11 Postdoctoral Researcher Positions in Immunology in Finland

The Interdisciplinary and Intersectoral Research Fellowship Programme for Future Leaders in Immunology (IMMUFELLOW) is offering up to 11 postdoctoral researcher positions at the University of Turku (UTU) and Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU) in Turku, Finland. The programme is jointly hosted by the two universities and is funded by the European Union’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) COFUND programme. It is designed to support talented early- and mid-career researchers who want to develop independent research projects in the broad field of immunology.

IMMUFELLOW provides three years of funding and allows successful applicants to develop research projects of their own design. The programme supports interdisciplinary and intersectoral research, combining scientific excellence with opportunities for career development, networking, training, and collaboration beyond academia.

Key Details

Detail	Information
Programme	IMMUFELLOW – Interdisciplinary and Intersectoral Research Fellowship Programme for Future Leaders in Immunology
Position	Postdoctoral Researcher / Senior Researcher
Number of Positions	Up to 11
University of Turku	9 positions
Åbo Akademi University	2 positions
Location	Turku, Finland
Duration	36 months
Expected Start	April/May 2027
Research Field	Immunology
Research Scope	Basic, translational and clinical immunology, diagnostics, drug development, health economics
Funding Programme	EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND
Eligibility	PhD completed by the application deadline and awarded no more than 10 years before the deadline, subject to permitted career-break exclusions
Mobility Requirement	No more than 12 months of residence/main activity in Finland during the previous 36 months
Nationality	Open worldwide
Application Language	English
Application Deadline	19 October 2026 at 23:59 EEST (UTC+3)
Application Limit	One application per candidate

About the IMMUFELLOW Programme

IMMUFELLOW aims to train future experts and leaders in immunology who can contribute to research addressing immune-related diseases and their prevention and treatment. The programme identifies conditions including infections, atherosclerosis, and cancer as major scientific, societal, and economic challenges. Rather than prescribing a single research topic, IMMUFELLOW follows a bottom-up research model. Applicants are invited to develop original projects based on their own scientific interests, provided the proposed research is related to immunology and fits within the core research strengths of either University of Turku or Åbo Akademi University.

The programme offers up to 11 fixed-term, three-year positions, with nine appointments at UTU and two at ÅAU. The same eligibility and application criteria apply to both universities, and applications are evaluated equally through an international, merit-based process.

Research Areas

IMMUFELLOW is deliberately broad in its definition of immunology research. Applicants may propose projects in areas including:

• Basic immunology
• Translational immunology
• Clinical immunology
• Diagnostics
• Drug development
• Health economics

The proposed research must be immunology-related and should connect with the established research strengths of the selected host university. This flexibility makes the programme suitable for researchers whose work bridges multiple disciplines while maintaining a clear immunological focus.

Independent Research Projects

A key feature of IMMUFELLOW is the opportunity to develop an original and autonomous research project. Applicants are responsible for defining their own research project and must situate it within an existing research unit, such as a research group or department, at either UTU or ÅAU. The proposed project should engage with the core expertise of the selected university. Applicants are also required to obtain a Letter of Support from a potential project supervisor within a relevant research unit. This means candidates should identify an appropriate host environment and establish contact with a potential supervisor before completing the application.

Postdoctoral Researcher Responsibilities

The principal responsibility of an IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral researcher is to conduct an internationally excellent research project over the three-year fellowship period. Researchers will disseminate their results through a variety of channels and will receive support from dedicated intersectoral mentoring teams. At the same time, the programme provides researchers with considerable autonomy to develop their projects and establish their future career plans. Successful fellows will also become part of an IMMUFELLOW research community, with access to training opportunities, monthly seminars, and networking events.

Interdisciplinary and Intersectoral Training

IMMUFELLOW goes beyond conventional postdoctoral research by integrating science, technology, and entrepreneurship. The programme provides training and development opportunities both within and beyond academia. Fellows can explore research and professional development opportunities in corporate settings, including exposure to regulatory standards and good practices relevant to diagnostics, drug development, and manufacturing. This structure can be particularly valuable for researchers interested in developing careers that connect academic research with biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, diagnostics, healthcare, or innovation.

