Currently, we have OPEN positions for both undergraduate (incl. HBO) and master's students from ANY higher education institutions in the Netherlands. We prioritize internship applications of students from departments of biology (IBL), computational science (LIACS), and Statistics & Data Science at Leiden University, and also HBO students from the University of Applied Sciences Leiden (Hogeschool Leiden). We also welcome intern applications from other Dutch higher education institutions.

If you are interested, please directly contact Dr. Ding via p.ding@biology.leidenuniv.nl; In your first E-mail, please (1) briefly describe your motivation for application and a little bit about yourself; (2) attach your academic CV and up-to-date BSc or/and MSc transcripts (in English); (3) the contact information of at least one referee.

We are open to both Wet-lab and Dry-lab applications!

For Chinese M.Sc. students who are interested in applying for a China Scholarship Council (CSC) - Leiden University Scholarship to join us for the CSC application in 2027 (we DO NOT have vacancy for the round of 2026), please contact Dr. Ding via p.ding@biology.leidenuniv.nl directly. In your first E-mail (for an initial screen), please write a short cover letter, indicating why you would like to apply for a Ph.D. program, and what research topics you are interested in based on the main RESEARCH topics related to the DING LAB. Also, please attach copies of transcripts from your B.Sc. and M.Sc. studies and contact information of two referees. Please indicate what scholarship scheme you would like to apply for and attach the link to the scholarship page. (Deadline: before the end of September 2026)

We are always welcoming and supporting postdoc fellowship applications (e.g. EMBO, Marie Curie, HFSP, FEBS and NWO Veni fellowships, etc.). If you are interested, please directly contact Dr. Ding via p.ding@biology.leidenuniv.nl; in your first E-mail, please (1) briefly describe your motivation for application and a little bit about yourself; (2) attach your academic CV and contact information of at least two references. Please NOTE that the fellowship schemes can cover a big range of career stages from senior Ph.D. students before their graduation to experienced postdoctoral scientists.

We are open to collaborations with both academic researchers and industrial partners. We are generally interested in making discoveries in gene regulations, plant-microbe interactions, and plant immunity; our long-term goal is to help to find solutions for protecting plant health and helping agriculture. If you are interested in collaborative opportunities, please contact us via p.ding@biology.leidenuniv.nl.