15 fully funded PhD positions within MSCA-DN project TrackAF, Translational Research and Training on Atrial Cardiomyopathy as a Key to Better Atrial Fibrillation Management

Job Information

Organisation/Company: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Department: Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBT)
Research Field: Biological sciences » Biological engineering
Computer science » Modelling tools
Medical sciences » Health sciences
Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
Positions: PhD Positions
Application Deadline: 12 Apr 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Berlin)
Country: Germany
Type of Contract: Temporary
Job Status: Full-time
Hours Per Week: 40
Offer Starting Date: 1 Sep 2026
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?: Horizon Europe - MSCA
Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number: 101226362
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?: No

Offer Description

• 15 fully-funded PhD positions for 36 months, based at one of the partner institutions
• Cutting-edge research in an interdisciplinary environment
• Structured training program, including formal courses and transferable skills development
• International secondments at leading academic, clinical and industry partners
• A vibrant network of researchers collaborating across Europe

The individual doctoral projects offered are listed below. For more information, open the detail page.

DC1: Multimodal AF risk analysis and prediction of ACM in deep-phenotyped clinical cohorts
Hosting institution: Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf

DC2: Democratising atrial substrate assessment: enter the P-wave!
Hosting institution: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

DC3: Role of mechanosensitive channels in fibrosis and inflammation
Hosting institution: Universitätsklinikum Freiburg

DC4: Beyond substrate. Simulation of AF triggers and the effect of lifestyle choices
Hosting institution: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

DC5: Predict AF. An anatomically informed surrogate model of AF
Hosting institution: Università degli Studi di Trento

DC6: Get Connected. Multimodal and multi-centre interoperable stratification of patients with AF
Hosting institution: Maastricht University

DC7: Generative atrial models. Implicit neural representations of cardiac anatomies
Hosting institution: Università degli Studi di Trento

DC8: Sex-specific organoids. Influence of sex and risk factors in the development of AF by using cardiac organoids
Hosting institution: Fundación para la Investigación del Hospital Universitario y Politécnico la Fe de la comunidad valenciana

DC9: Targeting atrial fibrillation. Personalised ablation with real-time ECGI & mathematical insight
Hosting institution: Corify Care

DC10: Long live AI. ML to predict long-term outcomes of patients with AF
Hosting institution: Maastricht University

DC11: Risk-averse. Assessing early comprehensive AF management using patient-level models of AF patterns and outcomes
Hosting institution: Medical University of Graz

DC12: Journey of the heart. A non-invasive look at AF evolution
Hosting institution: Universitat Politècnica de València

DC13: Virtual cohorts, real solutions. Improving electro-anatomical mapping technology for better AF diagnosis and treatment
Hosting institution: NumeriCor

DC14: Decoding Atrial Cardiomyopathy. A combined molecular data analysis and mechanistic modelling study
Hosting institution: Maastricht University

DC15: Get on my nerves. Role of autonomic nervous system, age and sex on pulsed field vs. cryoablation treatment outcome
Hosting institution: Universidad de Zaragoza

Where to apply

Website: https://www.trackaf.eu/contact#_07apply

Requirements

Research Field: Engineering
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field: Medical sciences » Health sciences
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field: Computer science » Modelling tools
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field: Biological sciences » Biology
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Specific Requirements:

• University degree (Master or equivalent, 5 years) in a relevant field of study for the respective DC project
• Willingness to travel for at least wo secondments and collaborative activities within the TrackAF network
• Openness to collaborate in a truly interdisciplinary network ranging from wet lab biology to advanced computational methods and artificial intelligence.
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Good organization and communication skills
• Additional requirements specific for particular doctoral projects may be listed in the DC project descriptions.

Eligibility criteria

• The applicant must have a university degree (MSc degree or equivalent).
• The applicant must not already be in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible. The eligibility of the researcher will be determined at the date of their first recruitment in the action.
• MSCA Mobility Rule: At the time of recruitment, the researcher must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary (‘Host institution’) for more than 12 months in the three years immediately prior to the recruitment date. Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not considered.

Applicants who do not fulfill the Mobility Rule or other Eligibility Criteria CANNOT be considered for the research position.

Applicants can be of any nationality within laws of EU to enter the EU countries.

Candidates may apply prior to obtaining their Master’s degree but cannot receive an employment contract before having obtained the Master’s degree.

Candidates may apply to multiple positions offered within TrackAF and should carefully choose the ones that they apply for.

Additional Information

Benefits:

The project is fully funded by the Marie Skłodowska Curie Action Industrial Doctorate TrackAF (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01). The MSCA DN Programme offers a highly competitive salary and excellent working conditions. Each contract includes the following benefits:

• Living allowance: 4,010€/month, adjusted by a country correction coefficient (CCC) that reflects the cost of living in the country of recruitment. The applicable coefficients are listed in Table 1 of the MSCA Work Programme 2023–25.
• Mobility allowance: 710€/month.
• Family allowance: 495€/month if applicable, depending on the family situation of the DC. The family allowance will be implemented if the doctoral candidate has or acquires family obligations (i.e. marriage or relationship with equivalent status to a marriage recognized by the legislation of the country or region where this relationship was formalized or dependent children who are being maintained by the researcher) during the action duration.

All researchers will be hired under an employment contract that includes social security coverage. The living allowance is a gross EU contribution to the researcher’s salary costs. Therefore, the net salary will depend on deductions for compulsory social security contributions (employer and employee) as well as applicable taxes in the country of employment. The listed amounts apply to full-time positions.

The candidate will be employed by the recruiting beneficiary with a single, three years employment contract offering social security, holiday rights, parental leave rights, pension provision, healthcare insurance and accident coverage at work.

The candidate must be employed full-time and work exclusively for the action, unless the Research Executive Agency has approved a part-time employment for personal or family reasons.

Selection process:

• Applications will be reviewed for eligibility and suitability based on the criteria listed for each position.
• After shortlisting, candidates will be invited for online interviews with the respective recruitment committees.
• The recruiting institution will send out notification of the selection outcome after the online interview.

The following timeline is expected:

• May 2026: interviews of the shortlisted candidates
• June 2026: information to the applicants
• July-August 2026: hiring process
• 1st September 2026: desired start of the contract