Research projects

The research activities implemented in EDUC8 have the following objectives:

• To understand the immunogenicity of FVIII from drug and patients’ perspective.

• To develop innovative methods to predict patients at risk of developing ADA in response to treatment.

• To develop pioneering therapeutic approaches to prevent the development of FVIII inhibitors in patients with HA or to eradicate ongoing neutralizing immune responses.

The 8 Early Stage Researchers (ESR)’ projects are in the following table.

Download all the information about the call and details of the individual ESR Projects

ESR	TITLE OF THE PROJECT	HOST INSTITUTION	SHORT NAME	SUPERVISOR	START DATE
1	Induction of neonatal Fc receptor-mediated tolerance to therapeutic factor VIII in HA - closed	National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Paris, France)	INSERM	Sebastien Lacroix-Desmazes	October 1st, 2020
2	Delineation of HLA-DP4-restricted FVIII peptidome - closed	Stichting Sanquin Bloedvoorziening-Sanquin (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)	Sanquin	Jan Voorberg	October 1st, 2020
3	High-throughput B-cell epitopes profiling	University of Milan (Milan, Italy)	UMIL	Flora Peyvandi Roberta Palla	February 1st, 2022
4	Tolerance induction towards FVIII using CAR-transduced Tregs - closed	Goethe University (Frankfurt, Germany)	GUF	Christoph Königs Stephan Schultze-Strasser	October 1st, 2020
5	Intracellular fate of endogenous FVIII variants and association with MHC - closed	University Clinic Bonn (Bonn, Germany)	UKB	Johannes Oldenburg Heike Singer	October 1st, 2020
6	Induction of tolerance to therapeutic factor VIII in HA by modification with α2,3 sialic acid - closed	Stichting VUmc (AmsterdamUMC-location VUmc) (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)	VUmc	Yvette van Kooyk Ineke Rijnhout	February 1st, 2021
7	Induction of tolerance to therapeutic FVIII by harnessing the tolerogenic potency of the liver - closed	Stichting Sanquin Bloedvoorziening-Sanquin (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)	Sanquin	Jan Voorberg	June 1st, 2021
8	Monitoring FVIII-specific T cell responses in healthy individuals and in HA patients - closed	Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et énergies alternatives (Gif sur Yvette, France)	CEA	Bernard Maillère	October 1st, 2020

Training Programme

All the selected students will be involved in a highly stimulating training programme, both at the local and at
the network-wide level.

The training programme comprises:

1. The implementation of the individual research project at the host institution. The research project will involve collaborations with other EDUC8 institutions, to be implemented through secondments.
2. Each researcher will be involved in local training sessions.
3. Joint scientific courses and meetings will be organised by the EDUC8 consortium, together with short courses for transferable skills training.
4. Enrolment in PhD programmes of the following universities:

ESR	HOST INSTITUTION	UNIVERSITY RELEASING THE PhD
1	INSERM	Sorbonne Université (Paris, France)
2	Sanquin	AMC/University of Amsterdam (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
3	UMIL	University of Milan (Milan, Italy)
4	GUF	Goethe University (Frankfurt, Germany)
5	UKB	University Clinic Bonn (Bonn, Germany)
6	VUmc	Stichting VUmc (AmsterdamUMC-location VUmc) (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
7	Topas	Goethe University (Frankfurt, Germany)
8	CEA	Université Paris-Saclay (Gif sur Yvette, France)

Eligibility Rules

At the time of recruitment applicants must fulfil the following rules:

Experience:

• Applicants must be in possession of the degree (usually the Master Degree) which would formally entitle them to embark on a doctorate, either in the country in which the degree was obtained or in the country in which the researcher will be recruited. In case the degree has not been obtained yet, it is necessary to send a declaration of the university stating that the degree will be obtained before the expected starting date.

• Applicants must be in the first 4 years of their research careers (full-time equivalent research experience) at the signature of the contract (measured from the time the Master’s degree has been obtained).

• Eligible applicants must not hold a Doctoral degree already.

Mobility:

• The applicants must not have resided in the country where the research training activities will take place for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the recruitment date, and must not have carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in that country.

• Exceptions International Organisations: Eligible researchers must not have spent more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the date of selection in the same appointing international organisation.

How to apply

EDUC8 will select ESR through a 2-step recruitment process.

EDUC8 will select ESR through a 2-step recruitment process. Candidates should submit their application for their top two preferred research projects. Applications (in English) should include:

1. an updated CV; the CV must be without gaps, in order to easily check the mobility and experience requirements. CVs that either do not clearly show the applicant’s past experience, or have gaps, will be considered ineligible.
2. a letter giving reason for his/her motivation for the position;
3. at least 1 reference letter (in English) from one former supervisor and/or lecturer;
4. the scan of the degree (usually the Master Degree) which would formally entitle him/her to embark on a doctorate, either in the country in which the degree was obtained or in the country in which the researcher will be recruited. In case the degree has not been obtained yet, it is necessary to send a declaration of the university stating that the degree will be obtained before the expected starting date;
5. transcripts of records (document indicating their ranking and marks within their last year at their Master Degree as well as the courses/modules they have followed).

Applications must be in English and will be evaluated against the following criteria:
- educational record;
- scientific quality of the applicant’s CV;
- expected individual impact and benefit to the fellow and to the project.
- previous experience in the subject of EDUC8 research programme.

The closing date for applications is 8th May, 2020.

Application documents should be sent by email to the relevant project supervisors by email (see individual project descriptions).

The candidates will be evaluated on the basis of the received documents and the best 8 candidates for each position will be invited for a Skype interview that will take place in the period between the 11^th- 22^nd May 2020. For each position a short list will be prepared and notified to the applicants.
The 2 top candidates for each position will be invited for a virtual interview (on the 3^rd or 4^th June 2020). The final selection of the ERSs will be made at the end of interview rounds and candidates will be informed immediately.

Download all the information about the call and details of the individual ESR Projects

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 859974

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