We are recruiting a PhD student (University Assistant prae-doc, 4 years) to join the Soft Matter Experiments (SoMeX) Lab at the Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna. The full official call is here: https://jobs.univie.ac.at/job/University-assistant-predoctoral/1388724733/ About the project and the lab. The successful candidate will develop an original doctoral project at the interface of soft matter physics, biophysics and methodological innovation, taking advantage of our integrated experimental environment: advanced optical microscopy (spinning disk, high-speed imaging, optical tweezers, DDM), custom and commercial rheology and rheomicroscopy (e.g. based our open-source ShearView linear rheometer and an Anton Paar MCR 702e Space rheomicroscope), wet-lab facilities for chemistry and cell culture, and an active international collaboration network across Europe and beyond. To get a sense of who we are, what we work on and the style of science we like to do, please have a look at our website and recent publications: - Lab website: https://somexlab.github.io/ - Current projects: https://somexlab.github.io/#projects - Publications: https://somexlab.github.io/publication/ These pages are also the best starting point for the mock research proposal that is part of the application (see below): the idea is that candidates pick one of our research lines (e.g., rheology, advanced microscopy, colloids, active/biological matter, mechanobiology) and sketch a question they would find exciting to address with us. A note on diversity. We strongly believe that excellent science comes from a diverse and inclusive group, and we are genuinely committed to building one. We warmly encourage applications from candidates of any gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socio-economic background, age, disability, family situation or career path, including people whose CV is non-linear (career breaks, parental leave, change of field, studies in less internationally visible institutions). If you are unsure whether your background "fits" the call, please apply: we would rather read your application and decide together than miss you because of self-selection. In line with University of Vienna policy, women and members of under-represented groups are particularly encouraged to apply, and preference will be given to female candidates at equal qualifications. Application — what to submit (in English): 1. Letter of motivation describing your background and how it connects to the SoMeX Lab. 2. Scientific CV including a list of publications and a short description of your technical/experimental skills. 3. Copy of your Master's (or equivalent) degree certificate and transcript of records. 4. Conceptual research proposal, max. 2 pages ("mock proposal"): a research idea on a fundamental question in soft matter or biophysics that fits with our interests and infrastructure. This is for assessment only and is not binding for the actual PhD project. 5. Evidence of scientific writing: Master's thesis or a representative paper (a link to a cloud folder is fine if the file is large). 6. Contact details of two academic referees. Key facts: - Expected start: 1 September 2026 - Application deadline: 31 May 2026 - Apply via the official portal (link above) For informal questions about the position or the application procedure, interested candidates are welcome to contact our administrative assistant, Martina Benedikt at martina.benedikt@univie.ac.at For technical questions, they can refer to our lab manager, Mohandas at mohandas.mohandas@univie.ac.at For scientific questions they can get in touch directly with Prof. Roberto Cerbino at roberto.cerbino@univie.ac.at