MSCA-COFUND for the Bordeaux Neurocampus Graduate Program

The Bordeaux Neurocampus Graduate Program (known as EUR in french for “Ecole Universitaire de Recherche”) is thrilled to announce the acquisition of European funding for 3i-COP (“international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral career-oriented PhD program in Bordeaux“) through the MSCA-COFUND program. This grant will allow the addition of 16 doctoral contracts (8 scholarships in 2025 and 8 in 2026) to our regular EUR offerings.

The success of 3i-COP, in such a highly competitive call, is rooted in its strong foundation, anchored by the reputable Bordeaux Neurocampus department, various international MSc tracks (NeuroBIM, Neurasmus, EMN Online), PhD programs (EUR, Doctoral School), close collaborations with local hospitals, an active student association (NBA), a robust network of local private companies, and long-term collaboration with European and Canadian Universities.

The project was conceived from several key observations:

1. A lack of student openness towards the private sector and/or clinical/translational research;
2. Insufficient training in emerging fields of Neuroscience;
3. The need to develop communication skills to effectively disseminate research to the general public.

To tackle these challenges, the 3i-COP project aims to:

1. Establish new tracks: an academic track, a private R&D track, and a translational research track, each supported by tailored supervision, training, and mentoring;
2. Enhance transdisciplinary research training;
3. Offer scientific communication training for all PhD students.

To meet its goals, the EUR has partnered with local private sector entities (AelisFarma, Alveole, AquiNeuro, Inscopix, Motac, Poietis and Practeex), a faculty member from the Master in Science and Technology Communication at Bordeaux Montaigne, and visiting scholars from partner universities (Charité Berlin, U. Milan, VU Amsterdam, U. Coimbra, U. Calgary, CERVO Laval), who will enrich the training program as needed.

One of the major innovations of this program is the possibility for the PhD students to carry out their thesis entirely within private companies. This approach includes customized training for PhD students (entrepreneurship,  mentoring by pharm industry, etc).

This project will benefit our entire community, strengthening the bonds between all stakeholders in the Bordeaux Neuroscience community.

The call for applications will follow the same procedures and timetable as the classic EUR call, with private partners being involved in the recruitment process.

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