KnowledgE for InterdisciplinarY Research Excellence at RSU (KEY-RSU)

KEY-RSU is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) COFUND postdoctoral programme at Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU), designed to foster research excellence, interdisciplinarity and international collaboration. The programme offers six postdoctoral researchers five years of employment, opportunities to pursue their own research ideas, and a comprehensive support for developing independent research careers. 

Implemented under the MSCA COFUND Choose Europe for Science initiative within the Horizon Europe programme, KEY-RSU brings together biomedicine and social sciences through high-quality supervision, tailored professional development, intersectoral collaboration and mobility opportunities offered through nine partner institutions across Europe and in Japan.

The role of Rīga Stradiņš University

As the project coordinator and sole beneficiary of the EU grant, RSU is responsible for smooth programme implementation, recruitment and employment of international postdoctoral researchers, ensuring the necessary research environment, scientific supervision, professional development and career support. 

Why the programme is needed

The transition from a doctoral degree to an independent research career requires time, access to infrastructure, professional networks and opportunities to develop leadership and funding acquisition skills. The KEY-RSU programme provides a longer 5-year employment perspective and systematic support during the career path.

Understanding health and societal challenges also requires collaboration across disciplines. The programme will bridge biomedical and social science researchers to work together connecting knowledge of the biological mechanisms of disease with insights into nutrition, food systems, information environments and societal behaviour.

Research opportunities

The KEY-RSU programme offers six postdoctoral positions:

• four at the RSU Institute of Microbiology and Virology;
• two aligned with the research areas of the RSU Social Sciences Research Centre. 

The research framework provides for the following complementary thematic areas: 

• Immunology and cancer: interactions between tumours and the immune system, molecular oncology and approaches to translating research findings into medical applications.
• Host–pathogen interactions: mechanisms of bacterial and viral disease, post-viral chronic diseases and molecular processes.
• Food systems, sustainability and health: food access, nutrition, supply systems and the needs of different population groups.
• Information manipulation and information consumption: information environments in different social and political contexts, including Europe and East Asia. 

Researchers will be able to offer and develop their research ideas that connect these thematic areas and draw on the expertise of RSU research groups and partner institutions. 

Programme structure and researcher support 

Five-year employment: The KEY-RSU programme offers 60 months of employment for each selected international postdoctoral researcher, following the MSCA recruitment conditions. Phase 1 lasts 36 months and is co-funded by the EU, followed by a 24-month Phase 2 fully funded by RSU. This setting provides the time necessary for developing research, build collaborations and prepare for an independent research role. 

Open international recruitment: Following the MSCA principles, researchers will be selected through an open, transparent and merit-based international competition. The evaluation will be conducted by independent international experts, who will assess candidates against internationally recognised standards of scientific excellence, research potential, and career development prospects, ensuring a fair and competitive selection process. 

Scientific supervision and career development: Each researcher will develop his/her individual Career Development Plan that will connect research objectives with skills development, training, mobility and longer-term career goals. S/he will be supported by a main supervisor and a co-supervisor with the work progress discussed and reviewed regularly. 

Training and professional development: The programme will include the training component that will cover research ethics, data management and Open Science, proposal writing and funding acquisition, science communication, leadership, mentoring and practical use of research knowledge. Researchers will also participate in RSU seminars, conferences and interdisciplinary, intersectoral and international events to ensure networking and career development possibilities. 

Experience at partner institutions: The programme provides mandatory secondments lasting 6–12 weeks that will enable researchers to acquire additional skills, access to specialised infrastructure and gain knowledge and experience in other sectors and research environments. 

Research environment and practical support: RSU will provide access to the necessary research infrastructure and support for research ethics, data management, Open Science, proposal development and technology transfer. The researchers will also receive onboarding support and assistance with visa applications where required. 

Partner institutions 

The KEY-RSU programme is supported by nine associated partners across Europe and in Japan, complementing the RSU’s research environment through providing the opportunities for secondments, training, mobility and access to specialised knowledge and infrastructure: 

• SIA APPLY, Latvia – an SME specialising in artificial intelligence solutions, digital health and technology development in a business environment.
• Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), Ireland – specialising in translational biomedicine, systems biology and computational approaches.
• Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain – expertise in cancer epigenomics, sequencing and multi-omics analysis.
• National Institute of Research and Innovation (NIRI), Latvia – infrastructure for preclinical and biomedical research.
• Aarhus University, Denmark – research environment in organoid technologies, molecular analysis, mitochondrial and infection research.
• Nagasaki University, Japan – interdisciplinary research on global risks.
• University of Skövde, Sweden – research environment in sustainable digitalisation, precision medicine and welfare technology.
• University of Iceland, Iceland – research environment in nutrition, food science and molecular nutrition. 

Expected results and beneficiaries 

The programme’s direct beneficiaries will be six postdoctoral researchers who will develop their research ideas, expand their professional networks and strengthen their research and translational skills needed for independent research.

At RSU, the programme is expected to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, international partnerships and researcher career support. In particular, the researchers’ involvement in teaching and mentoring will widen the opportunities for other students and early-career researchers at the university.

The planned research outputs, publications and knowledge exchange will strengthen the scientific community and cooperation ties with healthcare and business partners, and policymakers. Specific results will depend on the research directions proposed and developed by the selected six international postdoctoral researchers. 

Opportunities to participate 

An international call for proposals for six postdoctoral positions will be launched by the end of 2026. The call announcement, eligibility requirements, application deadlines and required documents are to be published on the RSU website, the EURAXESS portal and other relevant websites.

This programme description is not a vacancy announcement.

Information about the project is also available on the European Commission’s CORDIS research project information platform.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.