INSERM CHAIR Recruitment : Cell & tissue generation and regeneration

Organisation/Company INSERM Department Departement des Ressources Humaines Research Field Biological sciences Neurosciences Researcher Profile Established Researcher (R3) Leading Researcher (R4) Positions Postdoc Positions Application Deadline 2 Sep 2026 - 17:00 (Europe/Paris) Country France Type of Contract Permanent Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Jan 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The Inserm chair recruitments opened to Inserm are intended for researchers with strong potential to manage and lead research teams and participate in national, European or international projects.

Thisrecruitment,basedonresearchandteachingprojects,isaimedatresearcherswithadoctorateorequivalent andafirstpost-doctoralexperience.Thepositionisofferedonafixed-termcontract(CDD)withaviewtotenure in the Inserm Research Directors personnel at the end of thecontract.

Strategy of the host institution:

The French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) is the primary public institution dedicated to biomedical and health research. Inserm conducts research with a focus on translating research findings into clinical and therapeutic applications that address current public health challenges. Partners include universities, hospitals, and international research organizations.

With nearly 30 research teams and over 300 staff, the Institute of Biology of the ENS (IBENS) is one of the largest INSERM-affiliated research units in the Paris region. The INSERM is strongly represented, with more than 50 employees, including 37 permanent staff (researchers and ITAs). INSERM also plays a major role in the Unit's financial management, notably through the numerous ERC contracts held by INSERM researchers at the Institute. Since 2012, 22 ERC grants (Starting, Consolidator, Advanced, Synergy) have been obtained at IBENS, 11 of which have been awarded to INSERM researchers. This Junior Professorship is part of a strategy to support the international reputation of IBENS as a prominent center for cutting-edge research in biology and health. The scheme will make it possible to recruit several top-level young researchers, offering them dedicated resources and a technological and scientific environment of excellence at IBENS and, more generally, at ENS and other PSL University institutions (including Collège de France, ESPCI and Institut Curie). This support will reinforce IBENS' research priorities and enable the emergence of ambitious and innovative projects in developmental biology. It will also strengthen IBENS' position and participation in various regional and national programs, including the ‘Grands Programmes de Recherche’ from PSL University, the PEPR in cell biology and biotherapies, the Infrastructures Nationales en Biologie-Santé (IBENS platforms are affiliated to France Bio-Imaging, France Génomique, and the Institut français de Bio-informatique) and the emerging PariSanté Campus site.

Strategy of the host laboratory:

The ENS Institute of Biology (IBENS) conducts cutting-edge research on fundamental life processes, focusing on both normal and disease conditions through a highly multidisciplinary approach. The candidate will join the Developmental Biology section, a major focus area of IBENS known for its internationally recognized research excellence, including several ERCs, a Chair of Excellence in Biology-Health, and numerous publications in Nature, Science, and Cell. In the coming years, IBENS aims to strengthen its research on morphogenesis, tissue structuring, cell fate, and evolution by utilizing advanced experimental models and multidisciplinary methods. These efforts will explore the interfaces between disciplines and the mechanisms connecting molecular, cellular, and tissue levels. The successful candidate will have access to the Institute's technological platforms—including genomics, imaging, computing resources, animal facilities, FabLab, and transgenesis—and expertise in genomics, biophysics, and evolutionary biology. This recruitment will bolster collaborations with other ENS departments (Physics, Chemistry) and PSL University institutions (such as ESPCI, Institut Curie, Collège de France) engaged in advanced research. Additionally, the candidate will benefit from PSL’s new Major Research Programs (GPR), particularly the "DEVINE" program, which aims to deepen understanding of tissue biology throughout the lifespan from both fundamental and medical perspectives.

Summary of the scientific project:

Understanding how genes and molecular signals coordinate tissue morphogenesis during organism development is crucial for progress in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. The implications for human health are substantial, encompassing the treatment of degenerative diseases (such as Parkinson's disease and type I diabetes) and the reconstruction of damaged tissue, for which organ transplantation has traditionally been the sole therapeutic option. This research endeavor seeks to elucidate how embryonic signals direct collective cellular movements and tissue organization. It will employ advanced experimental and theoretical methodologies, integrating computational modeling with innovative techniques such as biophysical and optogenetic manipulations, applied to robust animal and organoid models. By uncovering the fundamental mechanisms—both intrinsic (genetic) and environmental (transcellular signals)—that regulate tissue structuring and morphogenesis, this project extends beyond traditional developmental biology and stem cell research, opening new avenues for cell and tissue regeneration with significant implications for human health.

