MSCA PF 2026 - Advancing AI-Native Solutions for the Digital Twins of the Ocean

IMT Atlantique; France; Sur place; EUR 60 000 - 80 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A leading French technological university is seeking candidates for a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship in ocean science and artificial intelligence. This position emphasizes developing AI-based solutions for next-generation ocean modeling and forecasting. Applicants should hold a PhD in relevant fields, demonstrate skills in deep learning, and passion for interdisciplinary research. The role offers competitive funding and a chance to work on innovative research while living in France. Candidates must apply before March 15, 2026.

Prestations

Living allowance of €7404/month

Mobility allowance of €710/month

Family allowance of €660/month

Funding for research and training: €1000/month

Qualifications

• PhD in relevant fields like Applied Mathematics or Ocean Science.
• Expertise in deep learning and interdisciplinary research.
• Practical understanding of machine learning.

Responsabilités

• Develop AI-native solutions for ocean modeling and forecasting.
• Tackle challenges in ocean dynamics and data utilization.
• Contribute to scalable demonstrations in ocean science.

Connaissances

Deep learning

Data processing

Modeling

Machine learning

Interdisciplinary research

Formation

PhD in Applied Mathematics, Ocean Science, or relevant field

Description du poste

Organisation/Company IMT Atlantique Research Field Computer science » Modelling tools Mathematics » Applied mathematics Environmental science » Earth science Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions Postdoc Positions Application Deadline 15 Mar 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Paris) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37 Offer Starting Date 1 May 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - MSCA Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship: Apply with IMT Atlantique and join us!

Thinking about your next career step and willing to boost your career?Looking to experience intersectoral, interdisciplinary and international research?Wishing to carry out your research in a placeaddressing industrial, environmental, societal and digital transitions as a priority challenge?

Then apply for a Marie Sklodowska-Curie (MSCA) PostdoctoralFellowship with IMT Atlantique as your host institution!

The MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships (PF) provide funding topromising postdoctoral researchers with a view to develop their academic and transferable skills and enhance their career prospects by moving and working abroad.

By applying with IMT Atlantique you give yourself a chance to join atechnological university ranked among the top 500 universities in the world according to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University's 2026 ranking (top 301-400 for Computer Science, top 201-250 for Engineering, top 301-400 for Physical sciences, and the 124th in the 2026 THE Interdisciplinary Science ranking, and top 51-100 for Data Science and Artificial Intelligencein the 2025 Shangaï ranking. IMT Atlantique is also awarded with the “Bienvenueen France” label, a recognition delivered by Campus France for our capacity to welcome and host international researchersin the best working conditions.

Topic open:

There is a rapidly growing consensus that artificial intelligence—especially deep learning—offers transformative potential for developing next-generation earth system models. Recent breakthroughs, such as neural network-based short-to-medium term weather forecasting (Bi et al., 2023; Lam et al., 2023), demonstrate the remarkable capabilities of AI in this field. However, the application of these innovations to digital twins of the ocean (DTO) remains in its early stages (Wang et al., 2024).

While current ocean forecasting and reanalysis tools deliver valuable insights for global and regional applications, they still fall short of the expectations for true "digital twins" of the ocean. Key challenges include: (i) Limited representation of ocean dynamics, failing to fully capture the complexity of upper ocean-atmosphere interactions and the distribution of plausible states, including extremes; (ii) Underutilization of observational data, as existing systems often do not leverage the full potential of modern and emerging observing technologies; (iii) Computational bottlenecks and compatibility issues, rooted in traditional Fortran-based high-performance computing (HPC) frameworks.

This postdoctoral position aims to tackle these challenges head-on by pioneering novel AI-native solutions. We will focus on developing end-to-end learning schemes that could revolutionize core components of ocean modeling, forecasting, and reanalysis. The successful candidate will contribute to delivering high-impact, scalable demonstrations of these innovations, driving forward the next generation of ocean science and operational applications.

Keywords: Digital Twin of the Ocean (DTO), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Ocean Forecasting & Reanalysis, End-to-End Neural Learning, Observation-Driven and Generative Modelling, Science-driven demonstrations.

