Call for PhD researchers: New cofund project SCHADOC to award 40 fellowships

CIVIS invites aspiring PhDs to check the new project SCHADOC, a cofund doctoral programme hosted at Aix-Marseille University (amU). Designed as an interdisciplinary, intersectoral and international training initiative, SCHADOC is recruiting a total of 40 doctoral fellows during the course of two calls to develop thesis projects in the areas of Societies and Culture, Climate and Environment, Health and well-being, and Artificial Intelligence. The project presents an opportunity for CIVIS students to pursue their PhD training with mobility within the CIVIS universities. For CIVIS academics, it is the chance to promote joint research between the alliance's research laboratories.

SCHADOC is driven by the collective initiative of regional actors’ will to attract talented Early-Stage Researchers (ESR) to the South-East region of France. The programme will upgrade AMU’s doctoral education and research capabilities focusing on strategic axes for advancement and increase employability opportunities for ESR. 

Programme's Objectives:

• to provide the best training environment for the 40 ESRs (professional expertise and personal skills);
• to reinforce the links with international partners, especially with CIVIS partners;
• to support the interdisciplinary dimension of research at amU;
• to strengthen collaboration with socio-economic and cultural partners;
• to develop and promote science-based innovation;

SCHADOC will recruit 40 fellows for 36 months over the course of two calls. They will develop thesis research projects in relation to four thematic axes:

• Societies and culture
• Climate change and environmental challenges
• Health and well-being
• Artificial Intelligence and its applications

Two ways to embark on the programme

The project offers two ways to be embarked on the programme:

1. Bottom-up projects: for students willing to submit their own thesis project. The submission portal is open between 2 December 2024 - 13 January 2025. At this stage, having a supervisor is not required. We will support candidates to find a proper one at amU. Link to participate in the online info session here: webinar 
2. Top-down projects: the project is proposed by a supervisor from amU together with a co-supervisor, potentially from a CIVIS university. The call for projects will open on 6 January 2025, and a call for candidates to apply to these projects will be launched on 3 May 2025.

The fellows will benefit from dedicated training and supervision in the triple I dimension: Interdisciplinarity; Intersectorality; International and graduate in the frame of SCHADOC.

_{Photo: CIVIS Communication Unit}