TU-ID: 057 | 2025 | 40 | 257984
University Assistant Prae-Doc (all genders)
30 hours/week | limited to 1 year with the option to extend to 4 years
The Research Centre Water and Health of the TU Wien is offering a position as university assistant (PhD student) at the Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, in the Research Group for Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostics of Prof. Andreas Farnleitner. The position is limited to 1 year with the option to extend to 4 years. The contract is for 30 hours/week. Expected start: 1st March 2026.
About the ICC Water & Health
The Austrian Interuniversity Cooperation Centre (ICC) Water & Health is a joint research initiative between TU Wien, the Medical University of Vienna, and Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences. We focus on water quality and public health, working at the interface of microbiology, molecular biology, engineering, and environmental sciences. Our research covers the full spectrum from fundamental science to applied solutions, with strong links to water suppliers, regulators, and the global scientific community.
About the VIWA 2020+ Project
The PhD student will contribute to the VIWA 2020+ project (Vienna Water Resource Systems 2020–2028)—a high-impact eight-year research cooperation between the ICC Water & Health and the City of Vienna. The project aims to develop cutting-edge scientific solutions to operational challenges in drinking water supply — levareging, for example, DNA/RNA-based diagnostics, automated on-site microbiological monitoring, and AI-based forecasting — for the sustainable safeguarding of Vienna’s drinking water.
Tasks:
- Molecular biological analyses for health-related water microbiology (e.g. DNA extraction, PCR, qPCR, sequencing)
- Bioinformatic analyses of microbial community composition using sequencing data
- Statistical analyses of environmental and microbiological data
- Sample collection (water samples from various environments)
- Participation in ongoing projects and collaborative work within a research network
- Contribution to scientific publications and presentations
Your profile:
- Completed MSc degree in microbiology, bioinformatics, environmental sciences, molecular biology, or a related field
- Experience with microbial community analysis (e.g. amplicon sequencing, diversity metrics, taxonomic classification) is a plus
- High motivation to develop and deepen bioinformatics skills
- Willingness to work in both dry-lab (data analysis) and wet-lab (molecular biology, sample collection)
- Team-oriented and proactive working style
- Good command of English (spoken and written), German is a plus
We offer:
- PhD training in the Vienna Doctoral Programme on Water Resource Systems (https://www.waterresources.at)
- Access to a highly interdisciplinary and collaborative environment, to state-of-the-art laboratories and expertise in water microbiology in the ICC Water & Health network
- Opportunity to collaborate with national and international partners
- A range of attractive social benefits (see Fringe-Benefits)
- Central location of workplace with good accessibility (U1/U2/U4 Karlsplatz)
People with special needs are equally encouraged to apply. In case of any questions, please contact the confidant for disabled persons at the university, Mr. Gerhard Neustätter.
Entry level salary is determined by the pay grade B1 of the Austrian collective agreement for university staff. This is a minimum of currently EUR 2,786.10/month gross, 14 times/year for 30 hours/week. Relevant working experiences may increase the monthly income.
We look forward to receiving your application until November 6th, 2025.
