The UAB has opened the first international call for applications to the PHYNEST doctoral programme, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) COFUND initiative funded under the Horizon Europe framework, where IREC is a partner. The call will be open from 1 January 2026 to 28 February 2026, offering 25 fully funded PhD positions in physics and materials science. The programme is designed to train a new generation of researchers capable of advancing innovative, sustainable solutions for the global energy transition.

Coordinated by Dr. Eva Pellicer, a Full Professor in the Department of Physics at the UAB, PHYNEST aims to train future leaders in advanced materials, innovative strategies and groundbreaking solutions to drive the transition towards a new energy paradigm and promote environmental sustainability.

PHYNEST will be implemented within a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary and innovative scientific ecosystem. Twenty-five doctoral researchers will be co-supervised by the UAB and six leading research institutions from the regional R&D environment: The Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM-CSIC), the Computer Vision Center (CVC), and the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2).

PHYNEST fellows will conduct cutting-edge research in areas such as renewable energy technologies, advanced materials, quantum science, photonics and computational modelling. They will receive 48-month, full-time employment contracts (37.5 hours per week) with a gross monthly allowance of €2,575. In addition to financial support, fellows will benefit from comprehensive scientific and professional training, international mobility opportunities and access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure across the consortium.

The open call is addressed to talented early-career researchers of any nationality, provided they meet the MSCA mobility requirements. Applications are now being accepted until 28 February 2026 through the programme’s online portal. Detailed eligibility criteria, research project descriptions and application guidelines are available on the programme website: https://webs.uab.cat/phynest/.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.