YUFE4Postdocs Call 2: YUFE4Postdocs (Y4P) program announces its second call for postdoctoral research positions, offering a total of 22 positions across nine prestigious universities. The program focuses on ‘Urban challenges and opportunities’ and is funded by Horizon Europe’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) scheme. Postdocs will engage in Citizens’ Well-Being and European Identity research. The program aims to create an interdisciplinary community of researchers, improve career development opportunities, and serve as an international reference program for advanced postdoc research training.
Designation: Postdoctoral Researcher
Research Area: Urban challenges and opportunities
Location: Multiple partner universities within the YUFE alliance
Eligibility/Qualification: Candidates must have a Ph.D. at the time of the application deadline, or have submitted their thesis and are allowed to defend before April 20, 2024. They should have obtained their Ph.D. no more than six years before December 20, 2023. The MSCA mobility rule applies: candidates must not have resided or worked in the host university’s country for more than 12 months in the 36 months preceding December 20, 2023.
– Criteria and rules for eligibility
| Criterion | Rule |
| Diploma | Diploma certificate in English (accompanied by a non-certified English translation if the initial document is not in English) OR a statement on headed paper from their supervisor/academic institution confirming that the thesis has been submitted and will be defended before 20th of April 2024 (in English). |
| Research Experience | Postdocs researchers must have a maximum of 6 years of experience in research from the date of award of their (first) doctoral degree. This differs from the 8 years of research experience defined in the MSCA scheme and is a distinct feature of the Y4P program. The limit can be extended (in days) for the following reasons: Maternity Leave (18 months-i.e., 548 days per child born after the PhD award date, or the exact duration of maternity leave taken, whichever is longest).Paternity Leave (exact duration per child born after the PhD award date).Compulsory national service.Time spent not working in research.Long-term sick leave (periods greater than 30 days). Applicants indicate possible extensions in the CV template. They must not provide further evidence at this stage but may be invited to provide proof at some point in the selection procedure. |
| MSCA Mobility Rule | Candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies etc.) in the country of the prospective host university for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before 20th December 2023. The following periods are not taken into account: a) compulsory national service; b) time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention; c) short stays (such as holidays): the applicant did not reside or did not have their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country during that period. Applicants indicate the country location of their residence and main activity in the Structured CV. They must not provide further evidence at this stage but may be invited to provide proof at some point in the selection procedure. |
| Research Topic | Applicants are free in the design of their research project. However, they must present an original research project pertaining to the program’s overarching theme of Urban Challenges and Opportunities, connected to one of the YUFE Focus Areas. This has to be made explicit in the application. |
| Nationality | The call is open to researchers of any nationality. |
| Status | As the YUFE postdoc positions contain a training and development component, candidates must not have a permanent position at the start of the appointment at their prospective host university. They have to be able to work exclusively on the research training project in YUFE4Postdocs. YUFE postdocs are appointed with a full-time contract in one of the host universities. They work full time unless part-time employment has been approved for personal or other reasons by the granting authority of the MSCA COFUND allowance (Research Executive Agency of the EC), the host university and the supervisor in accordance with the MSCA regulation[1]. Candidates may be employed when applying but should resign and take up a full-time contract with reference to YUFE4Postdocs in the host university when selected. |
| Formal application criteria | Completeness of the application, including all required supporting documents submitted before the call deadline using the application portal. All submitted documents must be in English and comply with the editing instructions and other specifications indicated below and/or stated in the application portal or the templates. Templates provided must be used. The ethics self-assessment form template must be included. The applicant carries the responsibility that all documents are correct, complete and up to date. Incomplete applications are not eligible and will not be considered. The research project muss explicitly address the overarching core theme of urban challenges and opportunities. |
[1] https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/agr-contr/unit-mga_he_en.pdf
Job Description:
- Offer: 22 postdoc positions
- Duration: 36 months
- Indicative starting date: September 1, 2024
- Focus areas: Citizens’ Well-Being and European Identity
- Co-funded by Horizon Europe’s MSCA scheme
- Attractive employment conditions, including mobility and travel allowances
- Three-pillar training program: community engagement, stakeholder interaction, Open Science, and Open Innovation
- Personalized supervision and career guidance
- Supported by a consortium led by the University of Antwerp
- Interdisciplinary research encouraged but not mandatory
Minimum monthly gross salary at each host university
| Partner university | Minimum monthly gross salary | Monthly mobility allowance |
| University of Antwerp | € 3.780,00 | € 200 |
| Nicolaus Copernicus University | € 3.780,00 | € 200 |
| University of Bremen | € 4.508,00 | € 200 |
| University of Rijeka | € 3.780,00 | € 200 |
| University of Cyprus | € 3.780,00 | € 200 |
| University of Essex | € 3.780,00 | € 200 |
| University of Eastern Finland | € 3.780,00 | € 200 |
| University Carlos III de Madrid | € 3.900,00 | € 200 |
| Maastricht University | € 4332,00 | € 200 |
How to Apply: Candidates must identify a supervisor at a YUFE host university and a co-supervisor at a YUFE co-host university. They should define their Research Training Project within the theme of ‘Urban challenges and opportunities,’ aligned with their prospective supervisors’ research areas. Additional details on approaching supervisors can be found in the application guide.
Applicants are required to use specific template documents, as mentioned in the application guide, to submit their applications.
Criteria and weighting
| Criteria | Weighting |
| Qualifications and motivation of the applicant | 40 % |
| Quality of the project and stakeholder interaction | 40 % |
| Integration within the research environment at the potential host university and the co-host university | 20% |
All general enquiries regarding the Y4P program should be sent to the helpdesk: yufe4postdocs@uantwerpen.be
Navigator contact details
| University | Navigator | Email Address |
| University of Antwerp, Belgium | Hannah Whittle | Hannah.WhittleLetchford@uantwerpen.be |
| Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torún, Poland | Lucyna Kejna | Y4P@umk.pl |
| University of Bremen, Germany | Jana Sievers | jana.sievers@vw.uni-bremen.de |
| University of Rijeka, Croatia | Karmen Pupovac | karmen.pupovac@uniri.hr |
| University of Cyprus, Cyprus | Ioanna Papaphilippou and Christina Delaporta | joannah@ucy.ac.cy delaport@ucy.ac.cy |
| University of Essex, United Kingdom | Dave Briggs | yufe4postdoc@essex.ac.uk |
| University of Eastern Finland, Finland | Helena Jäntti | helena.jantti@uef.fi |
| Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain | Ana López Bellmont | anlopezb@pa.uc3m.es |
| Maastricht University, Netherlands | Andreas Bressler | andreas.bressler@maastrichtuniversity.nl |
Last Date for Apply: 20 December 2023
For detailed information and application instructions, please consult the following documents:
- YUFE4Postdocs Guide For Applicants-Call 2
- YUFE4Postdocs Call 2 Text
- YUFE4Postdocs Frequently Asked Questions
The application portal is currently open and can be accessed through the provided link.
Join the YUFE4Postdocs program to engage in cutting-edge research, develop your career, and contribute to a vibrant international research community. Be part of the YUFE alliance’s commitment to shaping the future of European research and innovation.
