IRB-TARGET · IRB Barcelona International PhD programme: on TARGET for high-impact biomedicine

IRB Barcelona (IRB) is an independent, non-profit research centre engaged in basic and applied biomedical science. The IRB-TARGET doctoral programme brings together a network of 21 institutions to implement an impact-oriented training itinerary aligned with IRB’s strategic objective to bring fundamental science closer to applied and clinical research. Through two separate calls, IRB-TARGET will offer 10 four-year fellowships to exceptional doctoral candidates, who can choose and build a strong research project within one of the six interdisciplinary research nodes established at IRB. The selection and recruitment process will build on best practices implemented institution-wide through lessons learned in MSCA-funded COFUND and ITN projects and endorsed by the HRS4R award held by the Institute since 2014. IRB-TARGET aims to consolidate the international recognition of IRB’s PhD Programme by combining the excellence of the research and facilities offered by the institute and its 28 research groups with highly competitive employment conditions and a new holistic training and supervision strategy designed to enhance the employability of fellows and their capacity to respond to the challenges faced by the European Research Area in the coming years. IRB-TARGET will allow IRB to set the foundations for an improved IRB PhD Programme by integrating innovative aspects in the training of a new generation of researchers that go far beyond technical research skills and that include open science principles and research ethics, gender and diversity aspects, data management, entrepreneurship and innovation management, and communication skills aimed at engaging with both scientific audiences and the broader society. IRB-TARGET leverages the expertise of a network of partners that provide training, joint supervision and secondment opportunities, thereby covering the need for interdisciplinary technical skills, international and intersectoral collaboration and networking opportunities