Purpose

Promoting diversity and inclusion is critical to any cutting-edge academic environment. That is why at the Law Centre for Health and Life, we would like to attract top talent from eligible PhD graduates to apply for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie post doctoral fellowship from the European Commission. 

Through these post-doctoral fellowships, the European Commission aims to support researchers’ careers and foster excellence in research. At the Law Centre for Health and Life, we wish to seize this opportunity to mutually enrich our own academic environment, the disciplines we work in, and the career paths of post doctoral fellows.

How it works

Eligible candidates can apply directly to the Law Centre for Health and Life. (Note: Candidates may not apply directly to the European Commission for this fellowship. Fellowship applications must be submitted with the agreement of and in cooperation with the Law Centre for Health and Life.)

After being selected by the Law Centre, a candidate will have until the annual deadline (usually in October) to be mentored by one of our supervisors to prepare an application to the MSC fellowship. 

If awarded by the European Commission, the candidate would receive 2-3 years of funding (salary costs and research expenses) to pursue post doctoral research at the UvA’s Law Centre for Health and Life. The post doctoral fellowship would likely start in the summer or autumn after the deadline.

Types of MSC Postdoctoral Fellowships

There are 2 types of Postdoctoral Fellowships:

1. European Postdoctoral Fellowships. They are open to researchers moving within Europe or coming to Europe from another part of the world to pursue their research career. The host organisation would be the UvA Law Centre for Health and Life. Researchers of any nationality can apply.
2. Global Postdoctoral Fellowships. They fund the mobility of researchers outside Europe. The fellowship lasts between 2 to 3 years, of which the first 1 to 2 years will be spent in a non-associated Third Country, followed by a mandatory return phase of 1 year to an organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. The host organisation for the return phase would be the UvA Law Centre for Health and Life. Only nationals or long-term residents of the EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries can apply.

Eligibility criteria

Applications are eligible from candidates who meet all four criteria:

• Have a PhD degree at the time of the deadline for applications. Applicants who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will also be considered eligible to apply.
• Have a maximum of eight years experience in research, from the date of the award of their PhD degree. Years of experience outside research and career breaks will not count towards the above maximum, nor will years of experience in research in third countries, for nationals or long-term residents of EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries who wish to reintegrate to Europe.
• Comply with mobility rules: candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the Netherlands (for European Postdoctoral Fellowships), or the host organisation for the outgoing phase (for Global Postdoctoral Fellowships) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline.
• Have a research idea about any aspect of law or policy related to human health and/or the living environment. 

Selection criteria 

When evaluating candidates’ applications, we will apply the same selection criteria as the European Commission, with a focus on: 

• Quality and innovation of the project idea,
• Potential for knowledge transfer (between the researcher and the UvA) during the fellowship
• Potential of the researcher

The most competitive applications will be with research ideas that are related to the existing lines of research at the Law Centre.

For more information on these criteria, please see the European Commission's MSC website here.

To apply

Applications are currently being accepted and will be evaluated on a rolling basis. We will announce on our website when a suitable candidate has been selected and the call closes.

Please email Dr. Katrina Perehudoff (s.k.perehudoff@uva.nl) and Dr. Anniek de Ruijter (a.deruijter@uva.nl) with a message in English or Dutch that includes:

• Your name, email, and telephone number
• A letter of motivation that explains how you meet all eligibility criteria
• Your CV that includes the title of your university degree(s), date it was awarded or is expected, and from which university, and any research experience or publications
• An explanation of your research idea (maximum 1 page)

We will contact those shortlisted for a follow-up conversation.