Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow

Offer Description

The German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE) investigates the impact of nutrition on age-associated disease development. In this particular project, the requirement of micronutrient supplementation in critically ill patients will be studied. Since it is postulated that severe disease is accompanied by a severe loss of micronutrients or many patients arrive in a clinical setting with a micronutrient deficiency, the effect of supplementation on clinical outcomes will be tested in collaboration with project partners. This particular project aims to develop more reliable methods to evaluate the micronutrient status.

What will you do

RF4: measurements of vitamins and redox status in erythrocytes and leukocytes and identify potential new functional markers

Duration: 36 months (the project can be started immediately)

Supervisor(s): Prof. Tilman Grune / Prof. Christian Stoppe

Enrolment in a doctoral program: German Institute of Human Nutrition / University of Potsdam

Project description: This project aims to identify suitable biomarkers of tissue micronutrient status by measurement of known intracellular vitamin metabolites. In addition, the redox status in erythrocytes and leukocytes should be assessed by analyzing various redox pairs, including dehydroascorbic acid / ascorbic acid and oxidized / reduced glutathione. The development of methods that are applicable and reliable in a clinical setup are a central aspect of the thesis. Existing methods will be used as a basis and validated for clinical settings.

Your main tasks and responsibilities in this project are:

• Extensive literature survey of the existing methods
• Application and adjusting methods to a method useable in clinical settings
• Validation of methods
• Proof-of-concept studies for the methods in cooperation within clinical settings

What do we expect

We seek a highly motivated scientist with a M.Sc. / diploma in life sciences (e.g., biochemistry, nutrition science, or environmental sciences) or analytical chemistry or comparable. The applicant should have interest in analytical techniques and their application to clinical problems. We expect the applicant to have some experience in statistical data analysis and to be a highly-motivated, precise-working person with communication skills in English and ability to work in interdisciplinary collaboration and in a diverse research environment. The applicant will work in a team of highly motivated Ph.D. candidates and scientists and the work is expected to result in a Ph.D. thesis.

To be eligible for this position, applicants must meet the Marie Skłodowska-Curie admission requirements:

• You must not already hold a doctoral degree.
• You must comply with the MSCA mobility rule: You must not have resided in or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Germany for more than 12 months during the three years immediately prior to recruitment.

Your working environment

The German Institute of Human Nutrition offers an intensive and structured supervision and, together with the University of Potsdam a Ph.D. program. Training and scientific development are ensured by including you into a team of nutritionists, biochemists and clinical working persons at the institute. State-of-the-art equipment and infrastructure provide excellent conditions to perform the work. We offer multiple opportunities as listed below:

• Intensive scientific support, close collaboration with cooperating institutions, and enrolment in the local Ph.D. program
• Excellent technical equipment, a wide range of experimental methods, and a dynamic and interactive research environment
• Supporting of mobility with a jobticket for using the public transport
• Easy accessibility by public transport or car (including free parking)
• 30 days of vacation
• Participation in the benefits program for employees (“corporate benefits”)

The BIO-MICRO project

Please find a description of the project at https://bio-micro.eu/.
Your main work place will be at the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Potsdam near Berlin (https://www.dife.de/en/) in the Department of Molecular Toxicology (https://www.dife.de/en/research/departments-and-labs/molecular-toxicology/).

What we offer

This Ph.D. position is funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) of the European Union’s Europe 2024 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 101226686. You will be appointed as fulltime Ph.D. student for three years at German Institute of Human Nutrition.

Salary scale: Market competitive is based on a 40-hour week, depending on qualifications and experience. Successful candidates will receive an attractive base salary in accordance with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, for 36 months. The exact (net) salary depends on the EU-defined country correction factor and on local tax regulations (for additional information see the EU MSCA website). Exact salary will be confirmed upon appointment.

Doctoral candidates will receive a living allowance of €4010 per month (correction factor to be applied per country and local employer’s contribution and tax regulations). They will also benefit from a monthly mobility allowance of €710. In addition, a family monthly allowance of €660 (if applicable) is on offer to fellows with a spouse and/or child / children. Successful applicants are eligible for parental leave in compliance with the German legislature.

In addition to your local Ph.D. training, you will participate in a comprehensive and attractive educational program specifically designed for the 13 Research Fellows within the BIO-MICRO consortium. The BIO-MICRO training program offers a blended learning approach that combines monthly interactive live online sessions (60–90 minutes) with in-person workshops. The online curriculum covers essential topics in clinical research, including epidemiology, biostatistics, observational and clinical trial design, statistical computing, and scientific writing. In addition, four intensive three-day in-person workshops are dedicated to the development of both academic and transferable skills. In addition, all fellows will carry out 12 months of secondments and will be enabled to participate in relevant international scientific conferences. Together, this structured training program is designed to optimally prepare you for a successful career.

If you don’t have the nationality of an EU / EEA country or Switzerland, you will need a residence permit to live and work in Germany.

We promote the employment of people with severe disabilities and are committed to equal opportunities for them. Applicants with severe disabilities will be given preferential consideration if they have the same qualifications.

Contact

Please send your documents (cover letter explaining your motivation, CV, copies of degrees / certificates and references) as a single PDF file before April 30, 2026, via e-mail to jobs@dife.de.

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact:

Dr. Daniela Weber
Department of Molecular Toxicology
E-Mail: daniela.weber@dife.de

Prof. Dr. Tilman Grune
Department of Molecular Toxicology
E-Mail: scientific.director@dife.de