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About JSMC
The Jena School for Microbial Communication (JSMC) at the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena is not only an Excellence Graduate School, but also a lively network of scientists from a broad variety of natural & life sciences institutes and an umbrella organization for three Research Training Groups in Jena. The JSMC was first awarded funding within the German Excellence Initiative in 2007. In June 2012 the Excellence Status of the JSMC was confirmed and funding for an additional six years was granted to the Graduate School. Since 2019 the JSMC is funded by the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung.
Today, JSMC hosts a total of about 130 doctoral researchers. Their research projects are situated at the numerous institutes that make up the JSMC network, including institutes and clinics at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena as well as non-university research institutions.
Jena Alliance Talent Fair 2025
Are you nearing the completion of your Master's degree in a natural science subject, such as life sciences, medicine or optics/photonics, and interested in doing your PhD at Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany? Or have you already graduated and don't know where you want to do your doctorate?
The Jena Alliance Talent Fair 2025 is your opportunity to get information, network and take the next step towards a PhD at FSU Jena, Germany.
A number of open PhD positions are already being advertised on the website.
Register now: https://www.uni-jena.de/en/talent-fair
The JSMC Career Mentoring Program is looking for Mentors!
We are looking for professionals in industry and academia with a PhD in life sciences who would like to volunteer as a mentor for our doctoral and postdoctoral scientists. Join the Jena School for Microbial Communication (JSMC) Career Mentoring Program 2025 and be a mentor for PhD candidates and postdocs navigating their career paths.
You and your mentee will be paired based on their aspirations and your expertise. Together, you will decide on the frequency of your meetings, discussion topics, and goals for the mentoring relationship. A guidebook and the JSMC team will provide support throughout one year.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please follow the link and fill out the questionnaire no later than May 1st, 2025 or reach out to jsmc@uni-jena.de for further information.
Postdoctoral Researcher Position (full-time) in Biophysical modelling of the bacterial cell envelope
The Theoretical Microbial Ecology group, led by Professor Rosalind Allen, is part of the Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biosciences, at the Friedrich Schiller University. The group combines theoretical and computational modelling with microbiological and biophysical experiments to investigate how microbes survive, grow and interact in complex and changing environments, with a special focus on antibiotic action. The group is one of the partners in the Wellcome Trust-funded collaborative project “A Matter of life or death - an integrated understanding of MRSA”, together with researchers at the University of Sheffield and Harvard University. They seek to fill the position of a Postdoctoral Researcher in Biophysical modelling of the bacterial cell envelope commencing on or after 1st June 2025.
CLOSING DATE: 28 March 2025
LIFE-"Connect" Fund
Research area LIFE offers the LIFE “Connect”-Fund
Deadline: 31.03.2025
The Fund is intended for researchers at all career stages who are located within the thematic framework of LIFE profile. The fund aims to bring together new collaboration partners & to initiate preliminary projects for larger third-party funding applications.
Funding: max. 25.000 € for personnel and material resources
Further info is available here.
JSMC Outreach Team
You Can Be Our Film Stars
We - Lena and Rafiq, former JSMC speakers - are excited to reintroduce ourselves as the new JSMC Outreach Team. Our goal is to enhance communication, collaboration, and outreach within the JSMC community. Our first project is to create a short film featuring JSMC members together - graduate students and postdocs - together with the FSU multimedia team.
The goal is to introduce 'us,' the current JSMC community, to potential future members as well as to our current colleagues.
In the film, we want to show the diverse scientific culture and importance of international scientists in Jena, focusing on their research areas and contributions. We also want to emphasize what our members contribute to JSMC, as well as the opportunities and support they receive in return.
For this JSMC short film, we are now looking for 4 to 8 volunteers who would like to share their experiences with the public. If you would like to be a part of this project, please send an email to rafiq.muhammad@leibniz-hki.de.
Jena Alliance "Life in Focus"
The JSMC is part of the Jena Alliance "Life in Focus" that promotes a nationally and internationally visible excellent graduate qualification at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena.
Under the umbrella of the Graduate Academy, the Jena Alliance networks and strengthens the established graduate programmes: Jena School for Microbial Communication (JSMC), Jena School of Molecular Medicine (JSMM), Abbe School of Photonics (ASP) and Max Planck School of Photonics (MPSP).