Who Can Apply?

IMMUFELLOW is seeking highly motivated and skilled researchers with strong potential and an established record of research excellence. Applicants should have a scientific background in immunology or relevant experience in a related field. The programme is open to researchers from anywhere in the world and of all nationalities, ages, and research disciplines, provided their proposed project is related to immunology. Successful candidates should also be able to demonstrate engagement with international academic networks and their ability to work in a high-standard international research environment.

PhD and Mobility Requirements

Applicants must have completed their doctoral degree by the application deadline. The PhD must have been awarded no more than 10 years before the Call deadline, with eligible career breaks such as parental leave or military service excluded from the calculation. Applicants must also satisfy the MSCA Mobility Rule. They must not have resided or carried out their main activity, such as work or studies, in Finland for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately preceding the Call deadline. Returning residents of Finland may therefore be eligible if they satisfy the mobility requirement. Successful applicants will be based at either UTU or ÅAU and are required to reside in Finland.

Selection Process

IMMUFELLOW uses an international, objective, and transparent selection procedure based on external anonymous peer review. Applications are assessed using the same criteria, after which separate ranking lists are established for the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University. Appointments are made according to ranking within each institution.

Importantly, there are no in-person interviews. Applicants are evaluated through external assessments, and the selection committee uses these evaluations to rank candidates before the final selection meeting with the IMMUFELLOW supervisory board.

Application Documents

Applicants must submit eight documents, all in English and in PDF format.

The required documents are:

1. Doctoral Certificate or official confirmation of PhD completion.
2. Curriculum Vitae, maximum two pages, using the provided template.
3. Publication list, highlighting the five most significant publications.
4. Research Plan, including the secondment strategy and ethical considerations, with a maximum of 20,000 characters excluding spaces.
5. Research Plan Abstract, maximum 2,000 characters excluding spaces.
6. Ethics Self-Assessment form.
7. Initial Data Management Plan, maximum one page.
8. Letter of Support from the potential host laboratory at UTU or ÅAU.

The CV must not include the applicant’s age, gender, or photograph. Publication information must include the author, article title, journal, year, volume and issue, page range, and DOI where available. Incomplete applications, including applications with missing attachments, will be considered ineligible. Applicants are therefore advised to use the programme’s checklist and carefully verify all eight documents before submitting.

Application Formatting Requirements

All eight attachments must be prepared in PDF format and written in English.

The application documents must use:

• Arial, size 11
• Single spacing
• Font size 9 for footnotes
• At least size 8 for text inside figures and tables
• Files should be named using the applicant’s surname and document title, such as Surname_Curriculum vitae or Surname_Research Plan Abstract.

Salary and Financial Benefits

IMMUFELLOW provides full-time employment for 36 months under a fixed-term contract at either UTU or ÅAU. The salary is determined according to the university salary system and consists of a task-specific component and a personal performance component. The personal performance component ranges from 6% to 50% of the task-specific salary.

For the IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral researcher position, the programme states that the position corresponds to requirement level 6 for teaching and research personnel, with a pre-estimated personal performance percentage of 17%. The current gross salary is around €4,500 per month, subject to potential annual increases under the collective agreement.

Additional allowances may include:

Benefit	Amount
Mobility allowance	€100/month, if eligible
Family allowance	€100/month, if eligible
Annual travel costs	Up to €1,200/year
Research costs	Up to €5,000/year for justified expenses
Training costs	Up to €1,200/year
Innovation funding	Up to €10,000 over three years

The mobility and family allowances are subject to MSCA eligibility rules. Family allowance eligibility can also be updated during employment if the relevant conditions are met.

Working Conditions and Benefits

The primary workplace is in Turku, Finland, at either the University of Turku or Åbo Akademi University. The position includes a six-month trial period. Both universities provide occupational healthcare services and access to university services supporting professional development. The programme also emphasizes work-life balance through flexible working hours and wellbeing and support services.

