After five years of pioneering research, international collaboration and interdisciplinary training, the CIVIS3i Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme comes to a successful close, leaving behind a lasting scientific legacy and a new generation of researchers equipped to address some of Europe's most pressing societal challenges.
Co-funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (Grant Agreement No. 101034324), and jointly supported by Aix-Marseille Université, Université libre de Bruxelles, Sapienza Università di Roma and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, CIVIS3i has become one of the CIVIS Alliance's flagship research initiatives, demonstrating how European university alliances can foster scientific excellence through collaboration, mobility and innovation.
Building the next generation of European research leaders
Coordinated by Aix-Marseille Université, the programme brought together all 11 CIVIS member universities and 24 non-academic partners, creating an international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral environment for 33 postdoctoral researchers. Through two highly competitive calls, fellows pursued ambitious research across five major societal challenges: Health; Climate, Environment and Energy; Digital and Technological Transformation; Cities, Territories and Mobilities; and Society, Culture and Heritage.
Supported by an overall budget of €4.7 million, CIVIS3i combined scientific excellence with mobility, secondments, international supervision, specialised training and cross-sector collaboration, offering fellows an integrated research experience that extended well beyond their host institutions.
A programme defined by impact
Over five years, CIVIS3i generated an impressive scientific and societal impact. Fellows produced 87 scientific publications, 14 preprints, 2 monographs, 9 book chapters, 5 datasets, 1 software, 1 patent, 2 policy briefs and 5 conference proceedings, while presenting their research at 167 international conferences, workshops and invited lectures and organising 14 international scientific events. Many also supervised Master's and PhD students, secured competitive research funding and progressed to prestigious academic positions across Europe.
Beyond these achievements, the programme reinforced the CIVIS Alliance's research capacity by creating long-lasting collaborations between universities, research infrastructures and non-academic organisations, while strengthening Open Science practices and interdisciplinary knowledge exchange.
Post-docs
Scientific publications
Presentations
International events
Budget
Research without borders
International collaboration was at the heart of the CIVIS3i experience. Every fellowship incorporated mobility, interdisciplinary cooperation and intersectoral exchanges, enabling researchers to undertake secondments at universities, research centres, museums, hospitals, industry partners and public organisations across Europe and beyond.
The fellowship has contributed to increasing my international profile and to strengthening my collaborative networks thanks to the opportunity to join the SU (Stockholm University) and UGR (University of Granada) research groups. This will lead to future collaborative publications and the possibility of joining other UGR projects that are not related to the present fellowship
Similarly, Dr. Daria Dyakonova highlights the programme's broader academic value:
“The CIVIS3i MSCA Fellowship has significantly enriched my research and academic profile, providing opportunities for extensive international collaboration, conference participation, event organization, archival research, and publication development. Over the past two years, I have organised two major academic events, delivered twelve conference presentations (including three invited and two keynote addresses), completed research stays at two prestigious institutions, and advanced multiple publication projects, including a monograph, four peer-reviewed articles, and three edited journal special issues”.
Driving scientific innovation across disciplines
The diversity of research carried out through CIVIS3i reflects the strength of interdisciplinary collaboration across the Alliance. Fellows developed patient-specific computational models to improve the diagnosis of acute myocarditis, advanced transparent electrode technologies for next-generation brain stimulation, investigated mercury dynamics in Arctic marine ecosystems, developed innovative materials capable of removing PFAS ("forever chemicals") from water, reconstructed the artistic legacy of Michelino da Besozzo, and generated new knowledge in ancient DNA, nanophotonics, environmental chemistry, plant biology, archaeology, political science and cultural heritage.
These achievements have already resulted in high-impact publications, new international collaborations, follow-up funding, public engagement initiatives and innovative applications with significant societal relevance.
For Dr. Sumesh Sasidharan, the programme represented both scientific and professional growth:
“It has been a valuable and enriching experience, both scientifically and professionally, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have been part of the CIVIS3i programme. Beyond its scientific outcomes, the fellowship fostered substantial interdisciplinary collaboration, international mobility, advanced technical training and professional development”.
Likewise, Dr. Andreia Rodrigues underlines the programme's contribution to her career development:
This fellowship has expanded my international network, reinforced my scientific independence, and positioned me to lead future research on Hg–Se dynamics in marine ecosystems and their implications for public health and marine resource management
Strengthening the CIVIS research ecosystem
Beyond supporting individual researchers, CIVIS3i has reinforced the research dimension of the CIVIS Alliance by creating a vibrant European network built on excellence, mobility and collaboration. The programme has strengthened institutional partnerships, expanded research infrastructures, promoted interdisciplinary approaches and fostered closer cooperation between academia and society.
Its impact is already visible in the fellows' career progression. Many have secured permanent academic positions, prestigious fellowships and independent research funding, ensuring that the programme's influence will continue well beyond its official lifetime.
As Dr. Anna Delle Foglie reflects:
" Participation in the CIVIS3i Fellowships Programme, following the three pillars of interdisciplinary, international and intersectoral allowed me to enhance my competitiveness, increasing future opportunities to submit other research projects.”
A lasting legacy
Although CIVIS3i officially concludes in 2026, its legacy continues through the achievements of its fellows, its scientific outputs and the international collaborations it has created. More than a successful postdoctoral programme, CIVIS3i has demonstrated how the CIVIS Alliance can connect talent, institutions and expertise to generate research with lasting scientific, societal and European impact.
Additional information can be found below:
visit the Official project website
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No 101034324. This work received support from the French government under the France 2030 investment plan, as part of the Initiative d’Excellence d’Aix-Marseille Université – A*MIDEX.
