Objective
With the EU targeting over 300 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2050 under the Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy, the development of efficient, reliable, and sustainable foundation systems for diverse marine environments has become an urgent priority. Suction caissons (or anchors), steel hollow cylinders installed by applying vacuum, offer rapid installation, high flexibility, and low environmental footprint, positioning them as highly promising solutions for both fixed-bottom and floating wind farms. However, their full engineering potential remains underexploited due to unresolved challenges in vacuum-soil-caisson interactions across the caisson installation, plug consolidation, and long-term service. This Postdoctoral Fellowship (V-CAISSON) aims to unlock the lifecycle vacuum engagement in suction caissons by investigating how vacuum-induced seepage flow reduces penetration resistance and plug stability, developing and evaluating active vacuum preloading techniques for post-penetration plug enhancement, quantifying the contribution and safe limits of passive vacuum pressure to uplift resistance, and assessing caisson resilience under extreme cyclic and seismic loading. The research bridges geotechnical and structural engineering, soil physics, and fluid mechanics, combining analytical advances with cutting-edge numerical simulations and centrifuge physical modelling. The expected outcomes will deliver a new performance framework for suction caisson foundations that integrates both active and passive vacuum effects, reducing design conservatism and improving deployment confidence. By generating validated models, predictive tools, and design guidelines, V-CAISSON will accelerate the adoption of cost-effective and environmentally friendly foundation systems and strengthen Europe's global leadership in offshore renewable infrastructure, supporting the EU's Green Deal objectives and the transition toward climate-neutral energy.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology civil engineering structural engineering earthquake engineering seismic loading
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy wind energy
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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-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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-PF
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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.
8092 Zuerich
Switzerland
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.