About The Program

BIOTIN program aims to facilitate translation of scientific discoveries in the field of biomedical sciences into potential diagnostics and therapies through excellent doctoral program. The training mission of BIOTIN is to provide 10 doctoral candidates (DCs) with the best possible research and professional skills to empower them to become the next generation of experts and innovators in 3 themes of biomedical research, i.e. Drug Discovery and Development, Diagnostics, Tissue Engineering & Artificial Organs.

BIOTIN ensures appropriate opportunities for fostering a multidisciplinary approach in each PhD thesis project. DCs have the opportunity to work in a diverse and inclusive research environment, which benefits from the interdisciplinary team of supervisors.

DCs are enrolled in a doctoral program of one of the 3 implementing (recruiting) partners and implement the PhD project with the aim of obtaining their doctoral degree. The program consists of 4 major elements:

1) PhD mandatory courses tailored to the aims of program: A rich number of courses are offered to fellows on specialized topics of biomedical sciences and engineering, data science and business administration.

2) PhD project, including secondments and short-visits: Each recruited DC fellow implements individual research projects as part of their PhD thesis. During the project, they also acquire transferable skills through regular research meetings, networking events or presentations. The program offers students a rich secondment, short- visit and training program.

3) Network-wide events: The BIOTIN program provides recruited DCs the opportunity to participate in a number of additional events organized in the frame of the program such as hands-on-schools, summers schools or other scientific events.

4) Trainings and workshops provided by the BIOTIN host organizations: The recruited fellows are provided workshops and training program to develop transferrable and entrepreneurial skills with emphasis not only on broadening of the scientific knowledge and entrepreneurial skills, but also on providing the tools for a successful career in academia and industry.

About implementing partners:

BIOTIN implementing partners consists of Turkey’s top technology-focused (IZTECH and BOUN) Universities alongside a clinical- (IBG) research centre. They are located in the largest cities of Western Turkey: Istanbul and Izmir. IZTECH is one of the top research universities in Turkey. It is an academic leader among the public universities in Turkey, with the highest number of scientific publications per faculty. BOUN is one of the oldest higher education institutions and ranked as the best university in Turkey (Best Global Universities ranking). IBG is Turkey's first independent thematic research center in the field of life sciences with interdisciplinary, international research groups, covering research topics from cancer, rare diseases, infectious diseases to bioinformatics, bioengineering and state-of-the-art core facilities and services.

About associated partners:

In addition to implementing partners, The BIOTIN ecosystem includes worldwide academic and industry associated partners, TTO and NGO that perform complementary work to arrive at best practices in high-quality doctoral research and training.

How to apply

(Submission is now closed)

Download The Application Guide

Call Opening: 30 November 2023

Application Deadline: 10 January 2024, 17:00 CET

Citizens of all nationalities can apply as long as they satisfy the following eligibility conditions:

1.Mobility rule: At the time of the deadline for submission of applications, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Türkiye for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the reference date. Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not taken into account.

2. Master’s degree: Eligible candidates must be, at the time of recruitment, in possession of a master degree or equivalent degree (certificate available at the time of application) in one of the following areas: Engineering, Natural Sciences (i.e. chemistry, physics, biology, maths), Medicine, Data Science or closely related fields.

3. Early-stage researcher status: At the call deadline, applicants must not be in possession of a doctoral degree. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree is not be considered eligible.

4. English language: The candidate must have an excellent proficiency of the English language according to the TOEFL (iBT) test or alternative tests PTE, YDS, e-YDS, YOKDIL, CPE or CAE (received within 5 years if the validity period is not specified on the document). The score should satisfy the following criteria: TOEFL/IBT ≥ 84 (received within 2 years), PTE≥ 71, YDS/e-YDS/YOKDIL≥70, CPE≥C or CAE≥B.

Applicants who have completed their degree in a program conducted fully in English could provide, at the application stage, a certificate/letter from university that awarded undergraduate or postgraduate degree stating that the degree of the candidate (obtained within 3 years) is conducted fully in English. Applicants, whose mother language is English is not be required to provide English proficiency documents at the application stage.

Applicants who cannot provide any of the English proficiency documents stated above by the application deadline are still eligible to apply. All applicants, if they are accepted to the BIOTIN program, must submit their TOEFL (iBT) test or alternative test score before the registration deadline of PhD programs.

The successful applicants who cannot provide the English proficiency score before the registration deadline are dismissed from the BIOTIN program.

5. GRE score: Applicants must have minimum GRE quantitative score required by the project to which they apply (received within 5 years). Applicants who cannot provide a valid GRE score document by the application deadline are still eligible to apply, however those applicants, if they are accepted to BIOTIN program, must submit their GRE score document before the registration deadline to the PhD program. The successful applicants who cannot provide the required GRE score document before the registration deadline are be dismissed from BIOTIN program. The minimum GRE score requirements of each BIOTIN PhD project can be found below.

1st step: Eligibility check of applications.

2nd step: Applicants ranked on the basis of their academic excellence, extra-curriculum skills, research capability and motivation by the External Expert-Review Panel.

3rd step: The 30 best-ranked applicants invited for online interviews.

4th step: A 30’ online interview were conducted.

5th step: Top 9 applicants were assigned to one of their top five project choices, with priority given to applicants with higher marks.

Full time contract (48 months)

Living and mobility allowance: gross salary of €2.800/month for 48 months; covering DCs’ all expenses linked to their living and mobility (i.e. income tax, social security coverage including benefits for health care, occupational accident, unemployment and disablement benefits, paid parental and sick leave as well as relocation and travel expenses). Please note that all these expenses based on Turkish income and social security laws can reach up to 50% of total gross salary depending on cumulative income in related year. BIOTIN fellows receive a salary that is on average higher than other researchers in similar positions in Türkiye would earn. The average salary of a research assistant who is typically a graduate degree candidate is 1000€/month (as of November 2023). A single person estimated monthly costs are approximately 500€ without rent. Please check application guide for details of Turkish tax system, net salary calculation and living conditions in Türkiye.

Family allowance: €50/month for 48 months for BIOTIN DCs with family obligations at the time of recruitment.

Research, training and networking allowance: DCs receive additional financial support to cover research related costs such as laboratory analyses and consumables. The funding is be managed by the project management team in coordination with project supervisors.

Special needs allowance: BIOTIN provides additional support for researchers with disabilities to ensure necessary assistance by third persons or for adapting their work environment.

Secondments

BIOTIN DCs have to engage in at least one research secondment for 6 months at an international academic institution, and at least one short-visit or training at an industry partner among the associated partner organizations of BIOTIN. The list of associated partner organizations involved in BIOTIN program can be found at http://www.biotinhub.com.

About The Program

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Call Opening: 30 November 2023