MSCA DN IDEAS

Organisation/Company University of Pisa Department Department of Physics Research Field Physics » Condensed matter properties Physics » Chemical physics Physics » Solid state physics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 30 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Rome) Country Italy Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 40 Offer Starting Date 1 Mar 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - MSCA Reference Number MSCA-DN IDEAS-DC1-UniPI Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number 101312168 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

IDEAS - Improving drug efficacy with next-generation amorphous materials and trained experts.

The Marie-Skłodowska Curie Doctoral Network (MSCA DN): “Improving drug efficacy with next-generation amorphous materials and trained experts”, (IDEAS) funded by the European Community is recruiting 15 young researchers, as described here: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/474248

The doctoral candidates (DCs) will be trained not only to perform original and independent research on an internationally competitive level, but also in developing creative, critical and entrepreneurial mindsets, to be prepared for a wide spectrum of career opportunities.

The IDEAS Doctoral Network is designed to empower a new generation of young scientists in the field of amorphous pharmaceutical systems, strengthening Europe’s biotech/pharma industry and academic innovation capacity. This effort demands a unified project bringing together the cross-disciplinary expertise of academic research groups in materials science, physics, chemistry, and pharmacy, alongside industry partners. The network comprises a consortium of 7 universities (University of Lille, University of Pisa, University of Silesia in Katowice, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Université Catholique de Louvain, Trinity College Dublin, NOVA University of Lisbon), 2 large companies (Janssen Pharmaceutica, Zentiva) and 1 SME (MyBiotech). Through this programme, the fellows will collaborate to develop eco-friendly manufacturing technologies for amorphous materials, establish science-based control over material properties, and explore a wide range of materials to achieve efficient production of high-quality amorphous formulations. This advanced research-driven training will be further enriched with dedicated training events (e.g., online and in-person workshops, summer schools) and intersectoral and interdisciplinary mobility through secondments. After having completed their studies and the IDEAS programme, this innovative and multidisciplinary training will qualify this new generation of scientists not only for an academic career, but also for working in industry and beyond.

Note that all of projects have their individual job advertisement. Candidates can apply for a maximum of THREE projects. The DCs will be employed by the host institution of the selected project and enrolled in the host organisation’s or affiliated university’s PhD programme.

This offer is for the Doctoral Candidate position n. 1 (DC1) within the IDEAS network

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 30.11.2026

General job description

• manage and carry out the individual research project;
• participate in the IDEAS training and network activities;
• take PhD courses;
• write scientific articles and the PhD thesis;
• participate in national and international congresses and scientific meetings;
• research stay at external research laboratories or company sites;
• disseminate the research outcomes;
• participate in the undergraduate teaching of students.

DC 1 at UniPI (Italy) - Bridging order and disorder: structural and dynamical insights into coupled co-crystallisation and co-amorphisation strategies for enhancing drug dissolution

Supervisory Team:Prof. Simone Capaccioli (University of Pisa), Prof. Marco Geppi (University of Pisa)

Context: Enhancing the solubility of poorly water-soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) remains one of the central challenges in modern drug development. Co-crystallisation and co-amorphisation have emerged as two promising solid-state strategies, each offering unique advantages for solubility and stability enhancement. However, the underlying duality and interconversion between these forms is still poorly understood, even though their local molecular organization and dynamics, which can often exhibit remarkable similarities.

Objectives: This doctoral project aims to unravel the fundamental structure–dynamics–dissolution relationships underlying co-crystallised and co-amorphous pharmaceutical systems. By integrating advanced solid-state characterisation and spectroscopy techniques, the project will establish a unified