OPPORTUNITIES
Read below if you are interested to join us!
The Koidis group is always looking to recruit motivated scientists that are passionate about food science. If you are interested in working in the group then please get in touch via our Contact page. For details about specific positions, please see the information below.
Postdoctoral Positions
Specific postgraduate (postdoctoral or research assistant) positions within the Koidis group will be advertised on the QUB research jobs page and www.jobs.ac.uk when funding from a specific project is available. If you follow Dr Tassos Koidis in Twitter or LinkedIn, it is almost certain that any opportunities will be advertised there as well. Please do not forward your CV as an introduction because we will not consider it if there is not a position available. ​
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If you are considering applying for your own funding you have a project idea and looking Queen’s Univeristy and my group especially to support you as part of a Marie Curie mobility grant or any other relevant scheme, please contact Dr Tassos Koidis in advance. Please send a CV and covering letter, along with any enquiries. Random emails will not be considered.
PhD Positions for UK students
PhD positions for UK students (UK nationals or lived in the UK for at least 3 years prior to application) are normally available within our group each year, usually starting in October.
If you are interested in doctoral studies in the group then please contact Dr Tassos Koidis as soon as possible. Applicants should have (or be about to receive) an honours degree (at least 2:1 or equivalent) in Chemistry, Food Science or another relevant discipline. A Masters degree is preferred, as well as experience with chemical analysis, spectroscopy and/or data analysis.
There are a number of scholarships available through the University to fund graduate studies. This studentship is only available for UK students and funding is provided for 3 or 4 years. On of the opportunities this period is related to the FoodBioSystems Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) with the next application to specific advertised projects to be expected early winter 2021. Last year,
FoodBioSystems DTP advertised 52 potential projects and recruited 26 PhD students to start in autumn 2021.
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Visiting Students
Please see information here.
https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofBiologicalSciences/Discover/VisitingStudentsScholars/
Special consideration for International Students
We receive many expressions of interest for PhD from International students (non UK students). EU students are also classified as international, unfortunately, since Brexit. Since the fees can be very expensive, you will need a way to support yourself during your studies.
Normally, if you have a scholarship from a sponsor, either your local government or an organisation like Commonwealth or a private company, the application process at Queen's University Belfast is simple if you meet the academic criteria. Remember that as part of the process, you will need to develop a 1-page research proposal in a topic that interest you and is in line with what my group could offer (see our research focus and projects here)
People that write to us however, usually don't have a scholarship. Please note that QUB does not offer scholarships to International Students in principle. There might be some schemes that enable this for particular countries (that we will go into in a second) but generally speaking, it is not the case. For more information please visit the QUB office page.
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If you are wiling to self fund or hoping to get a scholarship after your application, consider that you will need the following:
stipend (a basic salary for you each month)
tuition fees (for the university, they can be very expensive for international students) and
bench fees (consumables for your research for me to spend and facilitate your lab work, for example spectroscopic and chromatographic methods)
This can be very stressful so consider carefully that you have the resources before applying because at best we will give you a "conditional to funding" offer.
MPhil application is also an option for some . This is a 1 year full time research which get you to a MPhil instead of a PhD. If you already have an MSc it might not be the right degree for you and you should really consider a PhD if you love research.
Finally, see in my University for what is considered an "UK student fees’ to see if you are eligible; non-study related residency in the last 3 years in the UK does qualify. But if you are not eligible for this type of fees, the costs skyrocket and you should be able to demonstrate how you are going to cover them.
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Opportunities for some countries. Periodically, for select countries where are opportunities coming up in the QUB International students page.
For example the last two years, QUB and China Scholarship Council offered jointly 20 full PhD scholarships for candidates starting their studies in the 2021-22 academic year. The process s now completed. Next year (2022-23 intake) is likely to begin early 2022 so keep an eye if you are interested in applying for this.
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Summer placements for UG students
We can sometimes accommodate talented and motivated undergraduate (UG) students during the summer vacation period for stays of approximately 10-12 weeks. To apply, please send a CV and provide the name of a mentor who you have worked with before to Dr Tassos Koidis. Please note that such placements need to be arranged well in advance. Also there is a new approval process , see below, implemented by Queen's University Belfast.
Visiting Scholars or Student?
If you would like to join us as a Visiting Scholar or Visiting Student, we need to nominate you and you must have pre-approval before you travel. Please read the information that described the process here.
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There is a form to be filled but there is also a set of new requirements for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens. Basically, they are counted as visa nationals due to Brexit and if they do not have an EU Settlement Scheme status they need to be treated like other visa nationals. All nominees who are not UK or Irish citizens must provide evidence of existing immigration permission in the UK, if held, e.g. a share code. The good news: If this is you and you do not have existing immigration permission, International Staff Support will liaise directly with you to provide support.
Also, the process takes up to 6 weeks from submission so the contact with me can start around 3-4 months prior to your intended stay. in most cases, you will need to bring the samples with you. Longer stays (6-12 months) might not require samples especially if there is a current research project you can work at. Funding (or bench fees for your experiments) is a big issue, so it is ideal if the research stay is in conjunction with a formal travel grant from your organisation.
