Published: 22/09/2026

Deadline: 13/10/2026

Envisaged Job Starting Date:

December 2026-January 2027

Applications are invited for a PhD position in the Carbon Bionanotechnology Laboratory, led by Prof. Maurizio Prato.

The successful candidate will join the smartDOTS project ("Multifunctional Carbon Dots for Biomedical Imaging, Sensing and Therapy"), funded by the Spanish Research Agency (AEI). The PhD research will focus on the rational design and development of multifunctional carbon-based nanoparticles, with particular emphasis on tailoring their chemical, physicochemical and optical properties for applications in biomedicine.

The smartDOTS project aims to establish organic chemistry-based principles to control the physical and chemical properties of ultrasmall carbon-based nanoparticles, with the ultimate goal of developing safe, reliable and multifunctional platforms for a range of bio-related applications, including medical imaging, photoinduced therapy and sensing.

The Candidate will be expected to develop chemically advanced carbon-based nanomaterials, moving beyond a trial-and-error approach towards the rational design of multifunctional systems. The research will involve the synthesis and functionalization of novel materials, together with advanced physicochemical and optical characterization methods to determine their properties with high precision and establish structure–property relationships.

The Candidate will also have the opportunity to explore different biological applications of the developed materials and to acquire training across chemistry, nanotechnology, advanced characterization and biomedicine. This integrated approach will provide the candidate with a highly multidisciplinary PhD training, combining fundamental chemical research with the development and evaluation of functional nanomaterials for biomedical applications.

Supervisors: Prof. Maurizio Prato and Dr Lucia Cardo For informal equires please contact: [email protected] and /or [email protected], although applications sent directly to the emails listed will be NOT be accepted.

Required Education Level:

- Master’s degree in Chemistry or related fields
- Applicants must be doctoral candidates, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree.
- By the date of incorporation, the selected candidate must have completed the relevant qualification, meet the academic requirements for admission to the doctoral programme, and be admitted to and enrolled in that programme.

Required Skills/Qualifications:

- Background in organic chemistry, with practical experience in multi-step synthetic procedures, ideally demonstrated through a Master’s thesis, research project, or research internship. Previous experience with the synthesis and chemistry of carbon dots would be an advantage.
- Familiarity with physicochemical and optical characterization techniques, including, where applicable, optical spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, NMR, TEM, DLS, AFM, and related techniques.



A good understanding of purification and separation methods is also expected, including chromatography, solvent extraction, dialysis, and related approaches.
- Good command of English, with strong oral and written communication skills. English proficiency and communication abilities will be assessed during the interview process.
- The candidate is expected to work in a multidisciplinary and international environment. Good interpersonal skills, high motivation for experimental research, problem solving attitude and ability to work as part of a team, are essential.

This position is funded by the project PID2025-1708450B-100 granted by the Spanish State Research Agency and is intended for the completion of a doctoral thesis associated with the project. The predoctoral contract is co-funded by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), where applicable. Selection criteria: in accordance with the criteria established in the PID 2025 Call. Maximum score: 100 points.
1. Academic and/or scientific and technical track record: up to 50 points

1.a. Academic record and scientific and technical contributions: up to 45 points. The following elements will be assessed: academic record and relevance of the qualifications obtained;

scientific and technical contributions, considering their quality and relevance rather than solely their quantity;

participation in research projects, conferences, publications and other relevant research activities;

other curricular achievements relevant to the position; and relevance of the applicant’s academic background, training and research or professional experience to the duties and research activities associated with the position.

1.b. Mobility and internationalisation: up to 5 points. Research, training or professional stays at national or international research centres and/or in industry will be assessed according to their relevance, duration, activities undertaken and contribution to the applicant’s research training. Mobility will be assessed considering the applicant’s career stage and individual circumstances, so that the absence of mobility does not in itself result in disproportionate disadvantage.

1. Suitability for the proposed research activities: up to 50 points

The applicant’s suitability for carrying out the proposed research programme, project and activities will be assessed on the basis of: the relevance of their academic background and prior training;

their knowledge, competencies and research experience in relation to the proposed activities;

the consistency of their research interests with the objectives and methodology of the project;





the potential contribution of the project to the applicant’s research training and career development; and the contribution that the applicant could make to the host centre, the research project and the research team.

The assessment will be based on the documentation submitted by the applicants and, where applicable, on a structured interview conducted under the same conditions and using the same assessment parameters for all shortlisted applicants.

Duration:

The successful candidate will be hired by CIC biomaGUNE with a full-time contract for 4 years (in case the candidate has been hired with a previous predoctoral contract, this previous time will be deducted from the 4-year contract).

At the time of appointment, and in compliance with the requirements established in the call for applications and the regulations governing the predoctoral contract, the candidate must be enrolled in a PhD programme

Project Funding:

smartDOTs - PID2025-170845OB-I00 - (Spanish Research Agency - AEI)

Informal Inquiries:

Informal requests for additional information can be sent to Maurizio Prato at [email protected] or Lucía Cardo at [email protected]

Applications sent directly to the emails listed above will be NOT be accepted.

Equal opportunities Policy:

CIC biomaGUNE is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to: age, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by European, national, or local law.

Open Transparent and Merit Based Recruitment Policy:

You can check CIC biomaGUNE OTM-R Policy.

How To Apply:

Submit your application with a motivation letter stating why you are interested in this position, your CV, the contact details of two academics who can provide a reference using the "Apply to this Job Offer" button.

CIC biomaGUNE, located in the Science and Technology Park of Gipuzkoa (Donostia-San Sebastián), is a leading research center in the area of bionanomaterials, synthetic bioengineering and molecular imaging and counts with more than 180 people from 33 countries. The activity of CIC biomaGUNE is conducted by a team of 12 international and dynamic research groups, supported by versátil and efficient management teams and a unique research infrastructure including the Molecular Imaging Facility, one of the biggest preclinical imaging research infrastructures in Europe.

CIC biomaGUNE maintains a vibrant weekly scientific seminar program by visiting leading scientists. Additional training in soft skills and technologies covered by the CIC biomaGUNE technical platforms is offered to researchers within the in-house training program.

CIC biomaGUNE is committed to develop a HR Strategy for Researchers, designed to bring the practices and procedures in line with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (Charter and Code). Please check out the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers - HRS4R at CIC biomaGUNE and the OTM-R Policy.

📌 PhD position in the Carbon Bionanotechnology group. (San Sebastián)
🏢 Cic Biomagune
📍 San Sebastián