Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MISCEA (Modelling and Interdisciplinary SCience for the Ecological trAnsition: building the worlds of tomorrow)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2024-01-01 do 2025-12-31
The MISCEA programme (Modelling and Interdisciplinary Science for the Ecological Transition: building the worlds of tomorrow) is a five‑year doctoral programme co‑funded by the European Commission under the Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions – COFUND (Grant Agreement No. 101126720).
Coordinated by the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC) and running from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2028, the programme will establish a cohort of up to 18 doctoral researchers whose work tackles key scientific and societal challenges associated with ecological and energy transitions.
Humanity is confronted with accelerating climate change and the urgent need to reconfigure energy, infrastructure, and environmental systems. These transformations demand not only technological innovation, ranging from low‑carbon energy solutions to resilient infrastructure and advanced modelling of extreme events, but also a systemic understanding of their social, economic and environmental implications. MISCEA positions itself at this critical intersection. By mobilising modelling, environmental sciences, engineering, and complementary disciplines, the programme aims to generate new knowledge that can support coherent and sustainable transition pathways.
MISCEA pursues two overarching objectives: First, it contributes directly to ecological and energy transitions by advancing both fundamental and applied research across interconnected domains; Second, it trains a new generation of highly skilled doctoral researchers equipped to become scientific leaders and informed decision‑makers capable of addressing complex societal challenges. These ambitions rely on the scientific excellence of ENPC research laboratories and on strong engagement with private‑sector partners, ensuring intersectoral exposure, enhanced employability, and research that is both academically rigorous and societally relevant.
Fully aligned with Horizon Europe and the MSCA guiding principles, MISCEA promotes international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral training environments. It facilitates researcher mobility across institutions and countries, strengthens the European Research Area, and upholds open, transparent and merit‑based recruitment to foster excellence, diversity and inclusiveness within the doctoral cohort.
The expected impacts of MISCEA are significant in scale and multidimensional. Scientifically, the programme will reinforce research capacity in strategic fields central to Europe’s ecological and energy transitions. Societally and economically, it will strengthen academic–industry collaboration, support evidence‑based decision‑making, and prepare researchers to assume leadership roles in a rapidly evolving landscape. At the European level, MISCEA’s contributions align closely with strategic priorities for climate action, innovation, resilience and long‑term sustainability.
Through the combination of innovative research goals, structured training, and intersectoral engagement, MISCEA sets the stage for a new generation of researchers capable of shaping sustainable futures and contributing meaningfully to Europe’s responses to the climate and energy challenges of the decades ahead.
Coordinated by the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC) and running from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2028, the programme will establish a cohort of up to 18 doctoral researchers whose work tackles key scientific and societal challenges associated with ecological and energy transitions.
Humanity is confronted with accelerating climate change and the urgent need to reconfigure energy, infrastructure, and environmental systems. These transformations demand not only technological innovation, ranging from low‑carbon energy solutions to resilient infrastructure and advanced modelling of extreme events, but also a systemic understanding of their social, economic and environmental implications. MISCEA positions itself at this critical intersection. By mobilising modelling, environmental sciences, engineering, and complementary disciplines, the programme aims to generate new knowledge that can support coherent and sustainable transition pathways.
MISCEA pursues two overarching objectives: First, it contributes directly to ecological and energy transitions by advancing both fundamental and applied research across interconnected domains; Second, it trains a new generation of highly skilled doctoral researchers equipped to become scientific leaders and informed decision‑makers capable of addressing complex societal challenges. These ambitions rely on the scientific excellence of ENPC research laboratories and on strong engagement with private‑sector partners, ensuring intersectoral exposure, enhanced employability, and research that is both academically rigorous and societally relevant.
Fully aligned with Horizon Europe and the MSCA guiding principles, MISCEA promotes international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral training environments. It facilitates researcher mobility across institutions and countries, strengthens the European Research Area, and upholds open, transparent and merit‑based recruitment to foster excellence, diversity and inclusiveness within the doctoral cohort.
The expected impacts of MISCEA are significant in scale and multidimensional. Scientifically, the programme will reinforce research capacity in strategic fields central to Europe’s ecological and energy transitions. Societally and economically, it will strengthen academic–industry collaboration, support evidence‑based decision‑making, and prepare researchers to assume leadership roles in a rapidly evolving landscape. At the European level, MISCEA’s contributions align closely with strategic priorities for climate action, innovation, resilience and long‑term sustainability.
Through the combination of innovative research goals, structured training, and intersectoral engagement, MISCEA sets the stage for a new generation of researchers capable of shaping sustainable futures and contributing meaningfully to Europe’s responses to the climate and energy challenges of the decades ahead.
During the reporting period, the MISCEA programme concentrated on building its doctoral research network, a cornerstone for achieving its ambition to train a new generation of scientific leaders and decision‑makers capable of driving ecological and energy transitions. To meet this goal, MISCEA plans to recruit 18 PhD candidates.
During the first 24 months of the project, three recruitment calls were launched to establish this network, according to the selection process in the Grant Agreement and the MSCA eligiblity rules. For each call, audition sessions were organised for shortlisted candidates, supported by external and independent evaluators who assessed their scientific and technical skills. This rigorous selection process ensures that recruited candidates demonstrate strong expertise, research potential and the interdisciplinary mindset required to advance MISCEA’s objectives. The first call resulted in the selection of 5 PhD candidates, the second in 9, and the third is currently ongoing, with 4 positions in the final stages of recruitment.
Setting up this doctoral network marks a major milestone for the programme. ENPC laboratories contributed by proposing thesis topics aligned with MISCEA themes, including several co‑supervised with industrial partners among the programme’s Associated Partners, reflecting strong industrial commitment to MISCEA’s doctoral mission.
As of 31 December 2025, after two complete calls, 11 PhD candidates had started their doctoral contracts, including 5 in collaboration with an industrial Associated Partner. A third recruitment call is underway, with a new cohort expected to begin their contracts during the first semester of 2026.
During the first 24 months of the project, three recruitment calls were launched to establish this network, according to the selection process in the Grant Agreement and the MSCA eligiblity rules. For each call, audition sessions were organised for shortlisted candidates, supported by external and independent evaluators who assessed their scientific and technical skills. This rigorous selection process ensures that recruited candidates demonstrate strong expertise, research potential and the interdisciplinary mindset required to advance MISCEA’s objectives. The first call resulted in the selection of 5 PhD candidates, the second in 9, and the third is currently ongoing, with 4 positions in the final stages of recruitment.
Setting up this doctoral network marks a major milestone for the programme. ENPC laboratories contributed by proposing thesis topics aligned with MISCEA themes, including several co‑supervised with industrial partners among the programme’s Associated Partners, reflecting strong industrial commitment to MISCEA’s doctoral mission.
As of 31 December 2025, after two complete calls, 11 PhD candidates had started their doctoral contracts, including 5 in collaboration with an industrial Associated Partner. A third recruitment call is underway, with a new cohort expected to begin their contracts during the first semester of 2026.