Here you can apply for a PhD position with your own project description. An application for the general call must include a project description (½-4 pages), where you describe your ideas and research plans for your project. You can indicate a URL to further information, if you like.
Before starting the application process, it is strongly recommended that you contact a prospective supervisor in order to discuss a potential project. This may contribute to writing a better and more targeted application. Furthermore, it is a good idea to inquire about possible financing, since the likelihood of securing admission through the general call depends on the available resources of the supervisor and the PhD programme for which you apply.
You can find AU researchers/potential supervisors by searching on subject headings here. Furthermore, you can find more info on the various PhD programmes at GSNS on each of the programme websites.
It is not a requirement that the applicant has been in contact with a prospective supervisor before the application process begins.
Before you apply, please read the application guide thoroughly. All applications must be submitted via the application portal.
Here you apply for one of the positions on the list of specific calls below. Please note that the list is regularly updated. The list will be complete approximately two weeks before application deadline. If you can’t find a project within your field of research on the list, please have a look later or apply via the general call.
Before you apply, please read the application guide thoroughly. Please follow the application instructions in the specific call announcement.
As of 1 August 2026, iNANO’s educational and research activities will be transferred to the faculty’s departments. Consequently, employments at iNANO will as of that date be with a department.
You can use the filter function to narrow down your search field or search for something specific.
| Project title | Programme | Keywords | Candidate background | Application deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV processing pathways to enantiomeric asymmetry in interstellar molecular building blocks of life | Physics and Astronomy | Interstellar ices, origin of life, chirality, energetic processing, surface science | Applicants must have a relevant Master’s degree or at least one year of a Master’s degree in physics, chemistry or astronomy. Candidates with experience with experimental surface science techniques or astrochemistry will bepreferred. | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| Structural disorder in materials for energy storage | Chemistry | The PhD candidate should have a Master’s degree (for the 3-year PhD programme) or 4 years of higher education studies (for the 4-year PhD programme) in chemistry, materials chemistry, materials science, nanoscience, physics, or a related field. | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST | |
| Ecology and Physiology of Asgard Archaea | Biology | Asgard archaea, microbial ecology, evolution, eukaryogenesis | Master’s degree in microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, evolution, ecology, or a related field | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| Grain surface reactions in astrochemistry with machine learning interatomic potentials | Physics and Astronomy | Astrochemistry, Surface reactions, Silicates, Machine learning, First-principles calculations | Applicants to the PhD position must have a Master’s degree in Physics, Chemistry, Nanoscience or related. | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| Retinal pH regulation | Biology | Respiratory physiology, metabolism, neuroscience, cell biology, pH regulation | Applicants to the PhD position must have a recent Master’s degree within Biology, Molecular Biology, Molecular Medicine, or similar. | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| Experiments with Strongly Interacting Quantum Systems | Physics and Astronomy | Quantum Simulation, Ultracold Gases, Atomic Physics | Applicants must have a relevant Master’s degree or at least one year of a Master’s degree in physics. | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| The Role of Oxygenated Organic Molecules in Atmospheric New particle Formation | Chemistry | Quantum chemistry, machine learning, atmospheric chemistry, clusters, aerosols | Master’s degree (5+3 scheme) or a bachelor’s degree plus one year of master’s studies (4+4 scheme), within Chemistry, Physics, Nanoscience or related fields | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| Metabolic engineering with switchable RNA scaffolds | Molecular Biology and Genetics | RNA nanotechnology, Synthetic biology, RNA origami, Metabolic engineering, Cryo-electron microscopy | Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or have completed at least one year of a Master’s degree in a relevant field such as: Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Nanoscience, Biophysics or Bioengineering. | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| Biosensing in biological fluids