14 MSCA-Funded PhD Positions Open at PSL University in Paris for 2027

Université PSL in Paris is recruiting 14 doctoral researchers for the first cohort of PRISM, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND doctoral programme focused on sustainable soft matter and the environmental transition. Applications are open until 31 October 2026, with all selected researchers expected to begin their PhDs on 1 March 2027.

Rather than receiving a conventional doctoral scholarship, each successful candidate will be employed in France under a three-year work contract. The package includes a gross monthly salary of €2,743, corresponding to approximately €2,200 net before income tax, full reimbursement of doctoral tuition fees, health and social-security coverage, public-transport support and additional funding for research training and conferences.

The call is open internationally across projects in chemistry, physics and engineering. Research topics range from CO₂ capture and valorisation to recyclable polymers, critical-metal recovery, micro- and nanoplastics, seawater CO₂ removal, electrolysis and sustainable functional materials. Candidates can apply for as many as five of the 14 projects and rank them in order of preference.

PRISM PhD positions in brief

• University: Université PSL
• Programme: PRISM — PhD Research Programme for International Training in Sustainable Soft Matter
• Country: France
• Location: Paris
• Academic level: PhD
• Positions available: 14
• Funding: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND
• Employment: Three-year French employment contract
• Gross salary: €2,743 per month
• Approximate net salary: €2,200 per month before income tax
• Tuition fees: Fully reimbursed
• Public transport: 75% reimbursement
• Nationality: All nationalities
• English: Minimum C1
• French: No minimum level required
• Application deadline: 31 October 2026
• PhD start: 1 March 2027

PRISM is funded through the European Union’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND scheme under Grant Agreement 101261637 and is led by Université PSL, with ESPCI Paris–PSL responsible for its implementation.

What is the PRISM doctoral programme?

PRISM brings together research in physics, chemistry, biology and engineering around one central problem: how soft-matter science can contribute to technologies needed for the environmental transition.

Soft matter includes materials and systems such as polymers, colloids, foams, gels, liquids and biological materials whose properties sit between those traditionally associated with rigid solids and simple liquids. Research in this area can be applied to problems ranging from carbon capture to recycling, energy conversion and industrial processes.

The programme is organised around four broad scientific themes:

• environmentally friendlier chemical processes;
• circular-economy technologies;
• new concepts for renewable energy;
• carbon capture, storage and valorisation.

PRISM will ultimately recruit 30 doctoral researchers through two calls, with 14 positions forming the first cohort beginning in 2027.

The research environment spans multiple PSL institutions and laboratories, including teams associated with ESPCI Paris–PSL, École normale supérieure–PSL, Chimie ParisTech–PSL, Mines Paris–PSL and Collège de France.

The 14 PhD projects available for 2027

Applicants are not competing for a single generic doctoral place. The call contains 14 defined research projects, divided mainly across engineering, physics and chemistry.

Engineering

AIM-CO₂ — AI-assisted high-pressure microfluidics for CO₂ capture, transport and utilization

This project combines microfluidics, high-pressure systems and artificial intelligence to study and improve processes related to carbon capture and utilisation.

Physics

BUBBLE-AFM — Molecular processes at electrode/electrolyte interfaces during water electrolysis

The project examines molecular behaviour at electrochemical interfaces, including solvent restructuring and the formation of nanobubbles during electrolysis.

NWARPS — Nucleation, Wetting, Adhesion, and Rheology of Polymeric Surfaces

Research will explore how liquids interact with polymeric surfaces, connecting microscopic polymer properties with nucleation, wetting and adhesion phenomena.

ROOTSTOCK — Plant root development affected by soil mechanical stresses

This project sits at the intersection of physics and biology and investigates how the mechanical properties of soil influence plant-root development.

RubisCO.2 — Engineering new RubisCOs with increased CO₂ catalytic activity

The project focuses on modifying RubisCO enzymes to improve their ability to catalyse reactions involving carbon dioxide.

Chemistry

Nine additional projects are available in chemistry:

• CAPTURE: smart materials for reversible, low-energy CO₂ capture;
• Micado: microdroplet catalysis for CO₂-amine bond formation combined with machine-learning simulations;
• PlasticPhase: effects of micro- and nanoplastics on phase separation and protein aggregation;
• POAT-CO2-V: plasma-driven oxygen-atom transfer for CO₂ valorisation;
• SMART-HAIR: sustainable multifunctional responsive treatments for hair;
• SOFTMAT4MET: soft-matter systems for selective recovery of critical metals;
• STREAM: seawater treatment for CO₂ removal using electrochemical microelectrode arrays;
• UltraHighResNMR: high-resolution proton NMR applied to solvate ionic liquids;
• WISELY: new chemistries for recyclable polymer design.

Candidates may select up to five projects in the same application and place them in order of preference.

That possibility is particularly useful for applicants whose background overlaps several areas of chemistry, physics, materials science or chemical engineering.

Salary and employment conditions

Each PRISM doctoral researcher will be recruited under a 36-month French employment contract.

The salary is €2,743 gross per month, producing an estimated €2,200 net monthly salary after mandatory social contributions but before French income tax. The final amount received after income tax depends on the researcher’s individual tax situation.

The employment package also includes:

• health insurance and French social-security coverage;
• full reimbursement of doctoral tuition fees;
• reimbursement of 75% of a public-transport pass;
• possible family and mobility allowances depending on individual circumstances;
• partial reimbursement of supplementary health insurance;
• financial support for international research training;
• conference funding;
• contributions toward research expenses.

The distinction between gross salary, net salary and income after tax is important. The frequently quoted €2,200 figure is not the final post-tax amount: French income tax can still be withheld from it.

International research training is built into the PhD

PRISM is not designed solely around laboratory research.

