15 Fully Funded PhD Positions in Resolution Pharmacology & Chronic Inflammation (HARPNET MSCA Doctoral Network)

Opportunity at a glance

• Programme: HARPNET – Harnessing Resolution Pharmacology for Next‑Generation Therapeutics

• Type: 15 fully funded 48‑month PhD (Doctoral Candidate) positions

• Funding: Horizon Europe – Marie Sklodowska‑Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network

• Eligibility: Master's degree (or equivalent) in life/health sciences; must satisfy MSCA mobility rule

• Deadline: 1 October 2026, 23:59 Europe/London

• Start: 1 April 2027

• Locations: 7 European countries (Germany, Ireland, France, UK, Netherlands, Spain, Norway)

Why HARPNET matters

Chronic inflammation underlies many major diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and neurodegeneration.

HARPNET focuses on Resolution Pharmacology: understanding and harnessing the body's own mechanisms to switch off inflammation, restore immune balance, and promote tissue repair.

Instead of only suppressing inflammation, HARPNET researchers study:

• Specialised pro‑resolving mediators (SPMs) and their receptors

• Lipid mediator biology and class‑switching from pro‑inflammatory to pro‑resolving pathways

• GPCR and chemokine receptor pharmacology

• Multi‑omics, single‑cell/spatial biology, and AI‑driven target discovery

• Medicinal chemistry and small‑molecule resolution promoters

Rheumatoid arthritis and its cardiovascular/metabolic comorbidities serve as the network's core disease models.

The 15 PhD projects (DC1–DC15)

You may apply to up to three projects and must rank them by preference in a single central application.

DC1 – Charité´´ – Universit€€tsmedizin Berlin, Germany

Cellular mechanisms of inflammation resolution in rheumatoid arthritis
How synovial macrophages and fibroblasts coordinate inflammation resolution in RA using patient samples, experimental models, and single‑cell/spatial technologies.

DC2 – University College Dublin, Ireland

Pro‑resolving mechanisms in RA‑associated cardiovascular disease
Why failed inflammation resolution contributes to cardiovascular complications in RA; pathways that protect heart and vasculature.

DC3 – AMBIOTIS, France

Why does inflammation resolve in some forms of arthritis but persist in others?
Cellular and molecular determinants of persistent vs self‑resolving inflammatory arthritis.

DC4 – Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom

Cardiac‑cell metabolism in inflammatory arthritis
How inflammatory arthritis affects cardiac‑cell metabolism and drives cardiovascular complications.

DC5 – Maastricht University, Netherlands

Specialised pro‑resolving mediators in cardiometabolic disease
Associations between SPMs, chronic inflammatory disease, and cardiometabolic risk in human cohorts.

DC6 – University of Glasgow, United Kingdom

Macrophage–fibroblast mechanisms restoring joint immune homeostasis
Communication between macrophages and fibroblasts; mechanisms that restore immune balance and tissue homeostasis in joints.

DC7 – Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom

MCTR3 signalling in synovial inflammation and tissue repair
How the SPM MCTR3 activates its receptor and influences macrophages, fibroblasts, metabolism, and repair pathways.

DC8 – Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands

Canonical–atypical chemokine receptor axis in inflammation resolution
How canonical and atypical chemokine receptors regulate immune‑cell positioning and resolution using functional assays, RNA‑seq, lipidomics, and proteomics.

DC9 – University Hospital Schleswig‑Holstein, Germany

Redox control of inflammatory fibroblast priming
How redox signalling shapes inflammatory fibroblasts and how to redirect them toward tissue repair.

DC10 – Universidad Aut€onoma de Madrid, Spain

Macrophage‑derived SPMs in hypertension and cardiovascular damage
Role of macrophage‑derived SPMs in vascular and cardiac damage linked to hypertension and joint inflammation.

