A new batch of doctoral and research positions has opened across European universities and research centres. The listings below span a wide range of disciplines, from photonics engineering and operations research to immunology, neuroscience, and environmental science, with openings in the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, France, Luxembourg, and Italy. Each entry includes the host institution, research focus, application deadline, and a direct link to apply.
1. PhD on Compact Models of Optical Amplifiers for Photonic Integrated Circuits
Organisation: Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e)
Research field: Electrical Engineering / Electronic Engineering
Country: Netherlands
Deadline: 6 March 2026
Eindhoven University of Technology is recruiting a PhD researcher to develop compact models for optical amplifiers used in photonic integrated circuits. As these circuits become more common in commercial and scientific applications, the demand for computationally efficient yet accurate design models has grown significantly.
The project focuses on Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers built on Indium Phosphide platforms. The researcher will design specialised test structures, define physics-based parametric models for circuit designers, and perform electro-optical measurements to characterise active photonic components. A central task is translating complex device behaviour into simplified models that can be integrated into Process Design Kits. The work connects to wider European photonics initiatives through PITC, JePPIX, and Chips for Europe.
Applications can be submitted through Academic Transfer.
2. PhD Student Position in Operations Research — Joint Ghent University and KU Leuven
Organisation: KU Leuven / Ghent University
Research field: Applied Mathematics
Country: Belgium
Deadline: 1 March 2026
KU Leuven and Ghent University are jointly offering a PhD position in operations research, with a focus on two complementary tracks. The first addresses the practical organisation of teaching — problems like university timetabling, exam scheduling, thesis defence assignments, and student project allocation — with a particular interest in how fairness considerations (such as balancing teacher and student preferences) should be handled algorithmically.
The second track looks at how operations research itself is taught, especially how AI-assisted modelling exercises compare with open-ended ones in developing students’ critical thinking and independent modelling skills. Does training with AI-generated solutions help or hinder a student’s ability to build models from scratch? These are the kinds of questions the project will investigate.
The candidate will be enrolled at Ghent University’s Faculty of Economics and Business Administration and KU Leuven’s Operations Management research group, with the possibility of a joint doctoral degree. The position runs for up to four years. Supervisors include Prof. Dries Goossens, Prof. Jeroen Beliën, and Prof. Liesje De Boeck.
Apply via the KU Leuven job portal.
3. PhD Position in Operations Management
Organisation: KU Leuven
Research field: Informatics / Computer Science
Country: Belgium
Deadline: 22 March 2026
KU Leuven’s Operations Management Research Group is hiring a full-time PhD student to work on integrating human preferences and fairness considerations into scheduling processes. The research applies to areas such as surgery scheduling, patient scheduling, and staff allocation, and will draw on multi-objective optimisation or machine learning approaches to analyse the trade-offs between efficiency and fairness.
The project is supervised by Prof. Laura Maria Poreschack and is based at the Research Centre for Operations Management, with work split between the Brussels and Leuven campuses. The contract begins at one year and may be extended to four years following a positive evaluation. A tentative start date of 15 September 2026 is planned.
Interested candidates can apply through the KU Leuven job portal.
4. PhD Student Position in Operations Research — KU Leuven
Organisation: KU Leuven
Research field: Informatics / Computer Science
Country: Belgium
Deadline: 1 March 2026
This PhD project at KU Leuven tackles the Inventory-Routing Problem with Pickups and Deliveries under conditions of demand and supply uncertainty. The challenge is to jointly optimise inventory and routing decisions across multiple time periods while accounting for the unpredictability inherent in real-world logistics.
The candidate will develop data-driven methods that integrate machine learning with real-time sensor data, working within a Predict-then-Optimize framework. The goal is to generate more accurate demand and supply predictions and feed them directly into optimisation models, improving both cost efficiency and service reliability. The position is supervised by Prof. Jeroen Beliën and Prof. Tias Guns, and is based at the Faculty of Economics and Business in Brussels and Leuven.
Applications should be submitted through the KU Leuven job portal.
