PhD student : Origin research

About Evolve

Where do we come from? One of the oldest and deepest questions for humanity is about the origin of life. This is not just about looking back, but inextricably connected to questions about the world we live in, and our future. Where are we heading? Are we alone in the Universe? Can life cope with self-inflicted phenomena such as climate change and virus pandemics?

Driven by fundamental advances in biology, astronomy, physics, and chemistry, we are now making exciting progress, and starting to grasp some details about the origin of life on Earth and beyond. Learn more: (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

• Adaptive behaviour of supramolecular structures scrutinised at the single-particle level
• Integrating systems chemistry and evolutionary perspectives on the origin of life
• STED Super-resolution microscopy to reveal early cellular mechanisms of cell division

As a PhD candidate in the Evolve Doctoral Programme you are given the opportunity to work on an interdisciplinary research project with several supervisors from the participating research institutes. Together with the other PhD candidates, you will follow a joint research and training programme, consisting of scientific lectures, academic and professional skills training, and career guidance.

How to apply:

Find all application requirements and submission information on our website:

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This call is open until 18 January 2026, 13:00 CET.

Reach out at evolve-programme with any questions.

Please apply via our web page:

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• You qualify as a PhD candidate in the Netherlands, meaning that you are in the possession of, or about to obtain, an internationally recognized Master’s degree in the relevant field (equivalent to a Dutch Master’s degree). All European MSc degrees are accepted.
• You have an educational background in one or multiple fields relevant to the Evolve Doctoral Programme, such as (bio) chemistry, (bio) physics, molecular biology, computational science, systems biology, evolutionary biology, ecology, astrophysics, geoscience or a related field.
• To fulfil the eligibility requirements, you must not already be in possession of a doctoral degree.
• To comply with EU funding rules, you will not have resided in the Netherlands for more than 12 months in the 3 years prior to 18 January 2026.
• You are proficient in the English language at an academic level.

Note:

You do not need to come from an EU member state. Candidates from all over the world can apply.