Each doctoral researcher will follow a structured training programme combining scientific courses with professional and transferable skills. Training covers soft matter, ecological transition, career development, communication, research ethics, Open Science, grant preparation, innovation and entrepreneurship.

A compulsory international secondment of at least one month forms part of the programme. Shorter placements with non-academic and industrial partners are also planned.

Industrial interaction is particularly prominent. PRISM’s network includes companies such as BASF, L’Oréal, Saint-Gobain Recherche Paris, Syensqo and TotalEnergies, although the level and form of industrial involvement differ from one PhD project to another.

Each researcher will also develop an individual career-development plan during the doctorate.

Who can apply for the PRISM PhD positions?

The call is open to applicants of any nationality, but several conditions are mandatory.

A qualifying Master’s degree must already be completed

Candidates must hold a Master’s degree, equivalent degree or postgraduate qualification that formally gives access to doctoral study.

The qualification must have been awarded by the time the application is submitted. Candidates who expect to complete their Master’s only after 31 October 2026 are not eligible for this first call.

Applicants who already hold a doctorate cannot apply.

The specific academic background required then depends on the selected project. A polymer-chemistry project, for example, may seek a different profile from a project centred on physics, microfluidics or biological systems.

The MSCA mobility rule

International eligibility does not mean that every candidate currently based in France can apply.

Applicants must comply with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie mobility rule.

They must not have resided or carried out their main activity—such as work or study—in France for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately preceding the 31 October 2026 deadline.

A candidate who has spent most of the previous three years studying or working in another country will therefore generally satisfy this condition. A candidate who has already lived or studied in France for substantially longer than 12 months during that reference period may not.

Applicants must sign a mobility-rule declaration as part of their application.

English requirements

A minimum C1 level of English is mandatory.

Candidates who are not native English speakers must provide evidence of C1 proficiency with their application. Interviews are also conducted entirely in English.

There is no minimum French-language requirement for admission to PRISM.

This makes the programme accessible to candidates who have not previously studied or worked in France, although learning French can naturally be useful for everyday life. French-language courses are among the integration services available to incoming researchers.

Documents required for the application

Applications must be completed in English and submitted online before the deadline.

The application package includes:

• a copy of the qualifying Master’s or equivalent degree;
• academic transcripts or grades covering the previous three years;
• an international CV;
• a cover letter;
• proof of C1 English for non-native speakers;
• two confidential reference letters;
• a signed MSCA mobility-rule declaration;
• relevant additional documents such as distinctions, prizes or awards where applicable.

Documents originally issued in another language must be translated into English by the awarding institution or by a certified or sworn translator.

The two referees upload their letters themselves. Applicants provide their contact information in the application system, after which each referee receives an invitation to submit the reference confidentially.

What should the cover letter address?

The cover letter carries real weight in the selection process and should go beyond a generic statement of interest.

Candidates are expected to explain how they would approach the selected research project or projects, why PRISM’s international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral structure fits their objectives, how their previous training matches the programme, and where the PhD sits within their longer-term academic or professional plans.

For candidates selecting several projects, the letter therefore needs to show a coherent research profile rather than simply listing unrelated preferences.

How applicants will be selected

PRISM uses a clearly defined multi-stage selection process.

The first stage checks eligibility and whether the application is complete.

Eligible applications then go to independent expert reviewers. The file evaluation is scored out of 100:

• Education: 60 points
• Motivation: 30 points
• Experience: 10 points

Academic background, grades, distinctions and references account for most of the first-stage score.

Candidates need at least 70/100 to progress to the interview. The written evaluation contributes 40% of the final result.

The interview

Shortlisted candidates are interviewed online.

The interview includes a presentation of up to ten minutes followed by questions covering the proposed PhD research and the applicant’s scientific preparation.

Candidates are assessed on:

• Motivation: 40 points
• Scientific excellence: 40 points
• Communication: 20 points

Knowledge of scientific literature related to the chosen project is explicitly evaluated.

A second minimum score of 70/100 is required at interview. The interview contributes 60% of the final selection score, making it more influential than the original application file.

The highest-ranked candidates receive offers, while other successful applicants may be placed on a reserve list.

Project supervisors do not participate in the selection process. Applicants may contact them to ask scientific questions about a project, but doing so does not improve or otherwise affect their evaluation.

PRISM selection timeline

The first call follows this schedule:

• Applications opened: 1 September 2026
• Application deadline: 31 October 2026
• Eligibility results: November 2026
• Application evaluation: December 2026
• Interviews: January 2027
• PhD contracts begin: 1 March 2027

Candidates must be available to begin on 1 March. The programme treats availability on that date as part of the eligibility conditions.

How to apply for the 14 PRISM PhD positions

Applications must be submitted through the PRISM programme platform; applications sent directly to supervisors are not considered substitutes for the online application.

Candidates should first study the 14 projects carefully, check the project-specific academic profile and select up to five positions that match their background.

Because two reference letters and translated academic documents may be required, preparing the application shortly before 31 October 2026 carries an obvious risk of leaving the file incomplete.

The programme does not accept applications submitted after the deadline.

Why PRISM is different from a conventional PhD scholarship

PRISM combines several features that are often advertised separately in European doctoral calls.

The researchers are employees rather than scholarship recipients, tuition fees are reimbursed, international mobility is built into the doctorate, and the programme combines university research with exposure to industrial and non-academic environments.

The ability to compete for up to five projects also gives applicants more flexibility than calls built around a single supervisor and a single vacancy.

For international candidates, however, two eligibility rules require particular attention: the Master’s degree must already be completed by the deadline, and the MSCA mobility rule must be satisfied.

Applications for the 14 positions close on 31 October 2026, with the first PRISM doctoral cohort beginning in Paris on 1 March 2027.