5. Joint PhD Position in Urban Green Exposure and Health Analytics
Organisation: KU Leuven / University of Essex
Research field: Ecology / Environmental Science
Country: Belgium
Deadline: 6 March 2026
KU Leuven and the University of Essex are looking for a PhD researcher to join the BRANCH project, which aims to rethink how urban green spaces are measured and linked to health outcomes. Most planning and health indicators still reduce greenery to a simple percentage or vegetation index. BRANCH wants to develop metrics that capture how people actually see, access, and experience urban nature — and whether that exposure translates into measurable health effects.
The candidate will help build a health-oriented typology of urban green, combining ecological characteristics, spatial configuration, and street-level data. A significant part of the work involves linking these exposure metrics to large-scale health datasets, exploring how different kinds of green spaces relate to mental and physical health across population groups. The PhD is jointly supervised by Prof. Ben Somers and Prof. Raf Aerts at KU Leuven, and Dr. Ruoyu Wang at Essex. The candidate will split time roughly equally between both institutions over the four-year period.
Apply via the KU Leuven job portal.
6. Doctoral Students in Immunotechnology (1–2 Positions)
Organisation: Lund University
Research field: Engineering
Country: Sweden
Deadline: 6 March 2026
The Department of Immunotechnology at Lund University is hiring one to two doctoral students to work in immuno-oncology. The research group focuses on immune cells and their regulation within the tumour microenvironment, developing new immunotherapeutic treatments and building human models for preclinical drug evaluation.
The PhD projects involve using advanced technologies — single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial omics, and spectral flow cytometry — to characterise immune cells in solid tumours. The work includes handling clinical samples such as fresh tumour biopsies and peripheral blood, performing ex vivo functional analyses, evaluating novel treatment strategies, and applying computational approaches to analyse omics data. Studies are conducted in collaboration with clinicians at Skåne University Hospital.
Applications are submitted through Lund University’s recruitment system.
7. Doctoral Student in Immunotechnology — Lymphoma Research
Organisation: Lund University
Research field: Engineering
Country: Sweden
Deadline: 27 February 2026
Lund University is recruiting a doctoral student to investigate the relationship between genetic, soluble, and tumour microenvironment factors in Diffuse Large B-cell lymphomas, with attention to how germline factors influence treatment efficacy and toxicity. The project draws on plasma proteomics, genetic and transcriptional analysis of tumour tissue, and spatial molecular and cellular analysis using multiplex immunofluorescence.
The work is carried out in collaboration with Skåne University Hospital and the Nordic Lymphoma Group. National infrastructure through Science for Life Laboratory Sweden will be used to generate molecular data from patient samples. The aim is to identify novel immunotherapeutic targets and explain patterns of response and tolerability to treatment.
Apply through Lund University’s portal.
8. Doctoral Student in Immunotechnology — CAR T-Cell Therapy
Organisation: Lund University Research field: Engineering Country: Sweden Deadline: 27 February 2026
Another doctoral position at Lund University’s Department of Immunotechnology focuses on the biology of response to CAR T-cell therapy in malignant lymphomas. The project has three main areas of interest: early detection of adverse events, factors that influence production success, and biological determinants of treatment response.
The candidate will contribute to point-of-care production and quality control of CAR-T cells at the Skåne University Hospital ATMP centre, and will be connected to the LUCAR-1 clinical trial. The work involves patient data collection using wearables, high-plex flow cytometry, and single-cell molecular analysis via the Beacon Discovery platform.
Interested applicants can apply via Lund University’s system.
9. Neuroscience Researcher — Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Plasticity
Organisation: CNRS — Institut Interdisciplinaire de Neurosciences
Research field: Biological Sciences / Neuroscience
Country: France
Deadline: 28 February 2026
The Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience (IINS) in Bordeaux, a joint CNRS–University of Bordeaux unit, has an opening for a researcher to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the late phase of long-term potentiation (LTP), a process central to learning and memory.
