Looking for a funded PhD in Europe with paid research experience at the European Commission? The JRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) 2026 creates jointly supervised PhD projects between universities or research organisations and the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC). Doctoral researchers selected through approved partnerships receive paid employment while conducting research at a JRC site. The current 2026 Call for Expressions of Interest is open to eligible universities and research organisations, not individual students. Selected Partner Institutions will later recruit JRC PhD candidates for jointly designed research projects across eight scientific collaboration themes.

If you want to pursue a policy-oriented PhD in Europe, this programme is one to watch because it leads to future recruitment for dual PhD positions combining academic research with European policy impact.

JRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership 2026-Overview

Category	Details
Host Region	European Union
Host Organisation	European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC)
Programme	Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) 2026
Degree Level	PhD (Dual Doctoral Projects)
Funding Status	Paid employment during the period spent at the JRC site; salary, necessary training, and work-related travel costs covered by the JRC
Duration at JRC	12–24 months
Application Deadline (Partner Institutions)	25 September 2026, 23:59 CET
Eligible Applicants	Partner Institutions (universities and research organisations)
Future PhD Recruitment	Joint recruitment by the JRC and selected Partner Institutions
Application Method	Online application by eligible Partner Institutions

About the JRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Programme

The European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) created the Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) to establish long-term scientific collaborations with universities and research organisations across Europe. Instead of offering standalone scholarships, the programme enables institutions and the JRC to jointly develop doctoral research projects, supervise PhD candidates together, and strengthen research connected to European policymaking.

Entity Snapshot

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) operates the Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Programme.
Partner Institutions jointly design and supervise dual PhD research projects with the JRC.
The JRC employs doctoral researchers during their stay at JRC facilities.
The CDP Programme supports policy-oriented doctoral research across multiple scientific disciplines.

Important Note for Prospective PhD Applicants

This 2026 Call for Expressions of Interest is not a direct European Commission PhD application for students.

The current call targets:

Universities
Higher education institutions
Research organisations

After selected institutions sign collaboration agreements with the JRC, they will jointly advertise PhD vacancies and recruit doctoral candidates. If you are a future PhD applicant, you should monitor announcements from participating universities and the JRC once projects are approved.

Available Research Themes

The 2026 call includes eight collaboration themes distributed across all scientific directorates of the JRC:

Autonomous discovery for integrated EU policy modelling
Leveraging AI in energy and mobility systems
AI, geospatial intelligence, and environmental policy integration
AI-enabled resilience, security, and sustainable infrastructure
AI and data standards for disease prevention, detection, and treatment
Data-driven and AI-enabled approaches for nuclear science and technology
AI for policy design and evaluation
Complex AI systems evaluation

Each collaboration theme may result in up to four collaborative PhD projects.

Who Can Apply (JRC Dual PhD in Europe eligibility)?

Only eligible Partner Institutions can submit applications during this call. Individual students cannot apply directly at this stage.

Partner Institutions must:

Originate from an EU Member State or a country associated with the current EU Research Framework Programme.
Have administrative authority to sign external agreements.
Be able to host and train PhD candidates.
Be accredited to award doctoral degrees, or have a formal agreement with an accredited doctoral institution.

Applications may also come from groups of researchers within the same institution. The resulting collaboration agreement operates at the institutional level and can support multiple faculties or schools.

PhD Mobility Structure

Doctoral researchers divide their research between two organisations.

They spend:

12–24 months at one of the JRC research sites.
The remaining PhD period at their Partner Institution.

Possible JRC locations include:

Ispra (Italy)
Petten (Netherlands)
Geel (Belgium)
Karlsruhe (Germany)
Brussels (Belgium)
Seville (Spain)

The exact hosting location depends on the approved research project.

How to apply for the JRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership 2026

Step 1: Partner Institution submits the online application.

Apply Now for Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Programme (CDP) in Europe

Step 2: Results announced by December 2026.

Step 3: Partner Institution and JRC define joint PhD projects in Europe for fully funded scholarship for international students.

Step 4: Both parties sign the five-year CDP Agreement.

Step 5: Joint recruitment of doctoral students begins for funded PhD in Europe.

PhD projects typically start with the following academic year, although later starts remain possible.

Careers Help Desk Insights

The current announcement targets institutions rather than students, but it still matters if you plan to pursue a PhD in Europe. Many applicants overlook institutional calls because they focus only on student vacancies. In reality, today’s institutional partnerships become tomorrow’s funded PhD positions.

If your university participates in the CDP, you may later gain access to:

Joint supervision with JRC scientists.
Paid research employment at a European Commission research centre.
International mobility across Europe.
Policy-focused research experience that extends beyond traditional academic PhDs.

Monitoring participating universities after the institutional selection phase could give you an early advantage.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming students can apply directly during this institutional call.
Missing the institutional eligibility requirements.
Waiting until student vacancies appear without following participating universities.
Ignoring the collaboration themes when preparing proposals.
Submitting incomplete institutional applications.

Required Institutional Application

Eligible institutions complete an online application before the deadline. The application evaluates three major areas:

Selection Criterion	Weight
Research Quality	50 points
Collaboration Experience	30 points
Organisational Capacity	20 points

Applicants answer questions aligned with these assessment categories.

Funding and Employment

Although the CDP does not transfer funding between institutions, it provides significant financial support for doctoral researchers while they work at the JRC.

During the JRC placement:

The JRC employs the doctoral student.
The JRC pays the student’s salary.
The JRC covers necessary training.
The JRC covers work-related travel costs.

The Partner Institution finances the doctoral student’s costs during the period spent at the university.

Additional Professional Development

Besides doctoral research, participants become members of the CDP community, which provides opportunities to develop:

Science communication
Knowledge management
Policy engagement
Transferable research skills
Professional networking

The programme specifically aims to strengthen researchers’ understanding of the science-policy interface.

Apply Now-JRC Europe PhD Opportunities

The JRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership 2026 creates long-term research partnerships between European universities and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. Although this call is aimed at institutions, it establishes the pathway for future dual PhD recruitment with paid employment at JRC research sites. If you hope to pursue a policy-oriented doctoral degree in Europe, keep track of participating universities after the institutional selection process. The next recruitment phase will be the opportunity for doctoral candidates to apply.

Official Source: JRC 2026 Call for expressions of interest: Collaborative Doctoral Partnership programme

Frequently Asked Questions

Can individual PhD students apply now?

No. The current 2026 Call for Expressions of Interest is open only to eligible Partner Institutions.

Does the JRC pay doctoral students?

Yes. During the period spent at a JRC site, the JRC employs doctoral students and covers salary, necessary training, and work-related travel costs. The official call does not specify the salary amount.

How long do PhD researchers stay at the JRC?

Between 12 and 24 months. The remaining doctoral research takes place at the Partner Institution.

How many research themes are available?

Eight. The 2026 call covers eight collaboration themes spanning AI, energy, environmental policy, health, nuclear science, resilience, and policy evaluation.