, Heidelberg University
Aylin Camgöz, DKFZ
Oncogenic roles of PRDM16 in ST-EPN-ZFTA ependymomas
Marcel Kool, DKFZ + Magdalena Laugsch, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Rafael Cardoso, DKFZ
Discovery and evaluation of non-invasive tests and risk models for personalized colorectal cancer screening
Hermann Brenner, DKFZ + Nuh Rahbari, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University
Ines Castro, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
The Nuclear Pore Complex as a site for genomic transcription and splicing
Marina Lusic, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University + Sinem Saka, EMBL
Florian Constanty, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Dissecting the cardiac regenerative microenvironment using spatial OMICs
Arica Beisaw, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University + Chi-Chung Wu, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University
Taniya Chakraborty, Heidelberg University
Bottom-up assembly of a macrophage-mimicking synthetic cell
Selhuber-Unkel, Heidelberg University + Kerstin Göpfrich, MPI, Heidelberg University
Quinten Ducarmon, EMBL
Discovery of novel gut bacterial carcinogenesis mechanisms
Georg Zeller, EMBL + Eran Elinav, DKFZ
Charles Dussiau, EMBL
Integrative analysis of single cell omics with cellular and functional features of ageing at a whole organ level using machine learning
Judith Zaugg, EMBL + Michael Milsom, DKFZ
Büşra Erarslan-Uysal, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Characterizing genomic structural variation and leukemogenesis in Shwachman-Diamond-Syndrome
Joachim Kunz, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University + Jan Korbel, EMBL
Nir Fulman, Heidelberg University
Interdisciplinary research platform “Urban nature experience, biodiversity and mental health”
Alexander Zipf + Marcus Koch + Gerd Hoefele, Heidelberg University + Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, ZI
Marie Jacobovitz, EMBL
Plasticity of nuclear cycling in response to the environment
Gautam Dey, EMBL + Markus Ganter, Heidelberg University
Nicolai Karcher, EMBL
Towards personalized microbiome-informed immunosuppressive therapy in transplant medicine
Michael Zimmermann, EMBL + Burkhard Tönshoff + David Czock, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Suzan Kors, Heidelberg University
A molecular and ultrastructural analysis of mitotic organelle remodeling and of organelle interactions during mitosis
Anne Schlaitz, Heidelberg University + Yannick Schwab, EMBL
Florian Marx, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Multiplex serology to identify novel biomarkers for tuberculosis
Claudia Denkinger, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University + Tim Waterboer, DKFZ
Svenja Müller, ZI
Molecular principles underlying the effects of prenatal maternal stress on placenta and neurodevelopment: from a human longitudinal cohort to mechanistic insight
Stephanie Witt, ZI + Alexander Aulehla, EMBL
Maria Lucia Pigazzini, EMBL
Unraveling the emerging link between structural centrosome aberrations and cancer
Niccolò Banterle, EMBL + Ingrid Hoffmann, DKFZ
Daniela Ramirez Butavand, Heidelberg University
Training the sleeping brain: effects of high intensity training on sleep-dependent brain plasticity in major depression
Simon Steib, Heidelberg University + Gordon Feld, ZI
Fredrika Rajer, EMBL
Quantifying the effect of long-term antibiotic prophylaxis in infants on the pediatric microbiome and the development of antibiotic resistance
Michael Zimmermann, EMBL + Christan Gille + Burkhard Toenshoff + Alexander Dalpke, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
Vladimir Ryabov, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University
Role of inflammation in fully humanized and immunologically active 3D bone marrow models of healthy and neoplastic hematopoiesis
Daniel Nowak, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University + Marieke Essers, DKFZ
Petr Smirnov, EMBL
Merging histopathology imaging and genome sequencing using machine learning to discover fundamental properties and translational opportunities of tumors with chromothripsis
Wolfgang Huber, EMBL + Aurelie Ernst, DKFZ
Joshua Stevenson-Hoare, DKFZ
Linking Hyperscanning in EEG and fMRI measures for studying social interactions
Hermann Brenner, DKFZ + Beate Ditzen, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University + Judith Zaugg, EMBL
De-en Sun, MPI
Spying on brain tumors with chemogenetic integrators
Kai Johnsson, MPI + Frank Winkler, DKFZ
Matthias Wagner, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University
GPI-anchored surface proteins of protozoan parasites as targets for therapeutic antibodies
Friedrich Frischknecht, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University + Nina Papavasiliou + Hedda Wardemann, DKFZ