PhD Studentships: Become a Leading Expert in Ageing and Digitalization (x 14 Posts)

Become a leading expert in ageing and digitalization!

The Doctoral Network “Future Leaders in Ageing and Digitalizing Societies (Digi4Age)” is hiring 14 PhD students across Europe. We offer fully funded PhD positions, supervision by some of Europe’s leading researchers in this area, tailor-made career development plans, training in cutting-edge techniques, secondments, and collaborations with stakeholders.

This network trains doctoral researchers as future leaders with scientific expertise in both digitalizing and ageing societies, who can creatively steer academia, the public sector, private sector, and civil society towards solutions benefitting older individuals, European societies, and businesses. It explores changes in health and long-term care, in work and the economy, and in society and social structures. The network is funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action programme of the European Commission and is organized by six research institutes and 13 stakeholders from across Europe.

Eligibility

Digi4Age recruits talented researchers without regard to race, nationality, religion, age, gender identity, or disability. Applicants must:

• Have obtained a master-level degree or diploma in a relevant discipline (e.g., sociology, political science, social work, business, health sciences, or economics) before the beginning of the programme
• Comply with the MSCA mobility rule: must not have resided or carried out main activity in the host country for more than 12 months in the 36 months before the programme
• Neither hold a doctoral degree nor have successfully defended a doctoral thesis
• Fulfil additional requirements of the doctoral programme at the hosting institution
• Have a strong interest in ageing and digitalization
• Possess good written and spoken English skills

Please see the descriptions on http://www.digi4age.net.

Employment conditions and benefits

Positions are located across Europe at Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences (Austria), LUT University (Finland), TU Dortmund University (Germany), the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences (Lithuania), the Open University of the Netherlands, and University Rey Juan Carlos (Spain). Fields include social sciences, humanities, business, health sciences, and care research. Start date: October 2026.

Benefits include a fully funded 3–4 year PhD position with an employment contract providing social security coverage and a competitive MSCA salary, complemented by mobility and family allowances where applicable. Researchers receive interdisciplinary supervision and training, participate in spring schools and seminars, complete secondments with academic and non-academic partners, and have extensive opportunities for international networking and career development.

Application process

Interested? Please submit your application via the ‘Apply’ button above by 30 March 2026 at 23:59 (UTC+3h).

Fill out the online application form and attach the required documents in English and PDF, including a motivation letter, curriculum vitae, master’s degree certificate or transcript, one scientific text, and an essay about your doctoral thesis idea.

Please see the descriptions on http://www.digi4age.net of the individual positions for possible additional attachments that are required.

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