AMBER HORIZONS: empowering the next generation of European research leaders
The University of Latvia (UL) will implement the European Union research and career development project “AMBER HORIZONS – Empowering Research Leaders for Europe”, which aims to attract outstanding early-career researchers and provide them with long-term academic career development opportunities at UL. The project will cover natural sciences and engineering, life and health sciences, environmental sciences, and social sciences and humanities.
The project is implemented under Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) COFUND – Choose Europe for Science. AMBER HORIZONS plans to recruit at least eight highly qualified researchers, offering an interdisciplinary research environment, mentoring, professional development opportunities, international collaboration and a clear career development pathway within UL. Its long-term aim is to strengthen UL’s international competitiveness and Latvia’s contribution to the European Research Area, and to develop a sustainable generation of high-level research leaders.
The call is planned for mid-January 2027.
4 research areas:
Natural sciences and engineering — advancing frontier technologies
Life and health sciences — advancing biomedical and technological innovations
Environmental sciences and climate change — sustainable ecosystems and climate resilience
Social sciences and humanities — addressing societal resilience
11 positions:
01 Multiphase magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) Experimental Diagnostics
02 Multiphase MHD Data-Driven Modelling
03 Advanced Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS)
04 Quantum Technologies/Quantum Transport in Nanoelectronics
05 Microbial Biotechnology & Synthetic Biology
06 Brain Disorders & Neuro–Microbiome Interface
07 AI for Medical Imaging & Precision Diagnostics
08 Ecosystem-Based Lake Management
09 Next-Generation Urban Digital Twins
Employment offer
| 11 | 5 years | 6 700 EUR |
|---|---|---|
| postdoctoral vacancies | full-time employment contract with UL | monthly remuneration including applicable taxes and employer and employee social security contributions |
Additional funding — EUR 25,000 per year for research, networking, training, conference participation and other research-related activities.
Additional support — family allowance where applicable, private health insurance and flexible working arrangements.
Career development includes mentoring, transferable skills training, international networking and support for developing an independent research profile and research leadership.
The programm provides for five years of full-time employment at the University of Latvia with long-term academic career opportunities, including the possibility of progressing to tenure-track positions based on the results of the researcher’s performance evaluation.
The University of Latvia Academic Centre in Torņakalns is a modern study and research environment bringing together the House of Nature, the House of Science and the House of Letters.
The Academic Centre provides researchers with modern infrastructure, including teaching and research laboratories, lecture rooms, libraries and reading rooms, as well as workspaces and collaboration spaces. The Centre is designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across scientific fields and provide an environment for research, studies and knowledge transfer.
Further information about the UL Academic Centre, the House of Nature, the House of Science, the House of Letters and the available infrastructure:
Qualification requirements for applicants:
A doctoral degree in the relevant discipline by the application deadline specified in the vacancy notice. Applicants who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but have not yet received the formal diploma will also be eligible. A medical doctorate will be accepted only if it corresponds to a doctoral degree or if the applicant can demonstrate appointment to a position requiring a qualification equivalent to a doctoral degree.
Compliance with the MSCA mobility rule (applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity in Latvia for more than 12 months during the 36 months preceding the call application deadline).
A strong track record of research appropriate to the applicant’s career stage, including evidence of independent scientific work, international collaboration, and academic or professional achievements.
Excellent English language skills (equivalent to C1 level) to ensure effective scientific communication and integration into the UL research environment
Additional competencies, such as teamwork, communication skills, openness to interdisciplinary collaboration and motivation for professional development, will be considered advantages.
| Mid-January 2027 | Call published |
| March 2027 | Application deadline |
| April–June 2027 | Eligibility check, external evaluation, interviews and selection |
| June 2027 | Final selection results |
| Second half of 2027 | Start of employment — no later than 1 January 2028 |
Dates follow the advance notice and will be confirmed in the official call.
Applications
The call is expected in mid-January 2027.
Up-to-date information about the call, eligibility criteria, final research topics and application documents will be available in this AMBER HORIZONS section and on EURAXESS on the day the call is published.
The project is implemented from 2027 to 2032 with financial support from the European Commission under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) COFUND – Choose Europe for Science.