The project is built around an innovative technique called Timelapse-Patch-Seq (TiPS), which combines electrophysiology, 3D imaging, and transcriptomics at the level of individual synapses. The researcher will perform patch-clamp recordings on organotypic hippocampal slices, conduct longitudinal experiments to monitor synaptic function and structure, and use real-time 3D imaging to visualise pre- and post-synaptic elements. On the analytical side, the role involves extracting and analysing single-cell transcriptomic data and integrating electrophysiological, morphological, and molecular datasets.
Applications can be submitted through the CNRS recruitment portal.
10. PhD Student in Molecular Evolution
Organisation: Uppsala University
Research field: Biological Sciences
Country: Sweden
Deadline: 2 March 2026
Uppsala University’s Department of Cell and Molecular Biology is offering a fully funded four-year PhD position in the Molecular Evolution programme, supervised by Jennifer James. The project examines how different types of mutations — particularly copy number variants (CNVs) — affect population fitness. While most current analyses focus on single nucleotide polymorphisms, CNVs are genomic regions of intermediate size that vary in repeat number across individuals and remain understudied.
The work is entirely computational. The candidate will build bioinformatics pipelines to identify and characterise CNVs across species, calculate population genetics summary statistics, and conduct comparative genomics analyses to assess how different mutation types influence fitness and evolve over time. Specific research directions will be developed collaboratively based on findings and the candidate’s interests.
Apply through Uppsala University’s recruitment system.
11. PhD Candidate on The Future of Mixed Methods Research / Junior Lecturer in Methodology and Statistics
Organisation: Tilburg University
Research field: Psychology
Country: Netherlands
Deadline: 27 February 2026
Tilburg University is combining a PhD track with a teaching role in its Department of Methodology and Statistics. The doctoral research addresses the future of mixed methods in psychology — an area where uptake is growing but where rigour, openness, and scalability remain underdeveloped.
The project has several angles. One involves reinterpreting open science principles through a mixed methods lens and building tools to help researchers open their mixed methods pipelines. Another looks at integrating natural language processing and computational data with traditional qualitative approaches. The candidate will also conduct empirical evaluations in two case studies: using mixed methods for real-world evidence, and applying them to advance experience sampling methodology. Supervision is provided by Dr. Tamarinde Haven, Dr. Marie Stadel, and Dr. Caspar van Lissa. The teaching component involves tutorials and lectures across bachelor’s and master’s programmes.
Applications are accepted through Academic Transfer.
12. Doctoral Researcher in Atmospheric Aerosol Physics and Chemistry
Organisation: University of Eastern Finland
Research field: Chemistry / Physics
Country: Finland
Deadline: 2 March 2026
The University of Eastern Finland (Kuopio campus) is hiring a doctoral researcher within the Finnish Centre of Excellence in Anthropocenic Chemical Ecology of Forests (ACE-Forest). The position sits in the Aerosol Physics Research Group at the Department of Technical Physics.
The candidate may focus on one or both of two research tracks: characterisation of biogenic volatile organic compounds and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) chemistry, or characterisation of SOA particle deposition and fluxes onto forest vegetation. Day-to-day work can include identifying stress-induced VOC precursors, studying the kinetic formation of SOA, carrying out experiments in atmospheric simulation chambers, participating in field campaigns, or modelling SOA formation and deposition processes. The position runs from April 2026 through December 2028.
Submit your application through the University of Eastern Finland portal.
13–14. Doctoral Researchers in Chemical Ecology and Plant Ecophysiology (2 Positions)
Organisation: University of Eastern Finland
Research field: Agricultural Sciences / Environmental Science
Country: Finland
Deadline: 2 March 2026
Two doctoral positions are available at the University of Eastern Finland’s Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, also under the ACE-Forest Centre of Excellence. Both focus on chemically mediated interactions in boreal forests.
Position 1 investigates plant-plant interactions in mature trees — primarily Scots pine or silver birch — with fieldwork as the main activity. The candidate will use a mobile elevated working platform to access trees from canopy to ground, studying the chemical species that mediate tree-to-tree signalling and how these interactions vary along the vertical trajectory of a forest. Key analytical tools include GC-MS, PTR-MS, and infrared gas analysis.
