Recruitment & Eligibility

BiWPT is looking for talented and motivated candidates with the skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm to help the network make significant research breakthroughs. Doctoral Candidates (DCs) will enrol in PhD degree programmes and be employed for 36 months in a network composed of 8 academic beneficiaries and 7 associated partners.

All information regarding recruitment and eligibility can be found in the official recruitment document.

Recruitment Process & Eligibility

Doctoral Candidate (DC )'s Benefits

DCs will be employed by the host organisation for 36 months. In countries where PhDs typically last longer than 36 months, beneficiaries aim to provide additional funding for the required time to finish the PhD if the DC fulfils all technical requirements at the end of the 36 months.
DCs will receive an attractive salary in accordance with the MSCA regulations for DCs. The gross salary includes a living allowance (approximately € 4000 per month, depending on the applicable EU Country Coefficient), a mobility allowance of approximately € 700 per month, and, if applicable, a family allowance of approximately € 495 per month. These amounts are nominal (gross) amounts, and certain deductions will apply for social security contributions and/or taxes according to the applicable national laws of the country where the recruiting beneficiary is located. The exact (net) salary will be confirmed upon appointment and is dependent on local tax regulations and on the country correction factor (to allow for the difference in cost of living in different EU Member States). Moreover, funding is available for technical and personal skills training and participation in international research events. More details can be found in the individual DC vacancies.
DCs will benefit from the designed training programme offered by the host organisations and the BiWPT consortium.
DCs will participate in two planned secondments as part of the doctoral training programme: an academic secondment at the co-supervising university abroad and an industrial secondment at the mentor’s company.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants can be of any nationality.
Applicants must hold an MSc in the field required for the corresponding vacancy.
DCs must not have a doctoral degree on the date of the recruitment (31 December 2026). Candidates who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible.
Applicants must have the ability to understand and express themselves in both written and spoken English to a level that is sufficiently high for them to derive the full benefit from the network training. Having an official English language skill test (e.g., a TOEFL) is a plus, but not a must.
Applicants must be eligible to enrol in a PhD programme at the host institution.
Applicants must have the necessary academic skills and background to make the success of a doctoral degree.
Applications must comply with the mobility rule: not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status are not taken into account.

Selection process

The selection process consists of a series of teleconference interviews that will be performed by the appointed supervisors according to predefined selection criteria. Note that –for some DC positions– the selection will require further administrative steps in order to comply with the HR regulations of the recruiting institution.

Some key dates:

June - 1 October 2026: Application window for candidates.
June - 1 October 2026: Optional: Online pre-interviews with candidates who meet the profile requirements and have expressed mutual interest in an exploratory conversation (optional, depending on the preferences of the supervisor and doctoral candidate).
1 October 2026: Application deadline for candidates.
Before 16 October 2026: Notification of your selection for the online recruitment event (or an unsuccessful outcome). Selected candidates also receive additional information on the small scientific task they need to present during the recruitment event in November.
2 - 13 November 2026: Online recruitment event. Selected candidates provide a 10-minute presentation and are interviewed by the Recruitment Committee. Moreover, candidates will be asked questions about the earlier received scientific task during the interview to check if the candidate has the right background/profile for, and a good view on, the DC position(s).
Before 19 November 2026: Notification of selection for a specific DC position.
1 January – 1 September 2027: Targeted starting period for DC contracts. Please note that 1 January 2026 will be too short notice for most vacancies. A feasible start date will be determined in consultation with the supervisor.

Please note that if not all 15 DC positions are filled during the Online Recruitment event, recruitment will continue in a more decentralised manner: the relevant supervisors may continue searching for suitable candidates in coordination with the consortium.