CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (GROUP LEADER)

The State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine (IMC) invites talented and highly motivated researchers aiming to establish their first independent research group to apply. This call is launched under the "My First Team" measure.

The call targets early-career researchers wishing to lead a team focused on pulsed electric fields and their application in controlling cellular permeability, with the goal of developing innovative cancer therapies and drug/gene delivery methods.

 KEY INFORMATION

• Institution: State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine (IMC).
• Position: Principal Investigator (Group Leader) / Research Fellow qualification requirements apply.
• Contract Type: Project-based (Fixed-term, up to 3 years).
• Workload: 1.0 FTE (Full-time).
• Budget: €350,000 (covering salaries, research costs, and overheads).
• Project Start Date: No later than September 1, 2026.

 JOB DESCRIPTION & RESPONSIBILITIES The selected candidate will receive funding (€350,000 for a duration of up to 3 years) to implement their scientific idea. Key responsibilities include:

• Recruiting and leading a research group.
• Conducting top-level research in the fields of electroporation and electrochemotherapy.
• Ensuring international collaboration by inviting at least 3 foreign researchers for short-term scientific visits to the IMC.

Required Research Group Composition (funded by the project):

1. Group Leader (You): 1.0 FTE.
2. Postdoctoral Researcher: 0.25 FTE.
3. PhD Students (3 persons): 0.25 FTE each.

 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CANDIDATE (PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR)

1. Education and Experience:

• PhD degree obtained not earlier than 7 years prior to the application deadline (this period may be extended in cases of maternity/paternity leave, parental leave, or long-term incapacity for work).
• Strong scientific track record and motivation to address current scientific challenges.

2. Specific Professional Requirements:

• Proven experience in electroporation and electrochemotherapy, specifically in drug and gene delivery research.
• Deep knowledge and skills in applying nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) for cell membrane permeability studies.
• Expertise in molecular biology methods for investigating biophysical phenomena induced by strong electric fields and cell damage.
• Publications: At least 10 scientific articles on the topic of electroporation published in journals indexed in the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science database with a citation index. The candidate must be the first author on at least 5 of these publications.
• Experience participating in research projects related to electroporation.

3. Funding Eligibility Restrictions: By the application deadline, the candidate must not be (or have previously been) a Principal Investigator in projects funded by the Research Council of Lithuania (LMT) under the following measures/programmes:

• 2014–2020 EU Structural Funds Measures No. 01.2.2-LMT-K-718 and No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712 (excluding student research/postdoctoral fellowships).
• Researcher Group projects.
• State Programme for Lithuanian Studies and Dissemination 2016–2024.
• National Research Programmes (e.g., "Welfare Society", "Healthy Ageing", etc.).
• Competitive Priority Programmes.
• Bilateral/Multilateral Cooperation Programmes (Lithuania–Taiwan, Baltic Research Programme, Lithuania–Poland projects, etc.).

 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE TEAM TO BE ASSEMBLED The Principal Investigator will be responsible for assembling a team that meets the following criteria:

• Postdoctoral Researcher (0.25 FTE):
  • Experience in electroporation, electrochemotherapy, electrical engineering, and high-voltage metrology.
  • At least 10 articles in Web of Science journals (at least 1 as first author).
• PhD Students (3 positions, 0.25 FTE each):
  • Doctoral students in the fields of Biology or Biophysics.
  • Experience in electroporation research.
  • At least 3 articles in Web of Science journals.

 APPLICATION PROCESS To apply, please send your documents via email to open@imcentras.lt.

Required Documents:

1. Narrative CV.
2. List of academic works (publications, conference presentations, etc.).
3. Copy of PhD diploma.
4. Documents supporting career breaks (if the PhD was obtained more than 7 years ago). Note: Please do not include confidential information.

Deadline: January 16, 2026, 17:00 (Lithuanian time). Late applications will not be considered.

The IMC ensures equal opportunities for all candidates. Personal data will be processed solely for the purpose of this recruitment process.