Project description
Building, maintaining and repairing the functional locomotor system
Climate change and an ageing population are necessitating sustainable mobility in a population with decreasing activity levels. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MuSkLE project aims to train 55 doctoral researchers in the interdisciplinary science of the locomotor system to tackle this challenge. Expanding the MuSkLE-Graduate School to eight university institutions in France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, research will integrate biology, physics, mathematics and social sciences as well as topics including spatial transcriptomics, microscopy, 3D histology, physiology and AI in biomedicine. MuSkLE will combine multi-scale approaches and cutting-edge research training with secondments in academia and industry. Furthermore, it will emphasise transparency, fairness, inclusiveness and gender equality as well as low-carbon rail travel for responsible research.
Objective
The MuSkLE-PhD programme aims to train 55 doctoral researchers with interdisciplinary and intersectoral expertise in the locomotor system, addressing two major societal challenges: climate change and demographic aging. As sustainable mobility demands more from the human body and aging increases physical inactivity, understanding locomotor development, function, and regeneration is essential. MuSkLE-PhD offers 36-month fellowships within a 60-month programme focused on scientific excellence, innovation, and societal impact.
Building on the MuSkLE-Graduate School led by Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, the programme expands to seven universities and one university hospital across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It provides advanced training in biology, physics, mathematics, and social sciences, as well as four innovative modules, including spatial transcriptomics and AI in biomedicine. Fellows will undertake interdisciplinary research and benefit from secondments and short visits in both academic and non-academic environments.
The programme features strong collaboration with the non-academic sector, including pharmaceutical companies and developers of physiological monitoring technologies. These partnerships ensure that doctoral fellows gain hands-on experience with applied research, innovation ecosystems, and career opportunities beyond academia.
Recruitment will follow the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct, ensuring transparency, fairness, inclusiveness, and gender equality. MuSkLE-PhD promotes sustainable research mobility via a low-carbon, rail-connected regional model. By combining scientific excellence, responsible research, and broad-based training, MuSkLE-PhD equips researchers to address complex health, aging, and mobility challenges while contributing to the EU’s innovation and sustainability goals.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-Cofund-D - HORIZON TMA MSCA Cofund Doctoral programme
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-COFUND-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
69622 Villeurbanne Cedex
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.