Group leader positions

The Ignaz Semmelweis Institute () seeks applicants to fill five group leader positions. The Institute’s focus is basic and translational research in infectious disease and infection biology as well as pandemic preparedness. Applicants should have a PhD or MD/PhD degree or equivalent and postdoctoral experience with a strong publication track record. Applications are open to all fields within infectious disease research.

However, special consideration is given to candidates from the following fields which would complement the expertise of our current team of principal investigators:

• mRNA and LNP technology
• B-cell biology
• antibody engineering
• structural biology
• mucosal immunology
• innate immunity and adjuvant design
• animal- and human-derived 3D tissue modelling
• stem cell biology (animal-/human-derived tissues)
• micro-physiological systems (MPS)
• organ-on-chip
• zoonotic diseases
• drug/vaccine testing and validation for zoonotic diseases
• machine learning in infectious disease research and epidemiology
• modelling

Positions come with generous startup funding and a competitive salary. Group leader positions are funded for five years. The expectations for group leaders are to establish their laboratories and their own line of innovative research within this period, apply for and win independent funding, publish high‑impact research, and contribute to the growth and development of the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute.

The Ignaz Semmelweis Institute is an inter‑university institute involving the Medical University of Vienna, the Medical University of Graz, the Medical University of Innsbruck, Johannes Kepler University Linz, and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. Group leaders will be employed by one of the five universities, but the main location will be at the campus of the Medical University of Vienna.

The institute offers an inspiring academic environment, excellent infrastructure (with access to all facilities of the partner universities) and mentoring for young researchers. The official language of the institute is English.

The city of Vienna () is an excellent place to work and live. It is at the centre of Europe, can easily be reached via the Vienna International Airport, and has been consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities globally (ranked number 1 in many rankings). Vienna also offers affordable housing, rich culture, an open society in a stable democracy, a low crime rate, excellent public transport, many green spaces, and is an excellent environment for raising children with affordable and available childcare and a free and excellent public education system.

The Final date to receive applications is January 31st 2026. After a first round of screening, we plan to invite 15 applicants for in‑person interviews to Vienna in the spring of 2026. The expectation is that successful candidates will settle into their new positions by the end of the third quarter of 2026.

Applications including a CV, publication list, a research statement (5 pages max, should describe two projects that the applicant is planning to develop), a teaching statement, and a statement about public and professional services should be included and sent by the deadline to (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).