with chemically modified RNA devices | Molecular Biology and Genetics | RNA nanotechnology, Biosensing, Synthetic biology, Microfluidics, Metabolic engineering | Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or have completed at least one year of a Master’s degree in a relevant field such as: Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Nanoscience, Biophysics or Bioengineering. | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| Designing Programmable RNA Circuits for Cellular Control | Molecular Biology and Genetics | RNA nanotechnology, Synthetic biology, RNA circuits, Metabolic engineering, Capture-SELEX | Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or have completed at least one year of a Master’s degree in a relevant field such as: Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Nanoscience, Biophysics or Bioengineering. | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| Kernel Embeddings for Disease Prevention | Mathematics | Statistical data analysis, operator algebras, probability theory, random projections | A relevant Master’s degree or at least one year of Master’s degree studies in either mathematics or statistics |
2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| Formal Verification of Concurrent and Distributed Systems | Computer Science | Program Verification, Proof Assistants, Programming Languages Theory, Separation Logic, Program Logics | A BSc or MSc degree in computer science, mathematics, or a related field | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| Ultrafast, laser-based optical fingerprinting of electron dynamics in wide-bandgap radiation detectors | Physics & Astronomy | Ultrafast laser spectroscopy, radiation detectors, wide-bandgap materials | A relevant MSc degree or at least one year of a Master’s education | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| Germline-specific transcription factor paralogs in animal germ cell development and fertility | Molecular Biology and Genetics | Gene regulation, germline biology, transcription, Drosophila | A Master's degree (or be near completion) in a relevant field such as: Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Cell Biology, or Biophysics. | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| Mechanisms of aluminosilicate – clinker interactions in blended Portland cements | Chemistry | Cement chemistry, solid-state NMR spectroscopy, aluminosilicate materials (SCM’s), reaction kinetics, sustainable construction materials, CO2 footprint | A Master’s (3-year PhD programme) or 4-years studies (4-year PhD programme) in chemistry, nanoscience, physics, or materials science | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| Utilization of mineral wool waste as Supplementary Cementitious Materials in Portland cement blends | Chemistry | Cement chemistry, solid-state NMR spectroscopy, reactivity and reaction kinetics, recycling of waste materials, mineral wool. | A Master’s (3-year PhD programme) or 4-years studies (4-year PhD programme) in chemistry, nanoscience, physics, or materials science | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| PhD Positions in Quantum-Enhanced Computational Chemistry for Drug Discovery: From force fields and potential energy surfaces to vibrational free energies | Chemistry | Computational Chemistry, Quantum Computing, Quantum Chemistry, Force Fields, Vibrational Energies | A Master’s degree—or have completed at least one year of a Master’s program—in computational chemistry, quantum chemistry, quantum physics, quantum computing, or a closely related discipline. | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| Readvertisement: Converting CO2 on atomically defined electrocatalyst materials – a surface science approach | Chemistry | Electrocatalysis, Surface Science, Synchrotron experiments, CO2 reduction, Scanning Probe Microscopy | A recent master’s degree (3-year PhD programme) or 4-years of studies (4-year PhD programme) in nanoscience, chemistry, physics or equivalent disciplines | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| PhD in Astrochemistry: Experimental Studies of Interstellar Ices | Physics & Astronomy | Experimental Astrochemistry, Interstellar Ice Chemistry, Radiation-Induced Processes, Surface Diffusion and Desorption, Time-Resolved Spectroscopy | A relevant Bachelor’s or Master’s degree | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| HCI PhD Position on Multimodal Remote Collaboration | Computer Science | Human Computer Interaction, Multimodal Interaction, Remote Collaboration, CSCW | A Master’s degree in a relevant area (e.g. Computer Science, IT, or Industrial Design) | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
| Surface science studies of magnetically enhanced electrocatalysis | Chemistry | Electrocatalysis, Surface Science, Synchrotron experiments, CO2 reduction, Scanning Probe Microscopy | A recent master’s degree (3-year PhD programme) or 4-years of studies (4-year PhD programme) in nanoscience, chemistry, physics or equivalent interdisciplinary disciplines | 2026/05/01 23:59 CEST |
