15 Fully Funded PhD Positions in RNA Splicing & Human Disease (DECODES MSCA Doctoral Network)

Opportunity at a glance

• Programme: DECODES – Deciphering the Splicing Code in Human Disease

• Type: 15 fully funded 36‑month PhD (Doctoral Candidate) positions

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

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

• Deadline: 1 October 2026, 23:45 Europe/Madrid

• Start: January–December 2027 (position‑dependent)

• Locations: 8 European countries (UK, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden)

Why DECODES matters

Alternative splicing allows a single gene to produce multiple protein isoforms. When splicing goes wrong, it contributes to cancer, neurodegeneration, metabolic disorders, and rare genetic diseases.

DECODES brings together leading academic, clinical, and industrial partners to:

• Map splicing regulatory programmes in health and disease

• Develop computational and experimental tools to detect disease‑causing isoforms

• Design and test splicing‑modulating therapeutics (small molecules, antisense oligonucleotides, novel chemistries)

As a DECODES doctoral candidate, you will receive:

• Interdisciplinary training across computational genomics, structural biology, RNA biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacological screening

• Structured coursework and transferable‑skills development

• Industrial secondments and international mobility within the network

The 15 PhD projects (DC1–DC15)

You may apply to 1–3 positions and must indicate your order of preference.

DC1 – University of Southampton, United Kingdom

Advanced multi‑omic technologies for rare disease diagnosis and RNA therapeutic target identification
Long‑read DNA sequencing, RNA‑seq, and methylation profiling to improve diagnosis of unresolved rare diseases; AI/ML for multi‑omic integration and variant prioritisation.

DC2 – University of Basel, Switzerland

Discovery of disease‑related isoforms
Computational integration of large‑scale healthy and disease transcriptomes to identify splicing/polyadenylation differences and build frameworks for systematic isoform analysis.

DC3 – Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain

Splicing regulatory programmes in beta‑cell health and diabetes
How alternative splicing shapes pancreatic beta‑cell function; links to type‑2 diabetes; potential for targeted splicing modulation to restore beta‑cell function.

DC4 – Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine / University of Lisbon, Portugal

Targeting BRCA1/2 splice‑altering variants in breast cancer
Functional impact of splice‑altering variants in BRCA1/2; evaluation of small‑molecule splicing modulators to restore functional BRCA isoforms.

DC5 – ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Liquid–liquid phase separation in co‑transcriptional splicing
Interplay between RNA polymerase II, splicing factors, and RNA via phase separation; consequences for splicing regulation.

DC6 – Helmholtz Munich / Technical University of Munich, Germany

Structural mechanisms of branch‑point selection and spliceosome assembly
How RBM‑family splicing factors regulate branch‑point selection and quality control during spliceosome assembly.

DC7 – University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Splicing signatures during hepatic fibrosis development
Role of alternative splicing in liver fibrosis; therapeutic potential of targeted splicing modulation.

DC8 – University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Splicing regulation in demyelinating nerve disorders
Alternative splicing in peripheral nervous system demyelination; strategies to prevent or reverse Schwann‑cell demyelination.

DC9 – IMol Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland

Nuclear dynamics of splicing factors during stem‑cell activation
Transcriptional, translational, and post‑translational control of splicing factors during stem‑cell activation and early differentiation.

DC10 – Centre for Genomic Regulation / Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain

Splicing dysregulation in cancer
Cancer‑affected splicing networks; regulatory sequence discovery; therapeutic strategies to reverse disease‑associated splicing changes.

DC11 – University of Southern Denmark, Denmark

RBM proteins and alternative splicing in health and disease
Functional dissection of RBM10, RBM12, and RBM12B in splicing regulation; impact of disease‑associated mutations.

DC12 – University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Role of ZFHX4 in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumours
Biological and molecular functions of ZFHX4; contribution to alternative splicing and tumour development.

DC13 – Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands

Splicing modulation for ultrarare neurodegenerative disease mutations
Antisense oligonucleotide strategies to modify disease‑related splicing; patient‑relevant cellular models and functional rescue assays.

DC14 – AstraZeneca / University of Gothenburg, Sweden

Splice‑switching RNA therapeutics
New oligonucleotide chemistries and targeted delivery platforms to enhance efficacy of splice‑switching therapeutics.

DC15 – University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Pharmacological disruption of LSM2‑8‑dependent splicing in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours
Small‑molecule screening for LSM2‑8 modulators; evaluation of therapeutic potential in MPNST models.

Who should apply

Typical background:

• Master's (or equivalent) in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Biotechnology, Biomedicine, or closely related life‑science fields

• Foundational knowledge of molecular biology and laboratory workflows

• Basic analytical/quantitative skills (wet‑lab or computational)

• Strong written and spoken English (minimum B2; IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge, or equivalent)

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 within the network

(Nationality is not restricted.)

Funding & benefits

Successful candidates are employed under MSCA Doctoral Candidate rules for 36 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.

How to apply (step‑by‑step)

1. Choose 1–3 projects from DC1–DC15 and rank them by preference.

2. Prepare a single PDF containing:

   • Detailed CV

   • Motivation letter (tailored to your chosen projects)

   • Bachelor's and Master's transcripts

   • B2 English certificate (IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge, or equivalent)

3. Email your PDF to: mscadn.decodes@usc.gal

4. Subject line format:
   DECODES_<DC numbers in preference order>_<YourSurnameName>

You may apply for up to three positions in one application; clearly state your preference order.

Recruitment timeline

• Call opened: 25 August 2026

• Application deadline: 1 October 2026, 23:45 Europe/Madrid

• Remote evaluation results: 10 October 2026

• Interviews: 10–31 October 2026

• Notification to candidates: 15 November 2026

• Expected start: January–December 2027 (project‑dependent)

How we can help

If you're considering DECODES:

• We can help you shortlist projects that best match your background (e.g., computational genomics vs. RNA therapeutics vs. structural biology).

• Your mentor can help you tailor your motivation letter and CV to the specific DC positions and highlight splicing‑relevant skills.
  

Found a fit? Reach out with your target DC numbers and a draft CV, and we'll help you turn this into a competitive, submission‑ready application before the 1 October deadline.

For more personalized tips or templates contact our team.

www.applywithmentors.com