The universities hold the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research quality label, reflecting their commitment to researcher development and working conditions based on the European Charter for Researchers.

IMMUFELLOW is particularly attractive for postdoctoral researchers who want to establish an independent research profile while working within a strong immunology research environment. The combination of three years of funding, research autonomy, intersectoral mentoring, international peer review, structured training, networking, and innovation opportunities provides a comprehensive framework for career development.

The programme is also well suited to researchers who want to move between academic and industry-oriented research. Its training opportunities cover areas such as diagnostics, drug development, manufacturing, regulatory standards, entrepreneurship, and innovation. For researchers with an immunology-related project and a strong interest in developing an internationally competitive academic profile, IMMUFELLOW offers an opportunity to build an independent research programme in Finland.

Open Science and Research Ethics

IMMUFELLOW researchers must comply with the host university’s policies concerning equal opportunities and open science. This includes free access to peer-reviewed publications, FAIR data management, research ethics requirements, and applicable local laws and university policies. Fellows must also comply with regulations governing inventions developed at higher education institutions, including requirements concerning disclosure, intellectual property, confidentiality, commercialisation, and inventor rights. Research or training conducted outside the recruiting organisation is limited to 12 months under MSCA rules.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted through Submit an application where the candidate wishes to be appointed. Candidates applying to the University of Turku should use the university’s TalentAdore recruitment system, while candidates applying to Åbo Akademi University should use the ÅAU LAURA recruitment system. Applicants must prepare the complete application and all supporting documents in English. Templates for attachments and more detailed instructions on application documents can be found in the Guide for Applicants and on the IMMUFELLOW webpage. For further information, please contact immufellow@utu.fi.

Only one application may be submitted for this call. If multiple applications are submitted, only the last application will be considered, regardless of whether the applications are submitted to UTU or ÅAU

Application Deadline

The IMMUFELLOW application closes on: 19 October 2026 at 23:59 EEST (UTC+3). Candidates should not wait until the final day to prepare their applications because the process requires eight separate documents, including a research plan, ethics assessment, data management plan, publication list, and host laboratory Letter of Support.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many IMMUFELLOW postdoctoral positions are available?

There are up to 11 positions: nine at the University of Turku and two at Åbo Akademi University.

How long is the postdoctoral contract?

The positions are fixed-term, full-time appointments for 36 months.

When do the positions start?

The positions are expected to start in April/May 2027.

What research areas are eligible?

The proposed project must be related to immunology. Eligible approaches can include basic, translational, and clinical immunology, diagnostics, drug development, and health economics.

Can researchers from any country apply?

Yes. The call is open to postdoctoral researchers from anywhere in the world and of all nationalities, provided the proposed research is related to immunology and the other eligibility requirements are met.

How old can my PhD be?

The doctoral degree must have been awarded no more than 10 years before the Call deadline, excluding eligible declared career breaks such as parental leave or military service.

Is there a mobility requirement?

Yes. Under the MSCA Mobility Rule, applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity in Finland for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately before the Call deadline.

Do I need to find a supervisor?

Yes. Applicants must request a Letter of Support from a potential host supervisor at a relevant unit of either UTU or ÅAU.

Is there an interview?

No in-person interview is used in the selection process. Applications are evaluated through external anonymous peer review and ranked by the selection committee.

What is the salary?

The current gross salary is stated as approximately €4,500 per month, with the exact salary determined according to the university salary system and subject to potential annual increases.

What additional funding is available?

Eligible researchers may receive mobility and family allowances. The programme also provides annual allowances of up to €1,200 for travel, €5,000 for justified research costs, €1,200 for training, and up to €10,000 over three years for innovation activities.

What is the application deadline?

The deadline is 19 October 2026 at 23:59 EEST (UTC+3).

How many applications can I submit?

Only one application may be submitted for the call. If multiple applications are submitted, only the most recently submitted application will be considered.