Heidelberg University receives 17 million euros for innovative doctoral student networks!

Heidelberg University receives 17 million euros for innovative doctoral student networks!

The European Commission recently launched four new cross-country and cross-institutional Doctoral Networks, in which Heidelberg University is significantly involved. These initiatives fall under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) program, which aims to train highly qualified doctoral students in Europe and prepare them for careers in science and business. A total of over 17 million euros are reserved for a funding period of four years to work on innovative scientific topics and promote interaction between various academic and non-academic partners. According to information from uni-heidelberg.de Research at Heidelberg University therefore remains at a high international level.

A main network coordinated by Heidelberg University focuses on materials science, particularly the development of new organic semiconductors. There are also three other networks in which Heidelberg scientists are active. These networks are dedicated to high-resolution imaging techniques for research into plant environmental adaptations, optimization in science and business, and the application of artificial intelligence to analyze protein interactions in biological systems.

Detailed grants and networking topics

The doctoral network “Fundamentals and Applications of Doped Organic Semiconductors” (FADOS), led by Prof. Dr. Martijn Kemerink, will receive around 4.7 million euros to investigate the effects of doping organic semiconductors on their material properties. Another network, AGILE, which deals with plant adaptations to environmental influences, will receive around 4.1 million euros. It is coordinated at the CNRS Institut de Génétique, Reproduction et Développement in Clermont-Ferrand. The ALMOA network, with a budget of around 3.9 million euros, focuses on optimization problems in science and business and is based at the University of Klagenfurt. Finally, the ProtAlomics network, coordinated at the Center for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona, ​​is funding the use of artificial intelligence in computer-aided proteomics with around 4.6 million euros. In addition, the “Macrophage Targets for Metastatic Treatment” (Mac4Me) network was launched in November 2024, which received almost 4.1 million euros and is based at the Erasmus Universitair Medical Center in Rotterdam.

The MSCA Doctoral Networks will be integrated across all scientific disciplines, including engineering and ICT, life sciences, humanities and social sciences, and chemistry, as described by kooperation-international.de confirmed. The funding approach envisages that doctoral networks are formed through partnerships between universities, research institutions, small and medium-sized companies and other actors. These initiatives aim to increase innovation capacity and improve the long-term employability of participants.

Involvement of the EU and future tenders

In addition to financial resources, support from the European Union also includes living expenses, mobility allowances and additional family and long-term vacation allowances, which are available to researchers during their projects. These networks are part of the EU research framework program Horizon Europe, which will offer new opportunities for applications and participation in doctoral networks in its next call for proposals on May 28, 2025, such as marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu explained. In addition, the MSCA Staff Exchange program will continue to be open to promote joint research programs. In context, it should also be mentioned that special programs such as the “MSCA4Ukraine Fellowship Scheme” support refugee researchers from Ukraine in order to give them equal access to European scientific institutions. This interplay of financial support and international collaborations underlines the importance of the MSCA initiatives for the research dreams of Europeans and beyond.