MATERIALIZE is offering 15 postdoctoral fellowships at the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, Poland. Each position comes with a full-time, 36-month employment contract, a monthly salary, and the chance to lead your own project in organic materials for optoelectronics.
The programme is open to postdoctoral researchers of any nationality. It is co-funded by the European Union through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA COFUND) under Horizon Europe, with support from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
The key facts at a glance
| Programme | MATERIALIZE Postdoctoral Fellowship |
| Host institute | Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences (IChO PAS) |
| Location | Warsaw, Poland |
| Positions | 15 |
| Contract | Full-time, 36 months |
| Start date | 1 August |
| Application deadline | 15 January, 23:59 CET |
| How to apply | By email to materialize@icho.edu.pl |
There is no online portal: send all documents by email, with the subject line “Recruitment – Your Initials”, using your own initials.
What the research covers
MATERIALIZE supports research in organic synthesis and synthetic methodology, with selected aspects of materials chemistry. It looks for new synthetic routes and methods with uses in optoelectronics, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), NIR-II bioimaging and molecular sensing. You design your own project as a proposal that fits the programme’s goal: next-generation organic materials for optoelectronic applications, or new methods for making them.
What your three years actually involve
Your main work is to design and carry out the project you proposed, working closely with a mentor from the institute and a co-mentor from an international partner. The programme gives you real scientific independence rather than a list of tasks set by someone else.
Training is a formal part of the fellowship. You create a Career Development Plan for the skills and career steps you want. The programme runs workshops and a final conference, with a training budget for external courses and conferences. You also spend at least three months on an international secondment at a research or industry organisation outside your host institute.
What the money really means
The basic salary is about 4,350 EUR gross per month, with total funding of 5,200 EUR including the employer’s social security contributions. You also receive a mobility allowance of about 418 EUR gross per month, and a family allowance of about 334 EUR gross per month if it applies. The combined basic salary and mobility allowance comes to about 19,860 PLN gross per month, before tax and social security deductions.
The benefits include a private medical care package, guesthouse accommodation at the start, co-financed sports cards and access to Social Funds. You also get 36 days of paid annual leave and around 12 public holidays.
Check the rules before you apply
Check these points honestly before you apply:
- You must hold a PhD by the call deadline, in chemistry, physics, biology or a related field, or proof of your thesis defence.
- You must not have lived in Poland, or done your main research there, for more than 12 months in the 36 months before the deadline.
- Your proposal must fit the programme’s scope in organic synthesis and methodology for advanced optoelectronic materials.
- You need a signed statement from a chosen principal investigator (PI) at the institute.
- All documents must be issued in English or translated into English.
If you are already based in Poland, or spent more than a year there recently, the mobility rule removes you from this call. Candidates with disabilities are encouraged to apply with proposals in computational chemistry, and women are explicitly invited to apply.
How to apply
- Read the Guide for Applicants and the research group list on the official MATERIALIZE website.
- Choose a principal investigator who fits your idea and get their signed statement.
- Write your research proposal on the project website template, including the ethical self-assessment.
- Prepare your scientific CV, listing your publications, patents and ongoing grants.
- Write your motivation letter and gather your diplomas and certificates in English.
- Sign the consent form for processing your personal data, and add recommendation letters if you have them.
- Email all documents to materialize@icho.edu.pl, subject “Recruitment – Your Initials”, before 15 January at 23:59 CET.
How to make your application strong
Your research proposal counts for 70% of the score, and your experience and competencies count for 30%. The proposal is judged on excellence, impact and implementation, so write a clear, original, realistic proposal for your three years, and talk to your PI before you finalise it.
What happens after you apply
After the deadline, every application is evaluated on the proposal and the candidate’s experience. Candidates who pass are invited to a second stage, an interview held in English.
Results are settled on 7 June, and the envisaged start date is 1 August. You can compare other postdoctoral fellowships here, such as the Novo Nordisk Postdoctoral Fellowships at Uppsala University, the EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships and the Royal Society Career Development Fellowship in the UK.
Questions applicants ask
Q: What is the monthly salary for a MATERIALIZE fellow?
A: About 4,350 EUR gross per month plus a mobility allowance of about 418 EUR, making a combined 19,860 PLN per month.
Q: What is the application deadline?
A: The deadline is 15 January at 23:59 CET, by email.
Q: How long does the fellowship last?
A: The fellowship lasts for three years, on a full-time contract.
Q: How do I apply?
A: Email all documents to materialize@icho.edu.pl with the subject line “Recruitment – Your Initials”.
