Established in 1636, Utrecht University is a consistently leading research university of high international esteem. On the 2019 Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities, Utrecht University ranks first in the Netherlands, and 49th in the world. Utrecht University has an annual turnover of over 800 M Euro, including ~30% from external funding. Utrecht University has state-of-the art research facilities and excellent research training through graduate schools. Each year, ~300 new PhD candidates begin their research, including ~25 % from outside the Netherlands. The Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity (IBB) performs interdisciplinary research that combines biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics to understand living systems. By combining wet-lab experiments with theory and simulation, IBB aims to achieve a systems-level understanding of complex dynamic processes and their evolution. Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics (TBB) is a lively and cohesive group of 50-60 scientists at all levels from students to professors. All use bioinformatics, big data, and/or computational modelling to address fundamental questions in the life sciences. A selection of ongoing research lines includes metagenomics and viromics, virus-host interactions, morphogenesis, and the principles of ecology and evolution.
PhD students at UU are part of a research team. They have their own work space, access to excellent ICT infrastructure, and traditional and digital access to a swathe of scientific literature through our outstanding library. TBB owns an excellent computer network that will be available to the ESRs. Moreover, the Utrecht Bioinformatics Centre (UBC) owns and operates a high-performance computer cluster (HPC) for heavy calculations, that has recently been powered by a 600 kEURO investment in GPU nodes. The Utrecht Sequencing Facility (USeq) provides the latest DNA sequencing services at competitive prices.