Guide for applicants

Are you interested in applying for a Doctoral Candidate (DC) position within FRESCO4NoPain? This guide provides essential information to help you navigate the recruitment process, understand the eligibility criteria, and prepare a competitive application. Before you apply, we strongly recommend reviewing the requirements, selection criteria, and application instructions outlined here. Ensuring you meet the eligibility conditions and submitting a well-prepared application will maximize your chances of joining our network and advancing your research career.

Fresco4nopain Guide For Applicants

Guide for applicants

Project overview

FRESCO4NoPain, Frontier Research Competences for Neuro-modulation and Oscillations in Pain, is funded by Horizon Europe (HORIZON) through the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Training & Mobility Actions (TMA) in the form of a Doctoral Network (DN) which will host 17 doctoral candidates (DC) across Europe. The FRESCO4NoPain consortium, led by Aalborg University, gathers 7 beneficiaries from 5 European countries (DK, FR, BE, DE, and UK) with 11 associated partners, comprising a good balance between academic and non-academic institutions while offering a complete set of interdisciplinary skills.

The DCs will be integrated in a one-of-a-kind network-wide training infrastructure conducting frontline research on non-invasive brain stimulation that targets persistent pain based on 1) preclinical studies of the relevant brain circuitries, 2) human studies of the involved mechanisms, and 3) clinical studies. Through FRESCO4NoPain, DCs will access a unique set of basic, experimental, and clinical disciplines in both academic and non-academic settings, tied together by synergistic collaborations across the network.

This document is a guide for applicants outlining the FRESCO4NoPain consortium’s strategic approach to recruitment i.e. eligibility, process and evaluation. This procedure applies to all 17 DC recruiting processes.

Key dates

Doctoral candidate positions

Below is a list of the 17 DC positions available. A more detailed description of the individual project can be found at the website of the recruiting institution.

Each DC will have at least two secondments 1) visiting a beneficiary for minimum 2 months and 2) visiting an associated partners for at least 1 month obtaining inter-sectorial experiences. All secondments will take place within the consortium.

Eligibility criteria – Who can apply?

FRESCO4NoPain invites applications of highly-motivated, outstanding candidates, of any nationality, age and gender that respect and comply with the following conditions:

Eligibility

Applicants must hold a relevant master’s degree or equivalent and must have obtained the degree or equivalent by the DC start date of September 1, 2025.
Applicants should not be in possession of a doctoral degree at the time of the call deadline. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible.

Mobility

Applicants are required to undertake transnational mobility (i.e., move from one country to another) when taking up the appointment.
Applicants must NOT have lived or carried out their main activity in their main host and recruiting country for more than 12 months in the past 3 years immediately prior to the application deadline.

English language

Applicants must demonstrate that their ability to understand and express themselves in both written and spoken English is sufficiently high for them to derive the full benefit from the network training.

Exclusivity

Applicants must be working exclusively for FRESCO4NoPain.

Online recruitment procedure and principles

The recruitment process of FRESCO4NoPain project will follow the European Charter for Researchers principles and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. The recruitment procedures will be open, efficient, transparent, supportive and internationally comparable.

The FRESCO4NoPain consortium will also aim for a representative gender balance amongst the DC to be recruited, based on an equal opportunity policy during the recruitment phase.

The advertisement process will start on 10^th of February 2025. There will be one call for each DC, which includes a fully detailed description of the project. DC applicants can apply for all available positions if they wish, but in the application, they must clearly state if they are applying for other DC positions.

Each DC call will clearly specify the procedure. However, your application must include the following documents.

Motivation letter (max. 2 pages)

Must include:

Brief presentation of DC
The main reasons for choice of DC project
General knowledge on the research topic
Main research and training goals
Future plans
Complimentary skills

Curriculum Vitae

A CV (e.g. using the EU model) which states your educational background, experience, techniques, language skills and other skills or experiences relevant for this position. In accordance with mobility rules, it is crucial to provide detailed information about your employment and academic history, including residence details for at least the past three years.

Certificate of academic degree

A copy of the original master’s degree with full transcripts. In case the master’s degree has not been obtained at the call closing date applicants must upload their BSc degree/diploma in English and upload the transcript of the exams sustained so far during their master course, with a clear indication of the conclusion of the studies.

Recommendation letters

Attesting to the academic standing and potential of the applicant. Must be from an academic supervisor or collaborator, line manager, and/or company CEO. Must contain referees’ contact details (will only be contacted upon prior agreement) and name of applicant.

All documents must be in English. Where necessary certified (notary) copies and translations into English must be provided

Selection procedure

The FRESCO4NoPain consortium has agreed on the following evaluation and selections process of DCs to ensure that all candidates are evaluated through the same criteria and with the same methods. The selection procedure is split into the following 3 phases:

Stage 1 Eligibility:

Eligibility check by local recruiting administration i.e. is all required application documents available and is the mobility requirement fulfilled.

Stage 2 Application assessment:

Shortlisting of applications will be done by the Selection Committee. All applications will undergo a thorough selection on grounds of quality and potential, as well as a matching of potential DC scientific profile with the individual projects. The shortlisted application will be assessed according to background, academic qualifications, achievements, and other elements including language knowledge and mobility. The minimum 3 applicants with the highest score will be invited for an interview.

Stage 3 Interview:

The Selection Committee will conduct all interviews online and in English. The interviews will be designed to explore the candidates’ achievements, motivation, main research interests and knowledge and experience in the field of their chosen project. All interviews will follow the same format, with all candidates first giving a brief presentation on their achievements and rational behind the project choice, followed by a series of questions based on the evaluation criteria. The Selection Committee will develop a final report with reviews and scores for each candidate. Applicants are ranked according to their final score, and the top candidates for each DC will be offered a contract. All non-selected candidates will receive a formal notification for non-selection, in line with the Code of Conduct.

The selection committee

The Selection Committee will bring together diverse expertise and competences, have an adequate gender balance, and will include members from different disciplines. All members are adequately trained. The Selection Committee for each DC position will consist of the main supervisor, co-supervisor and mentor. When lack of gender balance, an extra beneficiary will take part in the Selection Committee.

Guide for applicants