As an early-stage researcher within the alliance, ENGAGE.EU provides you with an opportunity to extend your network, pursue a project with an expert in your field and immerse yourself in another institutional environment. You can expand your network, develop project ideas that may evolve into research collaborations funded by the ENGAGE.EU Research Label or the ENGAGE.EU Academic Initiative Incubator. Specifically and only as a PhD researcher, you may also combine your research visit period with specialized training courses through the Course Catalogue without paying course fees and establish collaborations that could lead to co-supervision or a joint defence committee for your doctoral thesis. ENGAGE.EU can also facilitate career guidance and offer career opportunities. Each ENGAGE.EU opportunity stands on its own, and yet it may generate spillover effects across other initiatives and collaborations and could be interrelated.
An Early-Stage Researcher, within ENGAGE.EU, is a PhD/doctoral candidate or a researcher within four years after their PhD.
PhD and advanced research courses:
As a PhD or doctoral researcher, you may attend specialised training courses through the course catalogue. In this repository, each university of the Alliance periodically shares a repertoire of courses which PhD candidates from other universities may attend without paying course fees and, subject to the organization of each university, through a scholarship. This opportunity may also have relevant spillover effects: you may in fact identify professors who can act as co-supervisors for your doctoral dissertation or as members of your thesis defence. This will also increase the possibility of continuing in your research path within the ENGAGE.EU ecosystem becoming a researcher at other universities of the Alliance. You can use the filter 'PhD and and Advanced Research Courses' to find suitable courses that will fit your needs and interests. ENGAGE.EU - Course catalogue - List of courses
Research Visits within the ENGAGE.EU Alliance:
ENGAGE.EU offers scholarships and facilitates connections with relevant departments, promoting long-lasting academic collaborations. Beyond the immediate research experience, research visits can also serve as a starting point for exploring other opportunities within the alliance. Through ENGAGE.EU research visits, early-stage Researchers, defined as PhD and up to 4-years post-PhD researchers, can expand their academic network, collaborate with leading experts, and gain valuable international experience. These visits provide access to new resources, fresh perspectives, and diverse institutional environments, strengthening research projects and career prospects. During their stay, visiting early-stage researchers will also have access to local workspaces, ensuring a productive and immersive research experience. For more information and application: Visiting Opportunity for Early-Stage Researchers – ENGAGE.EU
ENGAGE.EU workshop for early-stage researchers:
ENGAGE.EU organizes an online and an offline workshop annually for ESRs. The events, and their specific dates and themes, will be announced on the platform. The objective of these interdisciplinary research workshops is to provide early-stage researchers — PhD and early-career researchers up to four years after the PhD — from the ENGAGE.EU partner universities with the opportunity to benefit from the ENGAGE.EU network.
The online workshop is about career strategies and helps PhDs find relevant careers in- and outside of academia.
The offline workshop is organized every year with a different theme and location. In order to facilitate feedback and networking, senior scholars from all partner universities will also be invited to the event. To meet the different needs of PhD candidates and more advanced early-career researchers, separate sessions will be organized for PhD and early-career researchers to ensure a tailored and beneficial event for all participants. The workshop will provide you with the opportunity to receive valuable feedback on your work and to expand your professional network by connecting with other early-stage researchers working on similar topics across different disciplines. For more information and application: ENGAGE.EU Workshop for Early-stage Researchers – ENGAGE.EU
Seed funding
As an Early-Stage Researcher, you are also encouraged to apply for the ENGAGE.EU Research Label Seed Funding, which intends to support cross-alliance scientific collaboration on pressing societal challenges. This dedicated seed funding scheme empowers researchers at all levels to launch innovative and collaborative projects, boost their visibility across institutions, and cultivate a shared research identity within the alliance. The label is a gateway to impactful research. Check out last year's call here to prepare your future project.
Interested in co-creating a course?
The Academic Initiative Incubator provides dedicated funding to support the co-design and implementation of innovative courses in collaboration with ENGAGE.EU partner universities. These signature courses must be developed by at least three partner institutions, delivering cross-university collaboration and interdisciplinary learning.
If you have a course idea you'd like to bring to life, you can connect with potential collaborators through the ENGAGE.EU Research Community Platform and submit your proposal by applying to the next call.
Start preparing your application by accessing the guidelines here.
Explore selected initiatives from the 2025 call here.