With a total budget of €4,838,400, TOUCH (Towards the generation of excellent young doctoral researchers in inter-sectoral & transdisciplinary approach) will be able to bring on board 24 PhD students enrolled in a strategic UAB area: mental health and well-being.

The new programme involves several university departments, the CORE in Mental Health and seven UAB Sphere institutions, which include Vall d’Hebron Research Institute.

The first call will be open from 1 April to 30 June 2024. A total of 13 posts are available. Applicants will be able to choose from more than 30 research project proposals in four areas: Fostering mental health and wellbeing across lifespan, transdisciplinary approach to mental health & wellbeing determinants, multilevel strategies for assessment and intervention in mental health & wellbeing: from genomics to personomics, governance in mental health systems: participation, education, and community.

Recruited fellows will be offered a three-year contract and a gross salary of €2,375 per year, and will be able to conduct research in a multidisciplinary, multicultural and stimulating research training environment, with access to state-of-the-art equipment.

Selected candidates will also participate in a comprehensive training programme, including workshops, hands-on schools, and retreats on transversal and scientific competences, focusing on research and personal and professional development.

All the information regarding the programme, application and evaluation process, eligibility criteria and research projects available in this Call can be found in the project’s webpage. On 30 April, there will be an Info Day offering in-depth information about the first call for applications.

VHIR offers two project proposals:

• Usefulness of multidomain markers in the course of post stroke and neurodegenerative dementias, led by Dr. Mar Hernández Guillamon and Dr. María Pilar Delgado Martínez, researchers at the Neurovascular Diseases group at VHIR.
• Intergenerational transmission of psychopathology: Effects of parental genotypes, led by Dr. Marta Ribasés and Dr. María Soler-Artigas, researchers of the Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addictions group at VHIR.