EFSA Guest Programme Call 2024/2025 - Guest Scientists & Professionals

EFSA Guest Programme Call 2024/2025 - Guest Scientists & Professionals

Vacaturenummer: EFSA/NS/GP/2024

EFSA GUEST PROGRAMME 2024/2025

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) , based in Parma, Italy, is opening positions for Guest Scientists & Professionals (All EFSA Units and Departments).

Please send us your application by no later than 30 November 2025 at 23.59 (Local time).

IS THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR ME?

Would you like to join our Agency for a few months and take part in our different projects? Would you be interested in sharing your expertise with us while gaining valuable insights from the work we do to ensure food safety within the EU? Would you like to enter the EU Agencies ecosystem and get hands-on experience?

As a guest professional, you would bring your expertise to EFSA and take back to your home administration or university the knowledge acquired during your period of secondment.

The Guest Programme is open to PhD candidates and employees of public administration, institutions, or international organisations. It is a cost-free scheme for which EFSA does not pay any financial contribution to the selected candidates. The secondment will take place either at the premises of EFSA or remotely.

Your key objectives

• Gain first-hand experience in a scientific EU Agency allowing you to develop new competencies and skills in line with personal interests and professional aspirations.
• Contribute to specific and/or research projects with new ideas and innovative solutions.
• Bring forward your project and deepen your research in collaboration with experts in the field.
• Extend links to the international risk assessment community.

The content of your project and/or research depends on your interests and on EFSA’s work priorities. You may select up to two different areas of interest, in order of preference, related to your background and competencies in fields such as: environmental risk assessment, toxicology, animal health, animal welfare, biological hazards, human nutrition, data management and analysis, partnership and communication, etc.

You will play an active role in an organisation that makes a difference to the lives of 450 million EU citizens.

EFSA employs more than 550 staff members, and its Scientific Committee and Panels engage highly qualified and independent scientific experts. Every position within EFSA plays an important part in creating an inspirational environment in which to work and develop.

EFSA’s standards and values are driven by ethics and integrity and all staff are expected to act in a manner consistent with its principles, including fairness, transparency, and impartiality in work practices and conduct towards other people. EFSA is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from all suitably qualified candidates without any distinction on grounds of age, gender, sexual orientation, impairment and disability, ethnic or social origin, religion or belief. All EFSA staff is committed to creating an open and inclusive environment.

While working for EFSA you will have the chance to make a difference to European food safety working in an international and dynamic environment. You will also be able to participate in several valuable networking opportunities across Europe.

You must satisfy the following conditions in order to apply for the EFSA Guest Programme Call.

Eligibility criteria

• Have a good knowledge of English (minimum level: B2 - according to CEFR).
• Meet the character requirements needed for the duties involved (e.g., a sworn affidavit to the effect that you have no criminal record).
• The candidate must come from:
• a national public administration;
• a public intergovernmental organisation (IGO);
• an independent university or research organisation which does not set out to make profits for redistribution;
• an employer which is in fact part of the public sector.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

EFSA applies a policy of equal opportunities and does not discriminate on any grounds.

The screening of applications is made on the basis of the eligibility criteria, the candidates’ competencies and motivation, and EFSA’s working priorities with due regard to an appropriate balance of nationality and gender.

Please note that only pre-selected candidates will be contacted by EFSA.

Steps of the selection procedure

• The application shall be submitted online on the EFSA careers page. You need to fill in and sign electronically the application form in order to be considered a candidate.

Eligible candidates will be shortlisted by EFSA taking into account:

• the candidates' academic and professional background,
• EFSA’s level of engagement with the country/institution of origin,
• EFSA's priority areas,
• Novelty of knowledge area/expertise.

The shortlisted candidates may be asked to undergo a telephone or online interview to discuss suitability for the role, mutual expectations, and possible starting date.

• Successful candidates will receive a placement offer, stating the starting date, the tasks, the duration, and the list of documents to be submitted before the start date.
• Before the period of placement starts, the selected candidate shall submit to EFSA a declaration outlining all interests overlapping with EFSA’s remit to ensure that no conflict between the interest(s) held by the candidate and those of the Authority may occur.

*PRACTICAL INFORMATION*

EFSA does not pay any financial contribution to the selected candidates nor cover any expenses incurred by them.

While the Call is open, applications may be submitted at any time and both withdrawals and application updates are possible.

Non-EU candidates are required to obtain the relevant visa.

EFSA ensures that the personal data of all applicants is protected during and after the selection procedure. Please read more on the Personal Data Protection.