5 Postdoctoral Positions at the University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour (UPPA), France – Horizon Europe MSCA-COFUND REACH-UPPA (1st Call)

Location: Pau, France

Agenda:

• Opening of CALL#1: March 23, 2026
• Closure of CALL#1: May 17, 2026
• Applications submitted on: https://aap.univ-pau.fr
• Programme website: https://www.univ-pau.fr/reach-uppa

Offer Description

Coordinated by the University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour (UPPA), REACH-UPPA (Research Excellence And Career Hub at UPPA) is a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie programme co-funded by the European Union. The programme will host 10 outstanding postdoctoral researchers, who will conduct research across a broad spectrum of disciplines within the domains of physical sciences and engineering, life sciences and social sciences & humanities.

Context: The REACH-UPPA programme is designed to offer a world-class interdisciplinary research environment while providing a gateway for researchers to access international and/or cross-sectoral partners to help establish a high-level independent research profile. REACH-UPPA Post-Doctoral Researchers (PDRs) will benefit from being part of an outstanding academic community, combining research excellence, strong cross-disciplinary collaborations, and significant external engagement with leading international and socio-economic partners.

UPPA is a leading research and teaching university... [full context as in text]

About the REACH-UPPA Programme

The REACH-UPPA Postdoctoral programme offers 10 outstanding postdoctoral researchers the opportunity to pursue ambitious, high-impact research... For this first call, candidates may submit a research project in 8 research priority areas of the UPPA.

Throughout the programme, researchers will benefit from tailored mentoring by dedicated UPPA supervisors, close collaboration with a financed PhD candidate, and a 3–6-month research secondment at a pre-selected partner organisation or another relevant institution of their choice.

CALL#1 Details

• Number of Postdoctoral Fellowships: 5 in 2026
• Employer: University de Pau and Pays de l’Adour (UPPA), France
• Salary: €3,500 gross per month. French taxes and social security contributions apply, resulting in an estimated net monthly salary of approximately €2,880 before income tax
• Start: October 2026 - Duration: 48 months

Skills/Qualifications: Fellowships are open to PhD holders in the fields of physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, and social sciences and humanities...

Eligibility criteria

• Researchers must be in possession of a doctoral degree at the deadline of the programme's call.
• Up to 3 years of research experience (full-time equivalent) after the obtention of the doctoral degree at the call deadline...
• Must comply with the following MSCA mobility rule...
• Each applicant may propose only one research project in one thematic area...
• The programme is open to applicants of any nationality.

Application Requirements

Candidatures must use the templates provided... 1. The candidate’s extended CV... 5. Two signed reference letters... sent directly by the referees to reach-uppa@univ-pau.fr...

REACH-UPPA Postdoctoral Researcher will benefit from the following advantages

1. The living allowance for REACH-UPPA PDRs will be €3,500 gross per month...
2. Mobility allowance (managed by UPPA): up to 10 000 €...
3. Travel allowance up to 10 000 €...
4. Research costs: €30,000 for non-experimental sciences and €60,000 for experimental sciences.
5. Each PDR will be allocated a PhD position...
6. Mandatory tailored training...
7. Mandatory secondment of 3 to 6 months...

How to apply

1. Consult the list of research areas on the website: https://www.univ-pau.fr/reach-uppa...
2. Prepare a research project (PDF format, template provided, max. 10 pages)...
3. Submit your application online via https://aap.univ-pau.fr/

Research Fields

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING: Mathematics; Condensed Matter Physics; ...
LIFE SCIENCES: Molecules of Life...
SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES: Individuals, Markets and Organisations...

Education Level: PhD Degree (or assimilated certification of completion of the doctorate)

Selection process

The selection process consists of 3 steps: 1. Eligibility check... 2. External evaluation... 3. Interview stage...