Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network GRAIL 2026

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network GRAIL is a European doctoral training network funded under the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks. GRAIL stands for Gamma Radiation from the Atmosphere for Investigation and Learning and brings together universities and research institutes across Europe to train doctoral candidates in high-energy atmospheric physics and related technologies.

The programme supports PhD-level study and research. Based on the reference posting, the network offers 15 individual doctoral projects with structured research training, international mobility, and cross-sector secondments. Research themes include terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, gamma-ray glows, thunderstorm ground enhancements, lightning-related high-energy emissions, radiation risk, advanced measurements and simulations, detector development, electronics, data science, and neural-network-based signal processing.

As an MSCA Doctoral Network, GRAIL is designed for early-stage researchers who want to undertake a doctorate in an international and interdisciplinary environment. Positions are hosted by participating institutions in Europe, including opportunities such as the one highlighted at the Technical University of Denmark. Funding is described as fully funded, though exact stipend levels and benefit details may vary by host institution and local employment rules.

Applicants generally need a background relevant to the advertised doctoral project and must meet the MSCA mobility rule: they must not have lived or worked in the host country for more than 12 months during the 36 months before recruitment. Because GRAIL is a network programme, candidates typically apply to specific doctoral positions advertised by participating hosts rather than through one central degree application.

If you are interested, look for official vacancy notices from the participating GRAIL institutions and carefully review the project-specific academic background, document requirements, and local doctoral admission conditions before applying.