Position 2 examines how climate change and environmental pollution affect tritrophic interactions (plant–herbivore–natural enemy) in boreal forest model systems. The work involves manipulative experiments combining volatile collection and analysis, electroantennography, olfactometry tests, and field observations, including maintaining insect colonies.
Both positions run from April 2026 to December 2028. Applicants should indicate their preferred position. Apply through the UEF recruitment system.
15. PhD in Pain Modulation via Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Organisation: University of Luxembourg
Research field: Educational Sciences / Psychology
Country: Luxembourg
Deadline: 6 February 2027
The University of Luxembourg has a doctoral position open on pain modulation through transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS). Through a series of laboratory studies, the candidate will systematically test the efficacy and mechanisms of taVNS on experimental pain in healthy participants.
The research involves monitoring autonomic nervous system activity (heart rate, electrodermal activity), assessing psychological factors, and using a comprehensive battery of pain measurements across different modalities. The candidate will work within the Stress, Pain, and Gene-Environment Interplay research group, based at the Institute of Health and Behaviour, and conduct studies in the Psychobiology of Pain Processing Laboratory (P3Lab). The annual gross salary is EUR 41,976. The contract is for 36 months.
Apply online through the University of Luxembourg HR system.
16. Doctoral Researcher — Uncertainty-Aware Machine Learning Force Fields
Organisation: University of Luxembourg
Research field: Physics / Computer Science
Country: Luxembourg
Deadline: 6 February 2027
The University of Luxembourg is offering a fully funded PhD within the FNR-funded UMLFF project, situated in the Theoretical Chemical Physics group led by Prof. Alexandre Tkatchenko and supervised by Dr. Igor Poltavskyi.
Machine-learning force fields (MLFFs) have transformed atomistic simulations by offering quantum-chemical accuracy for large systems, but they currently lack reliable uncertainty estimates, which limits error detection and automation. This project aims to develop next-generation MLFFs with built-in uncertainty predictions. The candidate will work on implementing uncertainty-aware loss functions, detecting extrapolation and low-reference regimes, building general-purpose uncertainty-aware MLFF architectures, and integrating these into active learning frameworks. The work spans physics, chemistry, and machine learning. The contract runs 36 months, with an annual gross salary of EUR 41,976.
Applications are accepted through the University of Luxembourg HR portal.
17. Doctoral Researcher — In Vitro Modelling of Neurodegeneration
Organisation: University of Luxembourg (LCSB)
Research field: Life Sciences / Neuroscience
Country: Luxembourg
Deadline: 6 February 2027
The Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), a research centre at the University of Luxembourg specialising in neurodegenerative diseases, is hiring a doctoral researcher to study how altered stress granule dynamics and biomolecular condensates contribute to Parkinson’s disease co-pathologies.
The project uses human midbrain assembloid models derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The candidate will differentiate and characterise these assembloids, apply stress paradigms, analyse stress granules and membraneless organelles using imaging, quantify α-synuclein pathology, and participate in single-cell RNA-seq and proteomic experiments. The contract is for 36 months with an annual gross salary of EUR 41,976.
Apply via the University of Luxembourg HR system.
18. PhD Position on the Affective and Discursive Governance of Teach for All
Organisation: KU Leuven Kulak
Research field: Education
Country: Belgium
Deadline: 26 March 2026
KU Leuven Kulak in Kortrijk is recruiting a PhD candidate to study how education policies travel across borders, using Teach for All as a case study. The project is less concerned with structural or economic explanations of policy diffusion and more with how organisations like Teach for All mobilise affect — hopes, fears, aspirations — and particular orientations to teaching that encourage people to support, promote, or resist specific policies.
The work combines theory development with qualitative fieldwork in the Belgian and French contexts. Supervision is shared between Eline Vanassche at KU Leuven Kulak and Mathias Decuypere at PH Zürich. The appointment is initially for one year, extendable to four years following positive evaluation, and takes the form of a non-taxable fellowship.
Applications should be submitted online by 26 March 2026 via the KU Leuven job portal.
