The NOVEL MSCA Postdoctoral Programme breaks new ground by integrating diverse socio-cultural and scientific expertise to develop innovative brain health solutions. Combining neuroscience, data science, innovation management, and social and legal studies, the programme focuses on four synergistic research areas: Prevention and Care, Methods and Data, Innovation and Society, and Ethics and Wellbeing. This initiative is co-funded by the Horizon Europe 2023 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.
Based in Kuopio, Finland, the programme offers training for 14 postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds, equipping them to become future leaders in multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral environments. Collaboration is at the heart of NOVEL, fostering partnerships with companies, healthcare organizations, patient advocacy groups, and universities.
The first call opens on March 1, 2025. Click here to learn about the application process!
Why Choose the NOVEL MSCA Postdoctoral Programme?
High-Quality Research Opportunities
Design and lead cutting-edge research projects focused on brain health solutions within an interdisciplinary environment. NOVEL fosters diverse talent and prioritizes research excellence with societal and regional impact.
World-class Research Environment
Join the interdisciplinary Neuroscience Research Community (NEURO RC), collaborate with top researchers, and access state-of-the-art facilities and datasets. Our researchers join leading research groups and become members of the NOVEL Postdoctoral Programme community.
Comprehensive Supervision & Support
Receive expert guidance from at least two supervisors, with additional support from a secondment co-supervisor. Day-to-day mentorship occurs within your research group, complemented by an intersectoral mentor, peer support, and assistance from the programme’s Impact Manager.
Tailored Career Development
Develop a personalized career plan supported by regular workshops, career coaching, and mentorship. Participate in summer schools, transferable skills training, and events that enhance leadership, communication, and innovation skills.
Interdisciplinary & Intersectoral Training
Engage in interdisciplinary research integrating neuroscience, data science, social sciences, law, and innovation management. Gain exposure through secondments, collaborative projects, tailored training, and networking events with industry, healthcare, and patient organizations. Also receive dedicated support for the commercial exploitation of research.
Engaging Secondments
Undertake a 2–6 month mandatory secondment with partners such as companies, healthcare organizations, or patient advocacy groups. Optional academic secondments and short visits provide further opportunities to expand your expertise and network.
Competitive Compensation
Enjoy a 36-month full-time contract with a gross monthly salary of 3980 € (before taxes) plus up to 4500 € annually for travel. Family and special needs allowances are available. Benefit from flexible working hours (1612 annual hours).
Life in Finland
Relocate to Kuopio, a vibrant city surrounded by nature, with support from UEF. Enjoy Finland’s high quality of life, excellent healthcare, and family-friendly policies.
Health & Social Benefits
Benefit from Finland’s robust social security system, including occupational health services, general medical care, family leave, childcare, and annual leave. Explore the full range of benefits UEF offers here.
The first call opens on March 1, 2025. Click here to learn about the application process!
The NOVEL postdoctoral researchers have the freedom to choose their own research topics. They will design their research to
plan for innovation and translational medicine approaches that have clinical and societal impact.
Our programme prepares postdoctoral researchers for diverse career paths in the modern health industry by providing tailored training and support. Each researcher creates a personalised career development plan, tailored to their background and needs, with ongoing guidance and regular updates.
Three Key Training Areas
We offer a structured and comprehensive training programme focused on:
Disciplinary Skills Development:
Personalised career development plans & individual training portfolio
Training at UEF and during secondments
Participation in innovative, interdisciplinary research projects
Transferable Skills:
Training in entrepreneurship, commercialisation, ethics, leadership, open science, and innovation management and more
Stakeholder Engagement:
Skills in public engagement, policymaking, dissemination, communication, patient advocacy, and networking
Customised Training Activities
Mandatory activities include:
Regular NOVEL Workshops: Covering research presentations, partner interactions, career coaching, and updating career and dissemination plans.
Strategic and Operative Project Management Coaching: Project planning, data management, interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral integration, and communication skills.
Social Lab with Stakeholders Summer School: Skills for collaborating with multiple stakeholders, creating impactful, future-oriented solutions, and achieving social impact.
