CarrerasLeaders is a world-wide unique postdoctoral program that covers the entire spectrum of research and innovation in blood cancers and goes from understanding disease biology to the implementation of products and processes in the market and into the clinical practice through the development of a global translational approach.

This is an innovative research and training initiative designed to conduct multi/interdisciplinary and intersectoral research projects at the Josep Carreras Institute in conjunction with Associated partner organizations (including hospitals, universities, research centers, private companies and patients’ associations), both national and international. More than 200 established international collaborations and signed agreements with more than 48 top-level Associated Partners worldwide will give our fellows a wide range of centers to choose from for their international and/or intersectoral secondments according to their research interests (between 3 and 11 months). Fellows will also be able to propose additional organizations that fit their research project and career perspectives.

CarrerasLeaders is addressed to boost career perspective of researchers from a three-dimensional perspective: leadership, independence, and consolidation. The program is designed based on the following objectives:

1. Training the next generation of scientist leaders to advance on the cure of blood cancers, multiplying each one’s skills sets and networks via targeted Career Development Plans and mentoring.

2. Improve the quality of blood cancers postdoctoral research training, more targeted addressed to the researchers and societal needs.

3. Enhanced cooperation and transfer knowledge between sectors and disciplines.

4. Enable outstanding junior researchers to develop their research careers to an advanced and more independent level in a leading institution such as IJC.

5. Increase the competitiveness of the IJC blood cancers community.

The project has a duration of 5 years, starting in January 2023, and the program offers 16 three-year postdoctoral fellowships.

The selection of the fellows will be merit-based, founded on peer review in an open and transparent selection procedure conducted by the Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR) with the support of external independent expert evaluators.

Applicants will join one of the IJC's research groups,having complete freedom of research choice within the scope of blood cancers. They will be offered highly attractive working conditions and a healthy, inspiring and creative working environment. Besides a high level of scientific training-through-research, researchers will receive additional vocational training in transferable skills, providing opportunities to be more involved in open science, leadership, intersectoral mobility and engagement with wider audiences, become innovative and entrepreneurial and have access to national and international awards and funding.

The call for applications is scheduled for the beginning of January 2023 on the CarrerasLeaders and EURAXESS websites, among other means of dissemination. Candidates must have obtained their first doctorate up to 7 years before the closing date of the call for applications and must comply with the mobility rules of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions: researchers may not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the call deadline.

This project will help the Institute move forward to achieve our vision to be a world-renowned, multi-campus research center of excellence that contributes towards improved outcomes and a cure for patients suffering leukemia and other malignant blood diseases. As our motto says: “Our fight will endure until there’s a cure”.

The CarrerasLeaders project receives funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No 101081347.