Projects

Applications are now open for 15 Doctoral Candidate positions as part of the GENIUS Doctoral Network program. GENIUS is looking for outstanding and motivated Doctoral Candidates (DCs) with the skills, knowledge and enthusiasm to develop innovative and breakthrough research in the fields of energy geostructures integration: buildings, infrastructure and underground Storage.

Key Dates

Deadline for on-line applications: 30 November 2025

Key Information

Eligibility

  • Supported researchers must be a doctoral candidate (i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment).

  • Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible.

  • DC’s must be recruited and enrolled in a doctoral programme leading to the award of a doctoral degree in at least one EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.

  • Recruited researchers can be of any nationality.

  • Recruited researchers must comply with the mobility rule:
    They must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date.

    Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays and time spent by the researcher as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention140 are not taken into account.

English Language

Doctoral Candidate (DCs) must demonstrate that their ability to understand and express themselves in both written and spoken English is sufficiently high for them to derive the full benefit from the network training.

Exclusivity

The candidate must be working exclusively for the action.

Recruitment procedure

Recruitment will be carefully executed and monitored in accordance with the principles of the

European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers and in

the DN mobility rules. Following an open, transparent, merit-based, impartial and equitable recruitment procedure which are tailored to each DC offering.

The DC positions will be advertised until all positions are filled. All applications proceed through the central on-line recruitment site via the University of Edinburgh. Candidates apply electronically for one to a maximum of two positions and indicate their preference. All candidates must upload the following documentation:

  • Degree Certificate(s) (and translations if not English)

  • Transcript/interim transcript (and translation if not English)

  • Syllabus/Course description (and translation if not English)

  • Research Proposal (maximum 2 pages)

  • CV

  • English Language Certificate

  • Reference contact information (references will only be contacted for shortlisted candidates)

During the application candidates must declare that they are eligible and meet the criteria mentioned under ‘Eligibility’ above.

How to apply

To submit an application please follow this link: GENIUS Doctoral Network PhD Application.

Download a pdf with all the Doctoral Candidate Positions available

DC 1: Thermo-mechanical behaviour of EGs in challenging geological conditions.

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DC 2: Thermo-mechanical Analysis of EGs: Bridging the Gap in Soil-Structure Interface Behaviour.

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DC 3: Development of a numerical tool for geothermal performance of EGs.

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DC 4: Use of machine learning tools for estimating EGs performance.

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DC 5: Development of specific design tools or the design of EGs.

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DC 6: Energy tunnels to reduce the costs of ventilation in tunnels.

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DC 7: Use of geothermal energy to prevent road icing and damage in cold climate areas.

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DC 8: Developing of EGs as retrofitting solution for existing buildings.

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DC 9: Integration of low temperature thermal energy with district heating systems.

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DC 10: Geothermal extraction from flooded mine shafts for heating & cooling applications.

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DC 11: Energy recovery from underground quarries during filling by geothermal energy storage.

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DC 12: Agrifood business parks: geothermal integration with low carbon technologies.

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DC 13: Innovative Applications of EGs in Densely Urbanized Areas: study of their potentiality in Mitigating Subsurface Urban Heat Islands.

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DC 14: Performance of EGs connected to small grids for industrial waste storage.

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DC 15: Bringing abandoned coal mines back to life for heat decarbonization

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This project is funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon Europe programme, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks (MSCA-DN) 2024 and under the Agreement number 101226708