At Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health we recognize the importance of sustainability and of the interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health. In line with our ongoing commitment to sustainability1, we are actively integrating environmental considerations into the design and development of our medicines. This initiative is aimed at minimizing the environmental footprint across every stage of a medicine's lifecycle.2 Within our Animal Health division, we have already made significant strides in focusing these efforts on products for parasite control in companion animals and livestock. Our dedication to sustainable practices is not just a goal but a reality we are continuously enhancing.
The search for new antiparasitic drugs follows the same process as the drug discovery for human pharma drugs - from hit finding and optimization, through lead optimization, candidate identification and development.3 This approach also includes a rigorous assessment of the environmental safety of new parasiticides. Thus, it becomes increasingly important to investigate the API´s environmental profile early to inform decision making during the research phase.4 In this context innovation frameworks such as Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD), the Green Chemistry Principles 5 as well as emerging regulatory frameworks emphasize biodegradation as one important factor influencing the environmental fate and safety of active molecules. However, routinely available methods for evaluating the environmental persistence of active ingredients have a long timeline and are tailored for in-depth characterization of individual development candidates. Moreover, their low throughput makes them unsuitable for the lead optimization stage.
Consequently, we invite you to submit your research plan that focuses on the development of an assay that enables investigating transformation kinetics, the environmental half-life and/or persistence of antiparasitic APIs during early research phases. A successful proposal will outline work packages, milestones, and key decision points while answering the questions below:
- How do you ensure that selected test matrices as well as output parameters translate into real-world data and lead to meaningful recommendations for chemical design?
- How would you test the assays fit for purpose as quickly as possible and increase throughput later to facilitate the design of APIs with improved environmental half-life?
- How would you approach translatability to human pharma APIs?
With your solution you will be able to benefit from the ecosystem of a large pharmaceutical company while contributing to the design of more sustainable medicines for the generations to come.
As a winner of this call, you will have the unique opportunity to pursue your own submitted research project as a fully resourced PostDoc project in the Animal Health Research team at Boehringer Ingelheim at the Discovery Research site in Biberach/Riss, Germany. You will obtain a position for up to 3 years* with Boehringer Ingelheim within a cross-functional, international team of world-class scientists at the interface of drug discovery research across Animal Health and Human Pharma and environmental sustainability. [*The offered position initially covers a duration of 24 months with an option for extension by another 12 months.]
At Boehringer Ingelheim, you will have access to a fully equipped laboratory in a state-of-the-art research facility including access to all relevant tools and technologies. You benefit from mentoring through our internal experts, have the chance to attend international conferences, and to publish your results in high-ranking journals. You will be part of the vibrant PostDoc community at Boehringer Ingelheim in Biberach with manifold opportunities for scientific, cross-functional exchanges for your personal development.
In addition, you benefit from the rich packages for employee benefit. Our most important asset in achieving our global vision is our people. We prioritize your growth, investing in our people through mentoring, coaching, skill-building, leadership development, and academic support. Our infrastructure promotes wellness with sports groups, health counseling, onsite medical services, and regular check-ups. Achieve work-life balance with flexible work hours, childcare support, counseling, and convenient amenities. We ensure financial health with employer loans, private insurances, access to discounts, and a company pension scheme. Benefit also from our excellent and healthy on-site catering and the opportunity for take-away meals. We offer relocation support and interim accommodation to make joining us easy.
Please use our PostDoc grant application template to provide a 4–5-page non-confidential proposal (available for download here). Please complement with your CV, publication list, and recommendation letters.
If confidential data exists that would strengthen the proposal, please indicate that information is available to share under a Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA). If we find the non-confidential concept proposal sufficiently interesting, we will execute a CDA for confidential discussions.
All incoming applications accompanied by a research plan will be evaluated by a scientific jury, and, upon selection, you as the winner will have the opportunity to pursue your research project as defined by yourself as part of your PostDoc studies at Boehringer Ingelheim. An attractive package including salary, expenses, and additional company benefits will apply.
We can only accept research proposals if they arrive by the submission deadline on July 2, 2025, 11.59 pm PST.
