15 Doctoral Candidate Positions in the MSCA Doctoral Network REALISE

15 Jan 2026
Job Information

Organisation/Company

University of Perugia

Department

Department of Physics and Geology

Research Field

Geosciences » Geology
Chemistry » Instrumental analysis
Computer science » Programming
Physics » Computational physics

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Positions

PhD Positions

Application Deadline

31 Mar 2026 - 17:00 (Europe/Rome)

Country

Italy

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Horizon Europe

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

REALISE - Bridging Igneous Petrology and Machine Learning for Science and Society 

About the REALISE Doctoral Network 

REALISE will train 15 Doctoral Candidates at the interface of igneous petrology, volcanology, critical raw materials, and machine learning / AI. The network combines advanced petrological observations and multimodal analytical data with modern ML (including physics-informed and generative AI approaches) to improve: 

• Volcanic hazard assessment and risk mitigation, and
• The understanding and exploration of critical raw materials in magmatic systems. 

Doctoral projects address magma lifecycle processes, multimodal data fusion, physics–ML hybrid modelling (from CFD to atomistic simulations), and AI-assisted hypothesis formulation. 

MSCA Doctoral Candidate eligibility criteria 

Applicants must comply with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network eligibility rules, including: 

• Applicants must not hold a PhD degree at the time of recruitment.
• At the time of recruitment, the applicant must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the host country for more than 12 months in the 36 months prior to the recruitment date. 

Other requirements 

• Applicants must meet the doctoral admission requirements of the recruiting host institution.
• Excellent motivation for interdisciplinary research combining Earth Sciences and ML/AI is expected.
• Strong English communication skills are required. 

Overview of the Doctoral Candidate positions 

Each position is a fully funded 36-month PhD fellowship within the MSCA framework and includes international secondments, advanced training, and competitive employment conditions according to MSCA rules. 

First Call Application deadline: 31 March 2026(Positions will remain open until filled.) 

Remuneration: The remuneration is based on the MSCA-DN researcher allowances (Living allowance: 4,010 € (adjusted by country coefficient); mobility allowance: 710 €; family allowance: 660 € (if eligible). The exact gross salary differs depending on the country and host institution. Full details are provided in the detailed descriptions of each position on the project website or during the interview phase. 

More information: www.realise-dn.eu  

Available positions:  

DC1 – Deciphering the genesis of critical ore deposits in the Bushveld Layered Intrusions 

• Host/PhD: University of Perugia (Italy) | Supervisor: Prof. Maurizio Petrelli
• Secondments: BGR (Germany); UvA (Netherlands) 

DC2 – Pre-eruptive dynamics at Campi Flegrei: multimodal petrology + physics-informed AI 

• Host/PhD: University of Perugia (Italy) | Supervisor: Prof. Maurizio Petrelli
• Secondments: KUL (Belgium); UL (Slovenia) 

DC3 – ML-assisted atomistic simulations: partitioning of critical raw elements in magmas 

• Host/PhD: University of Perugia (Italy) | Supervisor: Prof. Maurizio Petrelli
• Secondments: IPGP (France); LUH (Germany) 

DC4 – Generative AI for super-resolution & artificial 3D tomography of crystal zoning 

• Host/PhD: Leibniz University of Hannover (Germany) | Supervisor: Prof. Monika Sester
• Secondments: NU (UK); ELTE (Hungary) 

DC5 – Data-driven investigations of magma plumbing systems at active volcanoes 

• Host/PhD: Leibniz University of Hannover (Germany) | Supervisor: Prof. François Holtz
• Secondments: KUL (Belgium); UvA (Netherlands) 

DC6 – Multi-phase ML thermo-chemo-barometry of volcano plumbing systems 

• Host/PhD: KU Leuven (Belgium) | Supervisor: Prof. Olivier Namur
• Secondments: LUH (Germany); UNIPG (Italy) 

DC7 – AI-assisted mineralogical/textural characterization of LCT pegmatites 

• Host/PhD: KU Leuven (Belgium) | Supervisor: Prof. Anouk Borst
• Secondments: BGR (Germany); UORL (France); LUH (Germany) 

DC8 – DeepEruptive: AI for eruptive parameter estimations (petrology + CFD + tephra maps) 

• Host/PhD: Sorbonne University (France) | Supervisor: Prof. Paola Cinnella
• Secondments: INGV (Italy); Ainoudo (France) 

DC9 – Melt inclusions: ML analysis of hyperspectral data for magma reservoir conditions 

• Host/PhD: Sorbonne University (France) | Supervisor: Dr.Hélène Balcone-Boissard
• Secondments: SOLEIL (France); KUL (Belgium) 

DC10 – ML-assisted multimodal workflows for sulfide accumulation processes in ore deposits 

