3rd CALL for application for Horizon Europe MSCA-Cofund CHORAL - 14 PhD Positions in Cultural H[...]

Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour; France; Sur place; EUR 30 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A prominent French university is offering a fully funded PhD position in cultural heritage through the CHORAL programme. Candidates will receive high-quality training, complete their PhD under joint supervision, and gain international research experience. Applicants must hold a relevant Master's degree and demonstrate proficiency in English. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to addressing cultural challenges through interdisciplinary research.

Prestations

Fully funded PhD for 3 years

Mobility and conference allowances

Personalised career development plan

Qualifications

• Candidates must not already possess a doctoral degree at the call deadline.
• Proficiency in English is required for non-native speakers.
• Candidates must hold a valid identity card or passport.

Responsabilités

• Participate in interdisciplinary research addressing cultural heritage.
• Complete a PhD under joint supervision with international mobility.
• Develop a Personalised Career Development Plan.

Connaissances

Research training in cultural heritage

Interdisciplinary research

English proficiency

Formation

Master’s Degree in Social Science, Arts, Architecture or Humanities

Description du poste

Organisation/Company Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour Department Centre des Etudes Doctorales Research Field Anthropology Architecture Arts Cultural studies Computer science Economics Environmental science Geosciences History Information science Engineering Juridical sciences Literature Management sciences Sociology Political sciences Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country France Application Deadline 17 Jan 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Paris) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Sep 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe – COFUND Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number 101126643 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

As part of the UNITA Alliance, 14 excellent Doctoral Candidates (DCs) will enrol the CHORAL programme in cultural heritage.

Coordinated by the Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, France, CHORAL (Cultural Heritage Outreach in RomAnce Languages) is a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska Curie programme co-funded by the European Union. This prestigious programme is linked to Cultural Heritage Hub, an international research network within the Alliance, which structures its research ecosystem facing cultural related challenges.

CHORAL aims to train high-quality international researchers and to nurture the development of interdisciplinary, international and inter-sectoral research that addresses any aspect of cultural heritage. While rooted in cultural heritage, the programme spans a wide range of scientific domains, including architecture, anthropology, arts and culture, computer science, history, literature, linguistics, management, and more.

Selected candidates will be enrolled in PhD programmes under joint supervision, awarding a double degree and requiring international mobility.

Applications are open until January 17, 2026 for 14 grants on 20 PhD topics in 6 universities of the UNITA Alliance:

Funding : 3-years fully funded PhDs, starting in Autumn 2026.

Why Pursue a CHORAL PhD?

• High-Quality Training: Receive expert-led research training through the UNITA Alliance’s dedicated Cultural Heritage Hub, encompassing diverse fields within and beyond cultural heritage.
• Comprehensive Support: Benefit from dedicated guidance from the initial stages of your PhD to professional integration.
• Transformative Impact: Contribute to the socio-economic and cultural transformation of rural and cross-border mountain territories.
• Financial Support: Includes travel, mobility, and research costs.
• Double Degree: Graduate with a double degree from two European universities.

On the deadline of the call, the candidate must be a doctoral candidate, i.e not already in possession of a doctoral degree, but in possession of a Master’s Degree enabling to do a PhD in Social Science, Arts, Architecture and Humanities applied to cultural heritage.

Any candidate in possession of the required diploma can apply regardless of the year of obtention of the diploma.

Specific Requirements

Researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 3 years preceding the date of the call deadline. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not considered.

Applicants who are non-native speakers of English are required to provide proof of proficiency in the language, as CHORAL’s working language is English.

Candidates must be in possession of valid identity card (for EU citizens) or a valid passport (for visa application, if selected).

The call is open to researchers of any nationality.

Languages ENGLISH Level Good

Additional Information

CHORAL fellows will benefit from the following advantages:

The monthly gross salary will depend on the recruiting country. The following list presents an indicative gross salary after employers' taxation, provided as guidance. The salary gross amount may be subject to changes corresponding to taxes increases/decreases.

The net salary amount may be subject to changes and corresponding personal tax position.

Mobility

All the CHORAL doctoral candidates will be associated to 2 universities in the UNITA Alliance awarding the PhD co-diploma complemented by short stays with associated partners. The proposed combination of secondments and short stays promotes mobility and exposes CHORAL doctoral students to different research environment. Indeed, during the 36 months PhD programme, each doctoral candidate will have to spend at least 9 months outside their recruiting university, including at least 6 months in the co-supervising university. The other 3 months can also be spent in another entity increasing the international exposure of the doctoral candidates.

Mobility allowance up to 4500€ over the 3-year period to partially cover travels, accommodation, etc. linked to secondments for the project duration.

Conference allowance up to 3500€ over the 3-year period of the PhD, to cover expenses related to the travel for attendance or participation to conferences, workshops.

Research allowance up to 5000€ over the 3-year period of the PhD to cover expenses related to research.

Each doctoral candidate will have a Personalised Career Development Plan (PCDP), which is developed within the first 3 months of the fellowship. The PCDP will address research plan, publication strategy, and career development activities both with regards to scientific and non-scientific skills. CHORAL will help them develop a clear, explicit and relevant professional pathway towards a successful career as research leaders. The PCDP will be reviewed and updated on a regular basis through meetings with the doctoral candidate.

Career opportunities

CHORAL aims at enhancing the career perspectives and employability of the doctoral candidates in line with the Europe Skills Agenda. CHORAL will help to the completion of a PhD in top-level research universities within the worldwide acknowledged MSCA program. CHORAL will give the opportunities to rely on international, intersectoral an interdisciplinary network for future collaborations and opportunities by pushing the doctoral candidates to go beyond their boundaries.

The programme will include training with non-academic partners which will ensure the alignment between employers' needs outside academia and skills development. As a result, they will develop a realistic perspective on the requirements of jobs in such and gain an important understanding of how scientific, experimental knowledge can be applied in non-academic environments. This will contribute to broaden their scientific perspective, increase their skills and innovation capacity as well as their attractiveness towards the private sector.

Eligibility criteria

At the close of the call, the candidate must be a doctoral candidate, i.e not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the deadline of the call, but in possession of a Master’s Degree enabling to do a PhD in Social Science, Arts, Architecture and Humanities applied to Cultural Heritage.

Any candidate in possession of the required diploma can apply regardless of the year of obtention of the diploma.

MSCA rule: Researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, et.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 3 years preceding the date of the call deadline. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not considered.

Applicants who are non-native speakers of English are required to provide proof of proficiency in the language, as CHORAL’s working language is English.

Possibility to apply to 3 PhD topics offered within the call for proposals.

Selection process

The selection process takes place in 3 steps:

1. Eligibility Committee will check the Eligibility criteria.
2. A review panel with three external experts will evaluate the CV, personal statement, marks and reference letters. The best-ranked proposals for each PhD topics will be short-listed for interviews, and applicants will be informed of the output of this step by the PM, via the online platform.
3. The selected applicants will be invited to an online interview which will be evaluated by an interview panel. After all the interviews, a proposal ranking list for each PhD position will be issued, including a principal and a reserve list.

Selections will be made regardless of gender, nationality, religion, ethnicity and cultural background, but aiming for a good balance among the group.

Additional comments

Candidates cannot propose their own subjects nor write a proposal. PhD research topics have been proposed by habilited supervisors from the Doctoral Schools of UPPA and the implementing partners after a call launched towards the academic community of the programme. Candidates must choose among the subjects posted on the CHORAL interface.

Each applicant can apply for 3 subjects MAXIMUM.

The application must be in English and follow the templates provided on the website.