19. Researcher Position — Solid-State Phase Change Materials for Nanoelectronics (SPARK-e)
Organisation: Istituto SPIN, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)
Research field: Physics / Engineering
Country: Italy
Deadline: 7 March 2026
The CNR’s SPIN Institute in L’Aquila has an opening for a researcher under the EIC Pathfinder-funded SPARK-e project, which investigates solid-state phase change materials for advanced energy recovery and thermal control in electronics.
The position involves developing atomistic ab-initio simulations and machine learning models to study phonon transport, phase transitions, and structural optimisation of phase change materials for nanoelectronics applications. This is an EU Horizon Europe-funded role.
Applications are submitted through the CNR online selection system.
20–21. Fixed-Term Researcher Positions (2 Positions)
Organisation: University of Macerata
Research field: Education
Country: Italy
Deadline: 21 February 2026
The University of Macerata’s Department of Education, Cultural Heritage, and Tourism is reopening applications for two fixed-term researcher positions. Full details regarding functions, participation requirements, the selection timetable, and candidate obligations are available in Rector’s Decree no. 271 (4 June 2025), which can be downloaded from the university’s website.
Further information and application instructions are available on the University of Macerata website.
22. Technologist — Drones, Advanced Air Mobility, and Contract Logistics Research
Organisation: Politecnico di Milano
Research field: Engineering
Country: Italy
Deadline: 9 March 2026
Politecnico di Milano’s Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering is recruiting a technologist on a 30-month fixed-term contract. The role is tied to activities within the Observatory on Drones and Advanced Air Mobility and the Observatory on Contract Logistics, along with related funded projects.
This is a full-time position (36 hours per week) governed by Art. 24 bis of Law 240/2010. The technologist will be responsible for research activities closely connected to both observatories.
Details about the selection process are available on the institution’s website. The work location is Milan.
23. ATER Position — Philosophy
Organisation: Université Paris 8
Research field: Philosophy
Country: France
Deadline: 9 March 2026
Université Paris 8 (Saint-Denis) has an ATER (Attaché Temporaire d’Enseignement et de Recherche) opening in Philosophy. ATER positions combine teaching and research duties and are typically held by doctoral candidates or recent graduates. Full details and application procedures are managed through the French Ministry’s GALAXIE portal.
Apply via GALAXIE.
24. ATER Position — Architecture, Applied Arts, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, and Music
Organisation: Université Paris 8
Research field: Arts
Country: France
Deadline: 9 March 2026
Université Paris 8 is also recruiting an ATER in the broad field of architecture, applied arts, visual and performing arts, and music. As with all ATER positions at French universities, applicants must apply through the national GALAXIE system.
Apply via GALAXIE.
25. ATER Position — Computer Science
Organisation: Université Paris 8
Research field: Computer Science
Country: France
Deadline: 9 March 2026
An ATER position in computer science is available at Université Paris 8, Saint-Denis. The role involves both teaching and research responsibilities.
Apply through GALAXIE.
26. ATER Position — Epistemology, History of Science and Technology
Organisation: Université Paris 8
Research field: History of Science
Country: France
Deadline: 9 March 2026
Université Paris 8 has opened an ATER position in epistemology and the history of science and technology, based at its Saint-Denis campus.
Apply via GALAXIE.
27. ATER Position — Education Sciences
Organisation: Université Paris 8
Research field: Education
Country: France
Deadline: 9 March 2026
An ATER position in education sciences is open at Université Paris 8.
Apply through GALAXIE.
28. ATER Position — Arts (Second Opening)
Organisation: Université Paris 8
Research field: Arts
Country: France
Deadline: 9 March 2026
A second ATER position in the arts — covering architecture, applied arts, visual and performing arts, and music — is available at Université Paris 8.
Apply via GALAXIE.
29. ATER Position — Psychology and Ergonomics
Organisation: Université Paris 8
Research field: Psychology
Country: France
Deadline: 9 March 2026
Université Paris 8 has an ATER opening in psychology and ergonomics.
Apply via GALAXIE.
30. ATER Position — Sociology, Demography
Organisation: Université Paris 8
Research field: Sociology
Country: France
Deadline: 9 March 2026
The final opening in this batch is an ATER position in sociology and demography at Université Paris 8.
Apply through GALAXIE.
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