PhD project QUASAR - MSCA COFUND LIGHTinPARIS Doctoral Programme Université Paris-Saclay in France

LIGHTinPARIS, the doctoral programme of the Institute for the Sciences of Light / Institut d’Optique Graduate School and Université Paris-Saclay, is offering a fully funded PhD project titled QUASAR: QUAntum chemical and experimental Spectroscopy of Astrochemical Reactive isomers. This project is part of the programme’s 3rd call for PhD fellowships and starts on 1 January 2027.

QUASAR focuses on uncovering reactive isomers of astrophysical relevance by combining high-resolution laboratory spectroscopy with advanced quantum chemical calculations. The PhD researcher will work on selected isomeric families that are expected to be abundant in space but still lack experimental data. The project aims to generate new spectroscopic information that can help with spectral assignment, laboratory detection, and subsequent astronomical searches in radio to submillimeter wave surveys.

The research sits at the interface of physics and chemistry, with strong links to laboratory astrophysics, molecular physics, quantum chemistry, and spectroscopy. The doctoral training combines experimental and theoretical molecular science, offering excellent preparation for a research career in molecular spectroscopy, astrochemistry, or related quantum-technology and physical-science fields.

The supervisor listed for this project is Marie-Aline Martin-Drumel at the SYSTEMAE team, ISMO laboratory, Université Paris-Saclay. The LIGHTinPARIS programme also includes an international/interdisciplinary secondment: for QUASAR, the fellow will spend 12 months at the Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, University of Bologna (Italy), under the 3i co-supervision framework.

Funding is provided through Horizon Europe MSCA COFUND, co-financed by Université Paris-Saclay and programme partners. The position is a 36-month full-time French doctoral employment contract with a minimum gross monthly salary of €2400, plus a €200 monthly travel and mobility allowance. Doctoral school enrolment fees are covered for 3 years, and additional training in research, innovation, transferable skills, and possible teaching activities is included.

Eligibility requirements include a Master’s degree or equivalent by the application deadline, no existing PhD, and compliance with the MSCA mobility rule (no more than 12 months of residence or main activity in France in the 3 years before the deadline). A B2 level of English is required; knowledge of French is not necessary. For this project, applicants should have a background in molecular physics or physical chemistry, quantum chemistry and spectroscopy, and laboratory spectroscopic measurements, with experimental high-resolution spectroscopy and quantum-chemical calculations viewed as an advantage.

Applications must be submitted electronically via the LIGHTinPARIS portal. Candidates should first verify eligibility, identify the project of interest, contact the supervisor, register on the portal, and then submit the full application. The submission deadline is 21 September 2026 at 12:00 noon Paris time.