Marie Curie Doctoral Network Offers 15 Fully Funded PhD Positions across Europe

Applications are now open for 15 fully funded PhD positions within the TrackAF Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network, focusing on advancing research and training in atrial fibrillation (AF) — a prevalent cardiac arrhythmia — by exploring atrial cardiomyopathy as a pathway to improved management. This interdisciplinary program spans fields like biomedical engineering, computer science (modeling tools), biological sciences, and health sciences, offering cutting-edge research opportunities across Europe.

The deadline for applications is 12 April 2026, at 23:59 (Europe/Berlin time), with positions starting on 1 September 2026. Fully funded through the EU’s Horizon Europe program, it provides competitive salaries, allowances, and comprehensive training without any application fee. Open to candidates of all nationalities who meet the MSCA mobility rule (not having resided in the host country for more than 12 months in the last three years), this scholarship targets early-stage researchers with a Master’s degree or equivalent, fostering skills in AI, computational modeling, clinical analysis, and wet-lab biology for global impact in cardiac health. You can check out BS, MS, PhD and postdoc positions here.

Key Details:

• Degree Level: PhD
• Host Countries: Multiple locations across Europe, including Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and Austria
• Start Date: 1 September 2026
• Funding Type: Fully funded
• Open to all nationalities
• Application Deadline: 12 April 2026, 23:59

What This Scholarship Offers:

• Living allowance: €4,010/month gross (adjusted by country cost-of-living coefficient)
• Mobility allowance: €710/month fixed (for relocation & travel)
• Family allowance (if eligible): €495/month extra (for marriage/equivalent or dependent children)
• Typical monthly gross total: €4,720–€5,500+ (before taxes/social deductions)
• Full 3-year employment contract: includes health insurance, pension, paid holiday, parental leave, work accident coverage

Also Check: Fully Funded Doctoral Positions at University of Hohenheim, Germany (Fully Funded)

Eligibility Criteria

• Master’s degree or equivalent (at least 5 years of university studies) in a relevant field.
• No prior PhD degree held or formally awarded at the time of recruitment.
• Compliance with the MSCA Mobility Rule: Must not have resided or carried out main activities (work, studies, etc.) in the host country for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before recruitment (short stays like holidays excluded).
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Willingness to travel for at least two secondments and participate in network activities.
• Openness to interdisciplinary collaboration, ranging from wet-lab biology to advanced computational methods and AI.
• Additional project-specific requirements may apply; check individual DC project descriptions for details.
• Candidates may apply before completing their Master’s but must obtain it before the contract starts.

Also Check: CNRS Doctoral Student Scholarship at Côte d’Azur University, France (Fully Funded)

Eligible Research Areas:

• Biological sciences
• Computer science
• Medical sciences

Closely related / interdisciplinary fields that also qualify:

• Biomedical engineering
• AI and machine learning
• Computational biology
• Computational modeling
• Bioinformatics
• Health informatics
• Clinical data analysis
• Biotechnology

Also Check: Utrecht University, Netherland PhD Scholarships 2026 (Fully Funded)

Available PhD Positions

• DC1: Multimodal AF risk analysis and prediction of ACM in deep-phenotyped clinical cohorts (Host: Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany)
• DC2: Democratising atrial substrate assessment: enter the P-wave! (Host: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany)
• DC3: Role of mechanosensitive channels in fibrosis and inflammation (Host: Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Germany)
• DC4: Beyond substrate. Simulation of AF triggers and the effect of lifestyle choices (Host: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany)
• DC5: Predict AF. An anatomically informed surrogate model of AF (Host: Università degli Studi di Trento, Italy)
• DC6: Get Connected. Multimodal and multi-centre interoperable stratification of patients with AF (Host: Maastricht University, Netherlands)
• DC7: Generative atrial models. Implicit neural representations of cardiac anatomies (Host: Università degli Studi di Trento, Italy)
• DC8: Sex-specific organoids. Influence of sex and risk factors in the development of AF by using cardiac organoids (Host: Fundación para la Investigación del Hospital Universitario y Politécnico la Fe, Spain)
• DC9: Targeting atrial fibrillation. Personalised ablation with real-time ECGI & mathematical insight (Host: Corify Care, Spain)
• DC10: Long live AI. ML to predict long-term outcomes of patients with AF (Host: Maastricht University, Netherlands)
• DC11: Risk-averse. Assessing early comprehensive AF management using patient-level models of AF patterns and outcomes (Host: Medical University of Graz, Austria)
• DC12: Journey of the heart. A non-invasive look at AF evolution (Host: Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain)
• DC13: Virtual cohorts, real solutions. Improving electro-anatomical mapping technology for better AF diagnosis and treatment (Host: NumeriCor, Austria)
• DC14: Decoding Atrial Cardiomyopathy. A combined molecular data analysis and mechanistic modelling study (Host: Maastricht University, Netherlands)
• DC15: Get on my nerves. Role of autonomic nervous system, age and sex on pulsed field vs. cryoablation treatment outcome (Host: Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain)

For detailed project descriptions, visit TrackAF Project Page.

Also Check: 34 Fully Funded PhD Positions at Scuola Normale Superiore, Italy

How to Apply:

1. Review the positions and select those that match your interests (you can apply to multiple).
2. Download and fill out the application form from the official website.
3. Prepare all required documents as a single PDF.
4. Email your application to: [email protected].
5. Await shortlisting; selected candidates will be invited for online interviews in May 2026, with notifications in June 2026 and hiring in July-August 2026.

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