QCB Postdoctoral Fellowships

The NSF-funded Science and Technology Center for Quantitative Cell Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers several postdoctoral fellowship opportunities to support outstanding scientists. These fellowships provide a unique opportunity for selected scholars to engage in a two-year interdisciplinary research fellowship while advancing the research of QCB. Application deadline is March 1, 2026, with fellowships starting as early as May.

Both QCB and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are diverse, inclusive communities.
Anyone with a PhD earned in the past 10 years, or have an expected PhD by September 1, 2026, who meets the eligibility criteria is welcome to apply.

Fellowships are open to any U.S. citizen or permanent resident (Green Card holder) and to non-U.S. applicants affiliated with our partner institutions. A complete list of industry and academic partners can be found at the bottom of the STC QCB members webpage .

QCB seeks to quantitatively describe the physical and chemical processes that define the functional state of a cell. Our goal: To make 4D (space plus time) computational whole cell models of bacterial, yeast, and mammalian cells. We are working towards our goal through our research themes of computing tools, revolutionary experimental data, and science education and research.

Preference will be given to applicants in the core QCB research areas:

1. Whole Cell Modeling: - improve WCMs for bacteria, yeast and eukaryotic cells and connections to established MD (e.g., Martini, Gromacs, NAMD) and analysis programs (e.g., VMD).
2. Subcellular Dynamics using MINFLUX: data acquisition and new data/analysis tools
3. Spatial Chemical Composition using label-free-IR imaging
4. Converting cryo-electron tomograms into images for WCMs and Minecraft
5. Studies on organelles in selected organisms (e.g., yeast) connected to points 1-4 above
6. Integration with other QCB programs to increase impact (e.g., summer school, workshops, Minecraft development, collaboration with our MSI partners)

Fellowships are open to any U.S. applicant or permanent resident and to non-U.S. applicants eligible for a visa (QCB will sponsor visa applications). QCB Fellows will receive a starting annual salary of $63,000 (with an inflation increase the second year), along with a benefits package that includes health care, paid vacation, paid sick leave, 12 paid holidays, and relocation expenses (up to $10,000). In addition, postdocs will receive a $10,000 per year allowance for research supplies, research travel, and conferences.

Complete application requirements, including a link to the required application, may be viewed at:

If you have any questions about the QCB Postdoctoral Fellowships or the application process, please email us: [email protected]