18 PhD Positions across EUROPE 2026 (Fully Funded)

Applications are now open for 18 fully funded PhD positions within the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN) RAPTORplus, focused on advancing right-time adaptive particle therapy for cancer treatment. This interdisciplinary program combines expertise from academia, clinics, and industry to improve efficiency, technology, and personalization in particle therapy (using protons or heavier ions). The positions are available across 16 European institutions, with a starting date in summer 2026. The deadline for applications is February 9, 2026 (CET). Funding is fully provided for 3–4 years (depending on the project), including a competitive monthly salary based on MSCA regulations (living allowance of €4,010/month adjusted by country coefficient, plus mobility and family allowances if eligible). Eligible applicants include candidates of any nationality with a relevant Master’s degree (or equivalent), no prior PhD, and compliance with the MSCA mobility rule (not resided in the host country for more than 12 months in the last 36 months). There is no application fee. You can check out BS, MS, PhD and postdoc positions here.

Key Details

• Program: Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN) RAPTORplus
• Number of Positions: 18 PhD positions
• Field: Adaptive particle therapy for cancer, spanning medical physics, biomedical engineering, computer science, data science, health economics, and related disciplines
• Starting Date: Summer 2026
• Duration: 3–4 years (project-dependent)
• Funding: Fully funded, including salary, tuition, research costs, and mobility support
• Eligibility: Master’s degree holders; no PhD yet; MSCA mobility rule applies; proficiency in English
• Deadline: February 9, 2026 (CET)
• Application Fee: None

What They Offer

RAPTORplus provides a comprehensive package to support your PhD journey and career development:

• Full-time employment with social security coverage and competitive MSCA salary
• Interdisciplinary training through network-wide camps, online sessions, and secondments (up to 12 months) at academic, clinical, and industrial partners
• Access to cutting-edge research in particle therapy, including hands-on experience in clinical workflows, AI, imaging, and biological modeling
• Transferable skills in communication, leadership, and innovation for long-term employability
• Opportunity to join the Marie Curie Alumni Association for global networking
• Additional perks vary by host (e.g., vacation days, health benefits, flexible hours)

Also Check: Fully Funded Doctoral Positions at Max Planck Research School, Germany 2026

Available Projects

Efficiency in Online Adaptive Particle Therapy

• Project 1: Data processing and transfer optimisation for enabling online adaptive particle therapy Host: Cosylab JSC, Ljubljana, Slovenia PhD: University of Ljubljana Secondments: Universidad de Navarra (Spain), Helse Bergen HF (Norway), Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland)
• Project 2: Assessing and improving first online adaptive proton therapy workflows of a clinic-industry consortium Host: OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany PhD: TU Dresden Secondments: Brainlab SE (Germany), Holland PTC (Netherlands), KU Leuven (Belgium)
• Project 3: Reducing the cost of online adaptive proton therapy: automation, workflow & health economics evaluation Host: Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland (3 years) + Erasmus MC (Netherlands) (1 year) PhD: Erasmus MC Secondment: Erasmus MC (Netherlands)
• Project 4: Multimodal early response assessment in radiotherapy Host: Brainlab SE, Munich, Germany PhD: LMU Munich Secondments: University Medical Center Groningen (Netherlands), University of Navarra (Spain), Massachusetts General Hospital (US)
• Project 5: Assessing the benefits of adaptive proton therapy in paediatric patients Host: The University of Manchester / The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK PhD: University of Manchester Secondments: Aarhus University (Denmark), Paul Scherrer Institut (Switzerland), KU Leuven (Belgium)
• Project 6: The benefit of online adaptive proton therapy for paediatric patients Host: Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland PhD: ETH Zurich Secondments: University of Manchester (UK), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (Spain), WPE Essen (Germany)

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Technological Completion for Broad and Safe Use