Empowering Team Leadership Summer School: Fostering leadership and teamwork skills, with a focus on diversity, equality, and inclusivity.
IPR and Commercialisation Workshop: Training in intellectual property management, patenting, and entrepreneurial strategies.
NOVEL Symposium: A platform to present brain health research and innovation, aligned with the Kuopio Alzheimer Symposium in 2029.
Researchers can also access additional courses and training at UEF and are encouraged to mentor and supervise PhD candidates.
Training Objectives
Our programme equips researchers to:
Build strong networks
Foster interdisciplinary research, collaboration and teamwork
Showcase achievements nationally and internationally to elevate their profiles
Develop transferable skills in business, ethics, leadership, and innovation
Enhance communication, dissemination, and problem-solving abilities
Gain expertise in supervision and teaching
Expand mobility and cultural exposure through diverse environments
Foster technology development and commercial awareness
Contribute to public outreach and policymaking
Publish in high-impact international journals
Strengthen scientific integrity and interpersonal skills
Promote resilience and cultural understanding
By combining rigorous training with a supportive environment, we prepare researchers to lead transformative projects in brain health and beyond.
NOVEL postdoctoral researchers will commit to:
A compulsory intersectoral secondment (lasting 2-6 months) with our partners that include e.g., ecosystems, companies, hospitals/healthcare organizations or patient advocacy organizations. See all our partners here.
Additional optional secondments (2–6 months): a) an extension of the cross-sectoral secondment in the same organization or in a new one, b) academic secondment to another university or research institution in Finland or abroad or c) interdisciplinary internal secondment to another than their primary hosting research group within UEF.
Short visits (1-4 weeks): learning professional, collaborative, entrepreneurial and business skills and building international, national, and regional networks with academics and stakeholders.
During secondments and short visits, researchers will work on their research project under the supervision of a co-supervisor from the hosting organization, benefit from knowledge and networks, and utilise their infrastructure.
NOVEL fellowship programme is directed at researchers that have a doctoral degree by the call deadline and meet MSCA Mobility Rule requirements.
Our positions are open for researchers of any nationality, all genders and diversity groups in the research areas of the NOVEL programme: Prevention and care, Methods and data, Innovation in society, and Ethics and wellbeing. In particular, we are looking for reseachers with backgrounds in basic and clinical neuroscience; innovation management, business, and health economics; and social, legal and data sciences, and candidates from interdisciplinary PhD programmes.
Our selection process is open, merit-based and transparent, conducted by external international assessors.
Read more about the application process and requirements here.
Project name: Novel brain health solutions across four focus areas: Prevention and care, Methods and data, Innovation and society, and Ethics and well-being
Project acronym: NOVEL
Call: HORIZON-MSCA-2023-COFUND-01
Topic: HORIZON-MSCA-2023-COFUND-01-01
Type of action: HORIZON TMA MSCA Cofund Postdoctoral programme
Granting authority: European Research Executive Agency
Grant amount: 2 005 920,00 €
Lead Beneficiary: University of Eastern Finland, Finland
Project starting date: 1 December 2024
Project end date: 30 November 2029
This program is dedicated to inclusive interdisciplinary brain health research and the associated competencies in innovation, management, leadership and ethics. It is in alignment with the EU-driven Northern Savo Smart Specialization strategy, which actively promotes the development of the regional health cluster encompassing health technologies, services, and business models.
We offer in total 14 fellowships. Each fellow receives funding for three (3) years. The researchers will be hosted by the research groups within University of Eastern Finland’s Neuroscience Research Community.
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) fund excellent research and innovation and equip researchers at all stages of their career with new knowledge and skills, through mobility across borders and exposure to different sectors and disciplines. The MSCA help build Europe’s capacity for research and innovation by investing in the long-term careers of excellent researchers.
The MSCA also fund the development of excellent doctoral and postdoctoral training programmes and collaborative research projects worldwide. By doing so, they achieve a structuring impact on higher education institutions, research centres and non-academic organisations.
The MSCA promote excellence and set standards for high-quality researcher education and training in line with the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the recruitment of researchers.
