The UZH Department of Biochemistry invites applications from candidates intending to apply for an ERC Starting Grant.
At the University of Zurich, ERC Starting Grantees have assistant professor status (non-tenure track), and the Department of Biochemistry aims to identify candidates to be supported for the European Research Council application in an interview round similar to the selection process for an assistant professorship.
Successful candidates will contribute to the further development of the department in the larger area of molecular and cellular biochemistry and biophysics. Scientists with an interest in computational approaches to address biomolecular questions are particularly encouraged to apply. The applicants are expected to hold a PhD-equivalent degree, have postdoctoral experience and an excellent scientific track record.
The Department of Biochemistry has a strong interdisciplinary focus, bridging structural biology, biophysics, and computational sciences with diverse biomedical disciplines including molecular and cell biology, physiology, and pharmacology. It is known for strong research directions in protein engineering, computational biochemistry, membrane protein biophysics, single-molecule spectroscopy, cryo-electron tomography, genome editing, and molecular systems biology, and offers a vibrant research environment with excellent opportunities for collaboration. The University has outstanding scientific infrastructure for biomolecular studies, including access to state-of-the-art cryo-electron microscopy instrumentation and computational resources.
The Department of Biochemistry is an equal opportunities employer and strives to increase the percentage of women scientists in leading positions.
Please submit your application with the following documents in a single PDF file:
1. Motivation letter (max. 2 pages)
2. CV (max. 3 pages) including the following information, if applicable:
-
Education and academic experience.
-
Net academic age (2-7 years of experience since completion of PhD)
-
Prizes, fellowships and acquired third-party funds.
3. Research plan, publication list and teaching statement (max. 5 pages)
-
Planned research project for the starting grant etc., including references to relevant own publications (if applicable).
-
Publication list.
-
Teaching portfolio and information about supervision of students (if applicable).
4. Reference letters
Please arrange for two reference letters to be submitted to the same email address.
The deadline for application is June 18th, 2026 via
[email protected]
Selected candidates will be invited for online interviews on end of June/ beginning of July. The call for the ERC Starting Grant applications is already open with the deadline set for October 14, 2026. The anticipated start date of the position is beginning of 2028.