Summary of the teaching project:

The successful candidate will actively participate in the Master's program in Life Sciences - IMALIS (Interdisciplinary Master's in Life Sciences) at PSL University. This master's program is overseen by the ENS/IBENS biology department, where classes are held. The candidate will deliver lectures in cell and developmental biology, participate in student recruitment panels, and be responsible for tutoring ENS and master's students. Additionally, the candidate will engage in the ENS Biology Department's L3 program and the Medicine-Science program, collaboratively managed by ENS-PSL, the Curie Institute, and the Pasteur Institute. These initiatives aim to develop future physician-researchers of the highest caliber, capable of leading innovative biomedical research.

National Research Agency package:

200k€

Other package:

Co-funding*

Remuneration package

3500€ - 5 000€ according to research experience

Scientific dissemination/ Open Science:

Scientific communication and dissemination

The results will be published in peer-reviewed international scientific journals and presented at poster sessions and guest seminars.

Open Science

Sharing datasets, software, scripts, and protocols (deposited on dedicated and open/public archiving sites), long-term preservation of biological samples and models, compliance with ethical rules, and patent applications where applicable.

Science and society

ENS Science and Literature Nights. ENS-PSL Open House. Brain Week.

• Scientific output and promotion: number of publications in open-access peer-reviewed journals, number of publications in high-impact journals. Possibly, the number of patents filed.
• Structuring and outreach: fundraising (number of contracts secured and associated amounts), new collaborations established, number of participations in scientific conferences (including international ones), and invited presentations. Also, participation in the life of the laboratory and the community, along with the assumption of responsibility.
• Supervision and training: number of doctoral and/or postdoctoral students supervised, HDR (Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches, or accreditation to supervise research) obtained (if applicable), and participation in ENS-PSL teaching and training.

For each of these items, a review and evaluation will be conducted annually by the scientific advisor based on quantified monitoring tables. An interim progress report (after 2-3 years) with a detailed scientific report will be required. Finally, a comprehensive scientific and financial report will be produced at the end of the Chair for evaluation toward tenure.

Selection of candidates:

It is expected therecruited researcher to become rapidly a group leader in the GAD team. So the candidate should demonstrate ability to supervise Ph.D students, post-doctoral fellow and technical support staff. She/he should have the capacity to obtain competitive funding to manage her/his group.

Successful candidates are chosen by a selection commission composed of six to ten members, the majority of whom are specialists in the fields of research concerned.

The commission carries out an initial examination of the applications, focused in particular on candidate experience and skills relative to the research and teaching project presented above. A shortlist of candidates is then selected for interview.Only candidates selected by the selection committee on the basis of their applicationswill be invited to interview.

The interviews are followed by a deliberation during which selection commission will discuss the quality, originality and, where appropriate, the interdisciplinarity of the research and teaching projects presented by the candidates, their motivation and their scientific and teaching supervision capacity.

The candidates selected at the end of the selection process will be offered a researcher contract, following approval from the President and CEO of Inserm.

Required profile:

Researcher Profile: R3/R4

R3 Established researcher A stage in a researcher’s career describing those who have developed a level of independence and can described as an established researcher

R4 Leading Research A stage in a researcher’s career where they can be termed a ‘leading researcher’. This would include the team leader of a research group or head of an industry R&D laboratory.

Your application will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Relevance and originality of the project related to the research field
• International exposure in research projects
• Your ability to raise funds
• Participation in editorial and reviewing activities
• Your teaching experience
• Your ability to lead a team…

Application instruction:

Applications can be submitted online at EVA .

Deadline application: September 2, 2026

Please complete the scientific file in English.

It is imperative to contact the laboratory corresponding to the Chair you have applied for in order to build the project with them.

Position also open to 'Bénéficiaires de l'Obligation d'Emploi' (disabled persons), as defined in article 27 of law no. 84-16 of January 11, 1984 on statutory provisions for the civil service.