Recruitment

Applications are invited for 15 PhD positions to be funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Actions Network RESCUE.

Offers and Benefits

  • Contracts will start ideally between 1st of November 2026 and 1st of January 2027.
  • Duration of 36 months, funded by the EC. Additional funding is possible depending on the host institution.
  • Successful candidates will receive an attractive salary  in accordance with the MSCA regulations. The exact salary will be confirmed upon appointment and is dependent on the country correction coefficient (to allow for the difference in cost of living in different EU Member States).
  • In addition to their individual scientific projects, all candidates will benefit from further continuing education, which includes secondments, a variety of training modules as well as transferable skills courses and active participation in workshops and conferences.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Candidates must hold a Master degree or equivalent at the date of recruitment.
  • Candidates should not be in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of recruitment.
  • Candidates can be of any nationality. They must comply with the mobility rule: candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting organization for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date.
  • Candidates must demonstrate that their ability to understand and express themselves in both written and spoken English is sufficiently high for them to derive the full benefit from the network training. A minimum of B2 (upper intermediate) is required, but recruiting organizations might have higher requirements.

Profile

Background and experience

RESCUE brings together PhD projects that aim to advance the use of geophysical methods for soil and groundwater contamination and remediation. While the scientific focus and required expertise vary across projects, successful candidates are expected to contribute to the interdisciplinary objectives of the network and be motivated to work at the interface between geophysics and environmental engineering.

Applicants should hold a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline, including geophysics, geology, geosciences, environmental, bioscience or civil engineering, environmental sciences, physics, chemistry, biology, agronomy, computer science, data science, economics, or a related field.

Depending on the specific PhD project, applicants may have a background in, or knowledge of, several of the following areas:

  • geophysical methods and data analysis;
  • soil and groundwater contamination and remediation;
  • environmental chemistry, biogeochemical processes, plant sciences, agronomy and phytomanagement;
  • modelling and quantitative analysis of environmental and geophysical data, including inversion, uncertainty quantification, physics-based and data-driven modelling, and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML);
  • sustainability, socio-economic, policy and legal aspects of soil and groundwater remediation.

Experience with scientific programming (e.g. Python, R, or MATLAB), quantitative data analysis and modelling is considered an asset. Depending on the PhD project, experience with laboratory experiments or field investigations may also be advantageous.

Skills and attitudes

Successful candidates should be motivated to conduct high-quality research in an international, interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral environment. They should be able to work both independently and as part of a collaborative research team and demonstrate intellectual curiosity, adaptability, and openness to new concepts and methodologies.

Candidates are expected to possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and a structured approach to research. Good communication skills, including scientific writing and presentation skills in English, are essential, as is the ability to engage with both academic and non-academic stakeholders.

Given the diversity of the RESCUE PhD projects, the relative importance of different areas of expertise, technical skills and prior experience varies between positions. Applicants are therefore encouraged to consult the detailed project descriptions and contact the indicated supervisor(s) for project-specific information.

Relevant Documents

  • Read the Guide for Applicants for more information on the employment conditions, recruitment and selection procedure.

How to apply?

  • Complete the Application Form before 12th of July 2026, 23:59 CET and upload the requested documents (language certificate, undergraduate and graduate transcripts, CV).
  • For questions on the PhD topics, please contact the Supervisor mentioned.
  • Only duly completed forms will be taken into account. Applications submitted by e-mail will not be considered.
  • Recruitment is conditional on the signature of the MSCA Doctoral Network Grant Agreement, foreseen by the end of July.