+
+**PhD student (University Assistant prae-doc, 4 years)**
+
+---
+
+**About the project:**
+
+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](https://somexlab.github.io/) and [recent publications](https://somexlab.github.io/publication/).
+
+
+
+📃Mock research proposal:
+
+The candidate should use the above pages as a starting point for the mock research proposal that is part of the application (see below):
+
+The candidate shall 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.
+
+
+
+---
+
+📅**Deadline for applications:** 31.05.2026\
+📅**Starting date:** > 01.09.2026\
+🔔**Status:** Open
+
+---
+
+📢[Job advertisement (University job portal)](https://jobs.univie.ac.at/job/University-assistant-predoctoral/1388724733/)
+
+**Our commitment to Diversity:**
+{{< callout note >}}
+
+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.
+
+{{< /callout >}}
+
+