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NEWS13 Jan 2020opportunities

12 PhD positions on QUSTEC doctoral training programme in the field of Quantum Science and Technology

eucor

QUSTEC is a doctoral training programme set up by the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) Eucor – The European Campus. The programme offers 39 early stage researcher (ESR) positions and outstanding training opportunities within the field of Quantum Science and Technology, in a highly international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral setting. As of January 7th 2020, 12 positions are still available and can be applied for until March 9th 2020 (17.00, Brussels time). The ESR positions each last 48 months and culminate in the award of a doctoral degree.

The doctoral research will be carried out at one of the following institutions:

QUSTEC aims to address some of the grand challenges in Quantum Science today: The principles of quantum mechanics, which govern physics, chemistry, material science and computing at the atomic scale have already led to a wave of new technologies. In new applications, quantum technologies provide a massive leap that can be a decisive factor for many European industries and markets in the 21st century.

TOPICS and SUPERVISORS

PhD training programme

For each doctoral researcher, QUSTEC will implement a 3-tiered training structure, building on the seven principles for innovative doctoral training. This training is focused on maximizing each ESR’s employability after their training, enabling them to become future research leaders. QUSTEC training is overseen and monitored by an individualised training panel consisting of supervisor, co-supervisor and mentor. Each project includes a secondment to an industrial partner with a duration between 2 and 6 months. The training objectives will be carried out over the course of four years:

  • Four transferable skills trainings (also as part of the respective graduate programmes)
  • (At least) one high level publication and two other dissemination activities (such as conference contributions)
  • Three outreach/public engagement/citizen science/science education activities (such as workshops in schools, press interviews, etc.)

Partners and participating institutions

The project “Quantum Science and Technologies at the European Campus” (QUSTEC) has been selected by the European Commission as a joint international and interdisciplinary doctoral programme in quantum sciences and technologies. The programme is funded for a five-year period with a total amount of 9.1 million euros. In addition to 4.2 million euros from the European Union, there is co-financing from the participating partner organizations as well as from Santander through its own Santander Universities division, the world’s largest private sponsor of higher education according to a UNESCO study. QUSTEC has been launched with the support of the Franco-German University. The QUSTEC programme has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement number 847471.

Our target group are early stage researchers (ESR) with a background in the STEM fields, of all ages and nationalities. For the eligibility criteria, please see below and check the guide for applicants.

Candidates can apply for up to three positions but have to clearly indicate their priority (see specifications in the guide for applicants).

Eligibility criteria

QUSTEC has two eligibility criteria:

  • Level of experience is ‘Early Stage Researcher’, according to the definition in the work programme of the 2018-2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions: Applicants must be, at the date of the respective call deadline of QUSTEC, in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research careers and not yet have been awarded a doctoral degree.
  • Mobility criterion: The applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the future host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the call deadline of QUSTEC. Short stays such as holidays are not taken into account. For refugees under the Geneva Convention, the refugee procedure (i.e. before refugee status is conferred) will not be counted as period of residence/activity in the country of the host organisation.

The QUSTEC programme manager will check the eligibility of submitted applications after the submission deadline.

There are no exceptions to these rules. The call deadline is March 9th 2020, 17.00 Brussels time.

Selection process

The selection process will be carried out in two stages:

  • A written application, counting for 60% of the ranking.
  • An oral application (interview), counting for 40% of the ranking.

Only candidates having passed a combined threshold of 70% in the first phase will be invited to the interview stage. For further details on the selection criteria and process, please see the guide for applicants.

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PhD fellowships MSCA Quantum Science and Technology 2020