• Project 7: Novel CBCT designs for online imaging in proton therapy within a breath hold Host: Ion Beam Applications SA, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium PhD: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Secondments: OncoRay (Germany), Brainlab (Germany), LMU Munich (Germany)
• Project 8: Longitudinal CBCT-Based Synthetic CT Assessment: Towards Robust, Quality-Assured and Biomarker-Driven Adaptation Host: University of Bern, Switzerland PhD: University of Bern Secondments: Massachusetts General Hospital (US), Medical University of Vienna (Austria), IBA (Belgium)
• Project 9: AI-Driven Robust Synthetic CT for Adaptive Proton Therapy Host: University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands PhD: University of Groningen Secondments: Politecnico di Milano (Italy), IBA (Belgium), RaySearch Laboratories (Sweden)
• Project 10: Pre-clinical evaluations of a novel, prompt gamma-ray and fast neutron-based treatment verification system Host: Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway PhD: Western Norway University of Applied Sciences Secondments: OncoRay (Germany), University of Navarra (Spain), Cosylab (Slovenia)
• Project 11: Real-time online monitoring techniques for range and dose-guided adaptation in proton therapy Host: LMU Munich, Germany PhD: LMU Munich Secondments: Massachusetts General Hospital (US), Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (Norway), University of Bern (Switzerland)
• Project 12: Benefit of prompt-gamma-based treatment verification to trigger online-adaptive interventions Host: OncoRay, TU Dresden, Germany PhD: TU Dresden Secondments: IBA (Belgium), KU Leuven (Belgium), University of Manchester (UK)

Also Check: PhD positions at Utrecht University, Netherlands (Fully Funded)

Personalisation: Biological Guidance and Biomarkers

• Project 13 (Biological): Micrometrical assessment of biological response to particle therapy Host: National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), Torino, Italy PhD: University of Torino Secondments: Medical University of Vienna (Austria), GSI Darmstadt (Germany), CNAO (Italy)
• Project 13 (Modelling): Multi-scale modelling from quantitative MRI in particle therapy Host: Politecnico di Milano, Italy PhD: Politecnico di Milano Secondments: CNAO (Italy), RaySearch Laboratories (Sweden), Stockholm University (Sweden)
• Project 14: Correlating early-appearing medical imaging changes with variable RBE-based dose calculations Host: University of Navarra, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Madrid, Spain PhD: University of Navarra Secondments: Siemens Healthineers (Germany), Stockholm University (Sweden), Aarhus University (Denmark)
• Project 16: AI-driven anatomical and response adapted proton therapy Host: Danish Center for Particle Therapy, Aarhus University, Denmark PhD: Aarhus University Secondments: NTNU (Norway), Cosylab (Slovenia), Politecnico di Milano (Italy)
• Project 17: Robust optimization considering radiobiological models and tumour response assessed by functional image biomarkers Host: RaySearch Laboratories AB, Stockholm, Sweden PhD: Stockholm University Secondments: UMCG (Netherlands), Massachusetts General Hospital (US), OncoRay (Germany)
• Project 18: 5D model-based treatment personalization for right-time adaptive proton therapy Host: KU Leuven, Belgium PhD: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Secondments: Holland PTC (Netherlands), University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), Cosylab (Slovenia)

Also Check: 18 Fully Funded PhD Scholarship Opportunities at University of Surrey, UK

How to Apply

To apply, submit your application through the central RAPTORplus recruitment portal by February 9, 2026 (CET). You can apply for up to 3 projects, ranking them in order of preference. Compile a single PDF with:

• Completed application form (including contact details, mobility rule compliance, and project selections)
• Motivation letter (max 2 pages)
• CV
• References (letters or contact details for two referees)
• Copies of university degrees and transcripts
• Other relevant documents (e.g., language certificates)

For certain projects (4, 5, 7, 16, 18), also upload to the linked local recruitment systems. For full details and the portal link, visit the website mentioned below.

Also Check: Doctoral Researcher Positions in Computational and Data Science at KIT (Germany)