EC2U Mobility Programme for doctoral (PhD) students

The European Campus of City-Universities (EC2U) and Umeå University invite applications for short-term doctoral mobilities aimed at strengthening international cooperation across the EC2U Alliance. This mobility programme supports academic exchange, multidisciplinary collaboration, and professional development within the thematic frameworks of the EC2U Virtual Institutes for Sustainable Cities and Communities and Quality Education.

Download the call: EC2U Call 12 days mobility for PhD Students.docx (564 kB)

Objectives of the Mobility Programme

This call supports mobilities of up to 12 days to be carried out between April 2026 and June 2027 at any EC2U partner university. The programme aims to:

• Promote international and interdisciplinary scholarly collaboration
• Foster the creation of long-term research partnerships and joint research groups
• Strenghten doctoral training through academic exchange and networking
• Encourage the development of joint publications, project proposals, and innovation
• Engage doctoral students in the EC2U research communities.

A total of 16 mobility grants are available:

• Up to eight (8) mobilities under the Virtual Institute for Sustainable Cities and Communities (VISCC).
• Up to eight (8) mobilities under the Virtual Institute for Quality Education (VIQE).

Thematic areas

• Sustainable Cities and Communities

Open to doctoral students from all programmes and departments at Umeå University. Applicants should work with topics related to Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11): Sustainable Cities and Communities. Relevant themes include, but are not limited to: urban climate and heat island dynamics, sustainable and resilient energy systems, rural sustainability and regional development, ccircular economy approaches, environmental and social challenges affecting cities and communities, broader sustainability transitions in urban contexts.

• Quality Education

Open to doctoral students from all programmes and departments at Umeå University. Applicants should work with topics related to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4): Quality Education. Priority will be given to doctoral students working with linguistics and/or literary studies.

Destination universities:

Mobility stays may be carried out at any EC2U partner university:

• Alexander Ioan Cuza University of Iași (Romania)
• Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany)
• Johannes Kepler University Linz (Austria)
• University of Coimbra (Portugal)
• University of Pavia (Italy)
• University of Poitiers (France)
• University of Salamanca (Spain)
• University of Turku (Finland)

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be enrolled as PhD students at Umeå University at the time of application and throughout the mobility period
• Be proficient in English and/or in the official language of the host university
• Submit all required documentation within the deadlines established by this call

Application

Applicants must submit the following documents to ec2u@umu.se at least 30 days prior to the planned mobility days but no later than 31 August 2026:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
•  Motivation letter explaining the relevance of the mobility for the applicant’s doctoral research, academic development, and connection to the thematic areas covered by this call
• Summary of the planned activities during the mobility period
• E-mail or letter of invitation from the host EC2U university confirming their willingness to receive the applicant
• Approval from the Head of Department at Umeå University confirming authorisation for the applicant to participate in the mobility and agreement to co‑finance a subsistence allowance (per diem) should the actual travel costs exceed the amount covered by the EC2U mobility grant.

Selection process

The selection of participants will be conducted by the EC2U Local Coordination at Umeå University, in consultation with academic representatives of the EC2U Virtual Institutes for Sustainable Cities and Communities (VISCC) and Quality Education (VIQE). 

All applications must meet the the eligibility criteria and include all required documentation outlined in this call. Among eligible applications, the following aspects will be considered:

• Relevance of the applicant’s current or planned research to the thematic areas Sustainable Cities and Communities or Quality Education.
• Existing or planned collaborations with researchers at EC2U partner universities.
• Preference will be given to applicants who have not previously received an EC2U mobility grant.

Mobilities will be allocated on a rolling basis, following a first‑come, first‑served procedure among applications that fulfil the eligibility criteria.

Funding

The EC2U mobility grant covers the following costs per participant:

• Travel costs: €296.
• Accommodation: €63 per night (up to €693).
• Subsistence: €46,50 per day (up to €558).

Total amount available per participant: €1 547.

Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel and must follow their home department’s travel procedures. After returning, they must create a travel expense report in PASS, save a copy of the report, and send it to ec2u@umu.se to request reimbursement. The payment is then made in SEK directly to the participant’s department according to the standard amounts above. 

Obligations of participants

Selected participants will automatically become members of the EC2U PhD Network corresponding to their research area, either Sustainable Cities and Communities or Quality Education. Participants must carry out the mobility during the dates indicated in their approved application and are expected to engage fully in all academic and networking activities organised by the host institution. Upon completion of the mobility, participants are required to submit a certificate of attendance to ec2u@umu.se.