[Neutron] Call for NEXTSTEP ILL PhD project proposals

[PhD]

Dear Colleagues,

the ILL, ESRF and e-DREAM, together with EMBL, submitted a proposal entitled “NEXTSTEP" to the Horizon Europe MSCA-COFUND <https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/cofund> call. This proposal was accepted and will support a total of 36 fully-funded PhD studentships, each involving an academic partner and (optionally) an industrial partner. 

Herewith, we open a call for interested academic and industrial partners to submit PhD projects with a deadline of 04 November 2025.

PhD projects funded by NEXTSTEP must focus on high-impact, challenge-driven research that is aligned with the Horizon Europe Pillar 2 clusters: “Health”, “Digital, Industry & Space,” Climate, Energy & Mobility”, and “Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture & Environment”. The underlying concept is to empower future researchers to exploit advanced research infrastructure's analytical techniques in the pursuit of applied research that delivers tangible societal benefits. In view of this, students will be expected to engage in cutting-edge studies across materials science, chemistry, biology, physics, engineering or environmental sciences, leveraging advanced research infrastructure techniques.

Whilst not mandatory, projects are encouraged to make combined use of neutron and/or electron and/or synchrotron X-ray techniques where possible to maximise both training impact and research potential. Similarly, involvement of industrial partners is encouraged in order to deliver one of the goals of “NEXTSTEP” which is to create links with Pillar 3 of Horizon Europe (Innovative Europe) which concentrates on nurturing future innovators and enhancing collaborations amongst industry, educational institutions and research facilities. 
 
What NEXTSTEP expects from the partners:
A science project driven by excellent science built in cooperation with ILL and/or ESRF scientists.
The project should be tackling challenges associated with sustainable development and industrial competitiveness in the areas of “Health”, “Digital, Industry & Space”, “Climate, Energy & Mobility” and “Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture & Environment”, which are at the heart of Horizon Europe. 
To host the student for at least two months (or several shorter visits adding up to at least two months) at their premises within the three-years of the doctoral project.
Participation in regular PhD project follow-up meetings and attendance to the NEXTSTEP general assemblies.
According to their capacity, external partners (academic and industrial) are more than welcome to contribute to project costs, although this is not a requirement.

The ILL Industrial Liaison Office will help in making connections to industry if necessary. The implication of an ILL scientist as a co-supervisor is expected in each of the ILL projects.

If you need more information please do not hesitate to contact the ILL Graduate School or the Industrial Liaison Office. 

The proposal shall consist of the filled application and terms-of-agreement forms (see below), including CV of the partner supervisors and project description.

Kind regards,

Peter Fouquet and Michael Marek Koza

ILL Graduate School

NB: There will be no ILL General PhD Call in 2025.





Dr. Peter Fouquet

Head of the ILL Graduate School

Institut Laue-Langevin 
Spectroscopy Group
CS 20156
38042 Grenoble Cedex 9
FRANCE

Tel:  +33 476 20 72 04









-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.neutronsources.org/pipermail/neutron/attachments/20250919/696aa029/attachment-0003.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: PhD_Nextstep_application_form-2026.docx
Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Size: 510540 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://lists.neutronsources.org/pipermail/neutron/attachments/20250919/696aa029/attachment-0002.bin>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.neutronsources.org/pipermail/neutron/attachments/20250919/696aa029/attachment-0004.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: TOA_for_project_application_2026.docx
Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Size: 1339665 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://lists.neutronsources.org/pipermail/neutron/attachments/20250919/696aa029/attachment-0003.bin>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.neutronsources.org/pipermail/neutron/attachments/20250919/696aa029/attachment-0005.htm>