Now hiring! - 1 PhD

Apr 29, 2026 2 min read

PhD student (University Assistant prae-doc, 4 years)

About the project:

The successful candidate will develop an original doctoral project at the interface of soft matter physics, biophysics and methodological innovation, taking advantage of our integrated experimental environment: advanced optical microscopy (spinning disk, high-speed imaging, optical tweezers, DDM), custom and commercial rheology and rheomicroscopy (e.g. based our open-source ShearView linear rheometer and an Anton Paar MCR 702e Space rheomicroscope), wet-lab facilities for chemistry and cell culture, and an active international collaboration network across Europe and beyond.

To get a sense of who we are, what we work on and the style of science we like to do, please have a look at our website and recent publications.

📃Mock research proposal:

The candidate should use the above pages as a starting point for the mock research proposal that is part of the application (see below):

The candidate shall pick one of our research lines (e.g., rheology, advanced microscopy, colloids, active/biological matter, mechanobiology) and sketch a question they would find exciting to address with us.

📅Deadline for applications: 31.05.2026
📅Starting date: > 01.09.2026
🔔Status: Open

📢Job advertisement (University job portal)

Our commitment to Diversity:

We strongly believe that excellent science comes from a diverse and inclusive group, and we are genuinely committed to building one. We warmly encourage applications from candidates of any gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socio-economic background, age, disability, family situation or career path, including people whose CV is non-linear (career breaks, parental leave, change of field, studies in less internationally visible institutions). If you are unsure whether your background "fits" the call, please apply: we would rather read your application and decide together than miss you because of self-selection. In line with University of Vienna policy, women and members of under-represented groups are particularly encouraged to apply, and preference will be given to female candidates at equal qualifications.

Now hiring! - 1 PhD

Roberto Cerbino

Professor of Experimental Soft Matter Physics