High international participation at the call to join the doctoral network of the European IGNITION project. Coordinated by Lídia Sabater, researcher at the IDIBAPS group on Pathogenesis of Autoimmune Neurological Disorders, the project aims to promote research and training in neurodegeneration associated with autoimmune processes.
After two months in which applications could be submitted, the call closed this April with an exceptionally high number of candidates, confirming the strong appeal of the project and its doctoral training programme. In total, 560 applications were received from 64 countries to fill 13 PhD positions, representing an average of 91 applications per position.
A highly competitive and diverse applicant pool
Most applicants are recent graduates or students who will complete their degrees in the summer of 2026, reflecting the relevance of IGNITION’s research topics for early-career researchers at a key transition point in their academic paths. The call also achieved a good gender balance, with 60% of applications submitted by women and 40% by men, in line with the network’s commitment to equity and equal opportunities.
Overall, the number, diversity and quality of the applications received underscore the visibility of IGNITION within the international research community and its attractiveness as a training environment for doctoral candidates.
Selection process underway
Following the closure of the call, the process has now entered the evaluation phase, with Selection Panels for each of the 13 PhD positions currently assessing the candidates who selected the respective position as their first, second or third priority.
All applications are being evaluated in a fair, open, and transparent manner, according to previously established and publicly available selection criteria, and in full alignment with the principles of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) and the European Charter for Researchers.
The highest-ranked candidates will be contacted in the upcoming weeks and invited to online interviews, which are expected to take place during the last week of April and the first week of May 2026. Applicants who are not shortlisted will also be formally informed of the outcome of the process.