• Host/PhD: CNRS/University of Orleans (France) | Supervisor: Dr. Giada Iacono-Marziano
• Secondments: Teledyne Photon Machines; INFN (Italy) 

DC11 – AI-supported hypothesis formulation on metal-rich granites (critical metal prospectivity) 

• Host/PhD: CNRS/University of Orleans (France) | Supervisor: Dr. Fabrice Gaillard
• Secondments: BRGM (France); UNIPG (Italy) 

DC12 – Petrological monitoring & eruptive style forecasting in open-vent volcanoes (Etna) 

• Host/PhD: Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary) | Supervisor: Dr. Réka Lukács
• Secondments: UL (Slovenia); Italian Civil Protection Department (Italy) 

DC13 – ML for hypothesis formulation + trace-element thermodynamic insights in silicic systems 

• Host/PhD: Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary) | Supervisor: Prof. András Lukács
• Secondments: UNIPG (Italy); KUL (Belgium) 

DC14 – DEGAS: ML-based atomistic simulations of volcanic degassing 

• Host/PhD: Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (France) | Supervisor: Prof. Razvan Caracas
• Secondments: INFN (Italy); UORL (France) 

DC15 – Large Language Models for automated data explanations in petrology (incl. multimodal fusion) 

• Host/PhD: University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) | Supervisor: Prof. Blaž Zupan
• Secondments: UNIPG (Italy); UvA (Netherlands) 

 

Required profile (general) 

We welcome applicants from Earth Sciences (petrology/volcanology/geochemistry/mineral resources), Computer/Data Science (ML/AI), or genuinely interdisciplinary backgrounds. 

Typical desirable skills (vary by DC): 

• Igneous petrology, mineralogy, geochemistry, volcanology, thermodynamics, modelling; and/or
• ML/AI, data science, statistics, image analysis, scientific programming (Python/R/Julia), HPC;
• Strong motivation for interdisciplinary research and international collaboration;
• Good English communication skills. 

How to apply 

Apply via: instructions and links on www.realise-dn.eu  (project website). 
Deadline: 15 February 2026 (or until filled). 

Suggested application documents (unless host-specific rules state otherwise): 

• Motivation letter (maximum 1 page) indicating preferred DC position
• CV (incl. education, research experience, publications if any)
• Academic transcripts/degree certificates (if available)
• Proof of English proficiency (if applicable / requested)

All documents need to be submitted as a single PDF file.

Selection process 

Eligible applications will be evaluated on academic merit, motivation, fit to the project, and relevant skills. Shortlisted candidates may be invited to online interviews and/or technical discussions, depending on the DC. Recruitment will be carried out and monitored in full accordance with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers, the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, and the Doctoral Network mobility rules. The process will follow an open, transparent, merit-based, impartial, and equitable procedure, tailored to each individual DC position. 

Equal opportunities 

REALISE, and the host institutions encourage applications from all qualified candidates. Recruitment will follow MSCA principles and institutional policies on equal opportunity and non-discrimination. 

Where to apply

Website

https://realise-dn.eu

Requirements

Research Field

Geosciences

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field

Chemistry

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field

Computer science

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field

Physics

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Excellent

Additional Information
Eligibility criteria

Applicants must comply with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network eligibility rules, including: 

• Applicants must not hold a PhD degree at the time of recruitment.
• At the time of recruitment, the applicant must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the host country for more than 12 months in the 36 months prior to the recruitment date. 

Selection process

Eligible applications will be evaluated on academic merit, motivation, fit to the project, and relevant skills. Shortlisted candidates may be invited to online interviews and/or technical discussions, depending on the DC. Recruitment will be carried out and monitored in full accordance with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers, the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, and the Doctoral Network mobility rules. The process will follow an open, transparent, merit-based, impartial, and equitable procedure, tailored to each individual DC position. 

Website for additional job details

https://realise-dn.eu

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

3

Company/Institute

University of Perugia

Country

Italy

Geofield

Number of offers available

2

Company/Institute

Leibniz University of Hannover

Country

Germany

Geofield

Number of offers available

2

Company/Institute

KU Leuven

Country

Belgium

Geofield

Number of offers available

2

Company/Institute

Sorbonne University

Country

France

Geofield

Number of offers available

2

Company/Institute

CNRS/University of Orleans

Country

France

Geofield

Number of offers available

2

Company/Institute

Eötvös Loránd University

Country

Hungary

Geofield

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris

Country

France

Geofield

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

University of Ljubljana

Country

Slovenia

Geofield

Contact

State/Province

Elce

City

Perugia

Website

https://www.unipg.it/

Street

Via Alessandro Pascoli

Postal Code

06123

STATUS: EXPIRED

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