• 
• 
• 
• 

PhD Fellowships

• Background information
  • About IRB Barcelona
  • The campus context
  • Barcelona: a place to work and live
• PhD activities at IRB Barcelona
• Thesis Supervision
• PhD degree
• PhD Committee
• Language

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

About IRB Barcelona

The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) is an independent, nonprofit research institution engaged in basic and applied biomedical sciences. IRB Barcelona was founded in October 2005 by the Government of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya), the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Barcelona Science Park (Parc Científic de Barcelona).

IRB Barcelona currently consists of 27 research groups, organized into five programmes: Cell and Developmental Biology, Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Molecular Medicine, Structural and Computational Biology, and Oncology. Well-equipped laboratories are complemented by a network of technical services, including protein expression, mass spectrometry, mutant mouse, functional genomics, bioinformactics and biostatistics, and advanced light microscopy as well as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), proteomics and transcriptomics units, a highthroughput crystallography platform and an animal facility among others. Our researchers work in a stimulating, multidisciplinary environment at the interface between biology, chemistry and medicine.

IRB Barcelona is a relatively new institute and has already achieved international recognition through its top-level research and related activities, including the prestigious Barcelona BioMed Conference series. Leading scientists are currently being recruited from across the world to join a growing international staff.

The Campus Context

IRB Barcelona is housed in the Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB, Barcelona Science Park), situated on the Diagonal Campus of the University of Barcelona (next to the FC Barcelona Camp Nou football stadium). The PCB hosts research groups from both the public and private sectors and offers a wide range of technological facilities, thus providing an important platform for translating basic research into innovation.

Barcelona: A Place to Work and Live

Barcelona is located in the northeastern region of the Iberian peninsula, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It is Spain's second largest city in both size and population (1.5 million inhabitants), and is the administrative and cultural capital of Catalonia. There are two official languages spoken in Barcelona: Catalan and Spanish. Barcelona is one of the world's most dynamic, cosmopolitan cities, figuring among the top European cities in quality of life rankings. It is a modern, tolerant and open city, offering a wide range of cultural and tourist attractions. Barcelona's geographical location - a seaside city not far from the Pyrenees - makes it an ideal setting for a wide range of outdoor activities, such as hiking, climbing, cycling, skiing and water sports. Several European countries are within a short traveling distance from Barcelona, making it an ideal base from which to take weekend retreats. Scientifically speaking, Barcelona is a major focal point in the new and prominent Southern European Bioregion. The Bioregion of Catalonia comprises 12 universities that offer specialist training in life sciences, three science parks, six leading hospitals in terms of scientific output, and a network of research centres of excellence. The city is host to extensive technological and scientific platforms and facilities, including a new synchrotron light facility, ALBA (currently under construction), as well as the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, home to the MareNostrum supercomputer.

PhD ACTIVITIES AT IRB BARCELONA

The aim of IRB Barcelona is to provide PhD students, from the national and international community, with a stimulating environment in which they can have the training and research opportunities required to work toward their degree. IRB Barcelona provides an exciting environment in an international atmosphere There are about 150 PhD students at IRB Barcelona which 25% come from outside Spain. IRB Barcelona is committed to high quality training for its students, offering close mentoring and access to a wide variety of scientific activities, services and networks. Our goal is to give our students everything they need for a solid start to a successful career in biomedical science Students work on a research project that is chosen in mutual agreement with their group leader. They also participate in all day-to-day activities of the laboratory to learn a variety of skills and techniques. In addition to their laboratory work, IRB Barcelona PhD students participate in the following activities:

• Barcelona BioMed Seminars:
  Leading international scientists from several fields of biomedical science are invited to present and discuss their results and ideas in a series of weekly seminars. These sessions allow PhD students to learn about the latest developments in the life sciences, and give them the opportunity to have direct contact with seminar speakers. PhD students are also encouraged to invite seminar speakers of their own choice.



• Seminars:
  IRB Barcelona scientists and invited speakers give seminars which take place several times weekly. These provide an important opportunity for scientific exchange within IRB Barcelona's multidisciplinary environment.



• Journal clubs:
  Recent scientific publications are discussed by researchers at all levels in several journal clubs.



• International conferences:
  PhD students are encouraged to present their data at international scientific conferences throughout their PhD studies. Funds are available to help students attend international meetings of their choice.



• PhD student symposium:
  Students organize a yearly symposium, the first of which is planned for the second semester of 2009.



• Communications activities:
  PhD students will also practice their communication skills through regular presentations, workshops and participation in outreach and education events. Social activities: IRB Barcelona PhD students also participate in social cohesion activities such as monthly "Cool-off sessions" where the student community meets informally for drinks, snacks and discussion in the cafeteria.



• Group and Programme Retreats:
  IRB Barcelona scientists regularly participate in retreats, both at the group level and at the programme level. These activities, held at picturesque off-site venues, provide an opportunity for intense scientific discussion and social interaction, and aim to foster collaboration among groups and programmes.

IRB Barcelona also organizes specific activities for PhD students during their first year at the Institute, such as:

• Introductory course. The course introduces the units and platforms at IRB Barcelona and the PCB as well as providing information that may be useful during their PhD training period at the Institute as well as their stay in Barcelona.
• Lab rotations during the first semester of the first academic year. Rotations provide students with the opportunity to experience different laboratory environments and experimental approaches as well as to get to know lab members from other groups, thereby fostering possible future collaborations.

THESIS SUPERVISION

In addition to day-to-day supervision by the group leader, students are followed throughout the course of their studies by a Thesis Advisory Committee, consisting of three members, at least one of which is an IRB Barcelona group leader or research associate and one an external advisor. After each year, students write a report on their work, give a seminar, and discuss the report and seminar with their Thesis Advisory Committee. Upon completion of their practical work, students must write their thesis and successfully defend it at the university in which they are enrolled.

PhD DEGREE

IRB Barcelona is not a University and cannot grant PhD degrees. Therefore successful candidates must enroll in a university of their choice in order to get their PhD degree. Local Universities are: Universitat de Barcelona, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, or Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Students complete their coursework at one of these universities, while concurrently doing the practical training and work toward their thesis in an IRB Barcelona research laboratory. Students generally spend up to four years at IRB Barcelona, after which they complete and defend their thesis. The PhD degree will be awarded by the university of their choice.

PhD ADVISORY COMMITTEE

PhD activities at IRB Barcelona are directed by a committee of group leaders and including representatives from each of the research programmes. This group is responsible for shaping PhD activities at IRB Barcelona and identifying and implementing future directions.

LANGUAGE

English is the working language at IRB Barcelona. Some universities offer science curriculum courses in English (e.g., Universitat Pompeu Fabra), while courses at other local universities are taught in Catalan and/or Spanish and some in English.