« EU-DOCS for SmUCS » – MSCA COFUND

Key elements of the “EU-DOCS for SmUCS” program

The program is designed to provide interdisciplinary training for doctoral students, based on the combined strengths of its European and international partners, and involves the joint supervision of theses by La Rochelle Université and its academic partners. Each doctoral student will benefit from double supervision and a diploma awarded by two universities, reinforcing scientific cooperation and the international skills of students.

This program is based on three fundamental principles:

• Cotutelles thesis: it emphasizes the importance of cotutelle theses in developing the international skills of doctoral students and strengthening scientific cooperation. Each doctoral student will be enrolled at two universities (La Rochelle Université and a partner university), with joint supervision, leading to a double doctoral degree. Candidates will be recruited by La Rochelle Université for the duration of their thesis.
• Excellence and interdisciplinarity: the aim is to select 17 doctoral students via two calls for applicants (in 2025 and 2026), with a focus on excellence and interdisciplinarity. PhD students will be trained to tackle societal challenges through interdisciplinary events and a 3-month secondment to a non-academic partner to ensure an intersectoral approach.
• Transversal skills: the program offers a complete training program in transversal skills, based on the European principles of innovative doctoral training and covering the essential skills required of researchers throughout their career. In collaboration with the EU-CONEXUS European Alliance’s doctoral training offer, doctoral students will benefit from a unique European perspective on these essential skills.

This work has benefited from State aid managed by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche under the Plan France 2030, bearing the reference ANR-21-EXES-0010 and is co-funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon Europe programme, Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions call COFUND 2023 and under the Grant Agreement N°101179124.

Timeline of the first call

This program is being launched in two stages:

• In the first phase, thesis topics are to be submitted by the research teams.
• In a second phase, the eligible thesis offers will be circulated so that candidates can apply.