We are seeking highly motivated candidates with one of the following profiles:

• Applied Mathematics, Signal Processing, or Computer Vision : A PhD in these fields, combined with demonstrated expertise in deep learning and a passion for interdisciplinary research .
• Ocean Science : A PhD in ocean science, with strong skills in data processing, modeling, and/or data assimilation , and at least a practical understanding of machine learning .

Both profiles should bring a curiosity for bridging disciplines and a drive to innovate at the intersection of AI and ocean science .

Languages ENGLISH Level Good

Research Field Computer scienceEnvironmental science » Earth science

Additional Information

Conditions of the European Fellowship

Duration: 12 to 24 months

Funding for the Postdoctoral Fellow’s salary:

• Living allowance of € 7404* per month (gross amount, including social contributions and income tax)
• Mobility allowance of € 710 per month (gross amount, including social contributions, but exempt from income tax)
• Family allowance of € 660 per month (gross amount, including social contributions and income tax)
• *Taking into account the country coefficient for France: 116,6 %

Funding for research, training and networking (e.g., conferences, courses, travel, lab material…): € 1 000 per month

Training: Training portfolio on transferable skills, including a training module on innovative entrepreneurship

Secondment: An interdisciplinary and/or intersectoral mobility (3 months up to 1/3 of the fellowship’s duration) is encouraged when relevant

Additional benefits:

The Postdoctoral Fellow will receive institutional support and guidance on language courses, accommodation, banking, daycare, schooling & family related issues, entry conditions/visas, health insurance, medical care, taxation/salaries, unemployment, work permit, etc. Accommodation in Brest, Nantes and Rennes can also be facilitated upon arrival, by the International Houses in these cities.

Eligibility criteria

You can apply if:

• You are an Experienced Researcher, i.e. in possession of a doctoral degree at the time of the call deadline and have got a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent experience in research, from the date of the award of your PhD degree.
• You comply with the mobility rule, i.e. you must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in France for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline (9 September 2026). All nationalities are welcome!
• You want to carry out innovative research: only the best proposals will be selected by the European Commission. All domains of research are eligible!
• You already have great achievements in research: The CV is an important criterion in the MSCA application.

Selection process

How to apply for MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship with IMT Atlantique:

Step 1: Find a supervisor at IMT Atlantique (application before 15 March2026)

• Pre-determined topics: If you apply to one or two research subject(s) provided by supervisors (please see table2 below), please send us: 1) your CV and 2) a personal statement (maximum of 3 pages, free writing), which should include a personal introduction, qualifications and achievements, career development objectives, and general motivation.
• OR Open topics: If you want to propose a research topic that is not on the list, please send us: 1) your CV; 2) a personal statement (see above); 3) a two-page work plan proposal.

If your application is selectedby a supervisor at IMT Atlantique (Feedback: End of March 2026), then, the next step would be to apply jointly forthe MSCA PFcall2026, which will be launched by the European Commission in April 2026, with the deadline on 9 September 2026.

Step 2: Prepare the application forthe MSCA PF

April 2026

• You will receive detailed information on MSCAPF from the European Project Manager at IMT Atlantiqueto start your proposal preparation
• You elaborate the research approach jointly with your supervisor(s) and the European Project Manager

May 2026

• You will receive a dedicated training session “Preparing for a Horizon Europe MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship” + advice on institutional aspects and transversalissues (open science, gender, ethics and research data management…)+ advice on how to writeyourproposal
• One joint meeting (candidate for fellowship + supervisor(s) + European Project Managerat IMT Atlantique) for the proposal revision

July or August2026

• One joint meeting (candidate for fellowship + supervisor(s) + European Project Managerat IMT Atlantique) for the proposal revision

September 2026

• One joint meeting (candidate for fellowship + supervisor(s) + European Project Manager atIMT Atlantique)for the proposal proofreading
• Administrative support for your MSCA PF application
• We submit your application for you on the EU Portal (deadline: 9 September 2026).