DC11 – University of Rostock, Germany

Computational identification of therapeutic checkpoints and resolution‑promoting agents
Computational biology, AI, and multi‑omics to identify therapeutic checkpoints and candidate resolution‑promoting agents.

DC12 – University of Oslo, Norway

Small‑molecule promoters of inflammation resolution
Medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and biological testing to design small molecules that actively promote resolution.

DC13 – Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany

Lipid‑mediator class‑switching drugs
Compounds that shift lipid‑mediator production from pro‑inflammatory pathways toward SPMs.

DC14 – Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom

Resomelagon in RA and cardiovascular comorbidities
Therapeutic potential of Resomelagon for RA and related cardiovascular complications.

DC15 – Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom

Specialised pro‑resolving mediators as regulators of haematopoiesis
How SPMs regulate blood‑cell development and immune‑cell production in RA and cardiovascular disease.

Who should apply

Typical background:

• Master's (or equivalent) in Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacology, Immunology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Medicinal Chemistry, or closely related fields

• Strong interest in inflammation, resolution biology, and therapeutic development

• Experience (wet‑lab, computational, or both) aligned with your chosen project(s)

• Excellent English (written and spoken) for research and network activities

MSCA eligibility rules (must be met at recruitment):

• You must not already hold a PhD

• You must comply with the MSCA mobility rule:

  • In the 3 years before recruitment, you must not have lived or carried out your main activity in the recruiting country for more than 12 months

• You must be willing to undertake international secondments and participate in network training

(Nationality is not restricted.)

Funding & benefits

Successful candidates are employed under MSCA Doctoral Candidate rules for 48 months, with monthly allowances (subject to country correction coefficients and local employment regulations):

• Living allowance: €4,010 / month

• Mobility allowance: €710 / month

• Family allowance (if applicable): €660 / month

These figures are gross and may be adjusted by the host institution and country.

In addition, you will receive:

• Joint supervision across academic, clinical, and industrial partners

• Specialised training in Resolution Biology and Resolution Pharmacology

• Access to multi‑omics, spatial biology, and lipid mediator profiling platforms

• Computational modelling and drug‑discovery infrastructure

• International and intersectoral secondments

• Training in scientific communication, open science, IP, entrepreneurship, and research leadership

• Network‑wide workshops, training schools, consortium meetings, and conferences

How to apply

1. Explore the 15 projects on the HARPNET website and shortlist up to three that match your background.

2. Prepare your application materials, typically including:

   • Detailed CV

   • Academic transcripts and degree certificates

   • Motivation letter (tailored to HARPNET and your chosen projects)

   • Evidence of research experience (publications, thesis, projects, code, etc.)

   • English proficiency proof (if available)

3. Submit a single central application via the HARPNET application portal:

   • Application portal: https://harpnet.eu/application-portal/

   • Project details: https://harpnet.eu/projects/

   • Recruitment info: https://harpnet.eu/recruitment/

4. In the portal, select and rank up to three preferred projects.

You do not send separate applications to each host; one central application covers all your choices.

Recruitment timeline

• Applications opened: 1 August 2026

• Application deadline: 1 October 2026, 23:59 Europe/London

• Evaluation & shortlisting: October 2026

• Interviews: October–November 2026 (project‑dependent)

• Final decisions: By late November / early December 2026

• Expected start: 1 April 2027

How we can help

If you're considering HARPNET:

• We can help you match your profile (e.g., immunology + AI, medicinal chemistry, computational multi‑omics) to the most suitable DC projects.

• Your mentor can help you craft a targeted motivation letter that clearly links your past work to resolution pharmacology and the specific project aims.

• We can review your CV and research statement to highlight the skills HARPNET supervisors care about: experimental design, data analysis, coding, lab techniques, and interdisciplinary thinking.
  

Found a fit? Share your shortlist (e.g., DC4, DC7, DC11) and a draft CV, and we'll help you turn this into a strong, submission‑ready application before the 1 October deadline.

For more personalized tips or templates contact our team.

www.applywithmentors.com