PhD Positions

Offer Description

🚀 Advance your research career and contribute to a more sustainable and climate-resilient Mediterranean. 🌱

TERRA-MED is an international doctoral programme co-funded by the European Union under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA COFUND). Coordinated by the Euroregion Pyrenees–Mediterranean, the programme brings together 12 research institutions across Occitanie (France), Catalonia and the Balearic Islands (Spain).

TERRA-MED is recruiting 33 doctoral researchers to undertake innovative, interdisciplinary research addressing the environmental and climate challenges facing Mediterranean territories, with a particular focus on the Water–Land–Energy (WLE) Nexus.

Explore the available doctoral projects of six broad research areas:

1. 💧Water, Aquatic Systems & Water Resources
2. 🌿Environment, Biodiversity & Circular Economy
3. 🌾Food, Agriculture & Plant Sciences
4. ⚡Energy, Hydrogen & Decarbonisation
5. 🧪Chemistry, Materials & Biotechnology
6. 💻 Digital Technologies, AI & Societal Transitions

Applicants are invited to explore the available PhD projects and identify those matching their academic background and research interests.

TERRA-MEDS's promotion video

🌟 What does TERRA-MED offer?

Selected doctoral researchers will benefit from:

• Fully funded doctoral positions at participating universities and research institutions in France and Spain.
• International co-supervision by 2 research teams from different TERRA-MED regions, providing access to complementary scientific expertise and research facilities.
• Academic mobility at a partner institution in another participating region.
• Non-academic secondments with companies, public authorities or other socio-economic organisations, enabling researchers to develop intersectoral experience.
• An interdisciplinary training programme combining advanced scientific knowledge with transferable skills, including innovation, entrepreneurship, research communication, open science and career development.
• An international research network connecting academic institutions and non-academic partners across the Mediterranean.

🌍Who can apply?

TERRA-MED welcomes applications from talented and motivated candidates of all nationalities who wish to pursue doctoral research in an international and interdisciplinary environment.

Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements specified in the official call, including the applicable MSCA mobility rule, academic qualifications and English-language requirements.

📝How to apply

Candidates are invited to consult the available doctoral projects and submit their applications through the official TERRA-MED application platform.

📅 Application period: 15 October – 31 December 2026
📅 Expected starting date: September 2027
📍Research locations: Occitanie (France), Catalonia and the Balearic Islands (Spain)

🔎 Explore our 33 PhD opportunities and apply: https://terra-med.euroregio.eu/how-to-apply

• CRG1 From diversity to function: deciphering the activity and interactions of microbial eukaryotes in aquatic ecosystems
• CRG2 Pyrenean sentinel lakes genomics observatory: using environmental DNA (eDNA) to track ecosystem pressures
• ICIQ2 Mo Speciation in Biological Systems: The MoSto Protein
• ICIQ3 Understanding the keys to efficiency in mechanochemistry
• UAB1 Surface-Engineered Nanocatalysts for Solar-Driven CO₂ Conversion into Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals
• UdG1 Unlocking Energy Flexibility through the Modelling and Optimisation of Integrated Urban Water Systems
• UdG3 Electrochemical acceleration of microplastic aging and evaluation of biodegradation and/or bioelectrochemical degradation in Greywater and Wastewater Systems
• UdG4 Microbes, Algae, Fungi and Membranes: Engineering the Next Generation of Net-Positive Water Reuse
• UIB1 Plastisphere Incubators: Microbial Communities on Microplastics in Stranded Posidonia oceanica Debris and coastal exposure pathways
• UIB2 "Liquid-Crystalline Materials for Catalytic Light Conversion Technologies (LC-SUNTECH)"
• UIB4 Assessing the Impacts of Climate and Land‐Use Change on Early Warning Systems for Flash‐Flood Risk Reduction in Mediterranean Areas
• UIB6 Integrated High-Temperature Solar Thermal Systems for Dispatchable Industrial Process Heat
• UM1 OPTIBIO Optical tools and methods for the agroecological transition: application to the study of wheat in mixed-variety crops or wheat-legume mixtures subjected to biotic stress
• UM3 Plant–mosquito–microbe interactions in a changing Mediterranean environment: implications for mosquito-borne disease transmission
• UM5 Water Reuse and Temporary Rivers: how to reconcile socio-political and ecological challenges in mediterrannean regions? Insights from France and Catalunya
• UM6 Biodiversity resilience to wildfires for ecological value risk assessment.
• UOC 2 Food-focused nature based solutions for sustainable food systems in the Mediterranean Basin
• UOC 4 The role of energy and water security in adapting to extreme heat by vulnerable households
• UPVD2 Enhancing Coastal Circulation monitoring to assess Offshore wind Farm Impacts and support
• UPVD4 Role of Plant Mobile Domain and Polycomb pathways in periderm formation and its protective function under environmental stress
• URL 3 Leveraging remote sensing data, physical models and machine learning approaches to provide irrigation recommendations in a Mediterranean context.
• URL 4 Next-Generation CO₂ Capture Using Vacuum Swing Adsorption: From Materials to Industrial Application
• URV1 Microbial Engineering of Vineyard Soils: Bacillus subtilis, Soil Health and Wine Aroma Profiles in Climate-Resilient Viticulture
• UT11 Analysis and management of ethical risks associated with the development of emerging technologies (digital twins, machine learning, etc.) to simulate and predict environmental challenges (mobility, climate change, etc.) at the territorial level (cities, regions, etc.)
• UT14 Study of the impact of intermittent electricity generation from renewable power sources on the dynamic behaviour and aging of various water electrolyzer technologies.
• UT2 Adaptative Low-carbon Transitions for Information systems, Territories, User-centric Digital and Energy Systems
• UT3 CarboMed – CO₂ Capture, Sequestration and Valorisation through Mineral Carbonation of Biomass Ashes and Microalgae Biostimulants for the Mediterranean Circular Bioeconomy
• UT4 Plant core microbiota as biomarker of Xylella fastidiosa infection status
• UT5 Natural hydrogen production and accumulation in salt tectonic structures in the Pyrenees
• UT6 Predictive Modelling of Pathogen Removal in Treatment Wetlands and Post-Treatment Storage Systems for Safe Wastewater Reuse
• UT9 Hybrid modeling and control of grid-forming
• UVic-UCC1 Glass Eels on the Edge: Climate Change Impacts an Endangered Species Across Contrasted Thermic Habitats
• UVic-UCC2 Combined Nature-Based and Technological solutions to enhance treated wastewaters quality under the current EU legislative framework

Join TERRA-MED and become part of an international network of researchers working towards a more sustainable and climate-resilient Mediterranean.

🇪🇺 TERRA-MED has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND scheme (Grant Agreement No. [contact details available in the full listing]).

Requirements

Research Field: All

Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Specific Requirements

Important – Mandatory Mobility Requirements

Please note that the TERRA-MED doctoral programme includes mandatory academic mobility between France and Spain, as well as a secondment with a non-academic organisation.

Applicants should be prepared to travel and spend extended periods at institutions or organisations outside their host institution's country during their PhD.

Please refer to each PhD offer for indicative information on the duration, location and arrangements of the required mobility periods and secondment.

Languages: ENGLISH

Level: Good