Coordinated by the Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, CHORAL (Cultural Heritage Outreach in RomAnce Languages) is a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska Curie programme co-funded by the European Union. It is tied to the Cultural Heritage Hub, an international research network within the Unita Alliance, which structures its research ecosystem facing cultural related challenges. CHORAL aims to train high-quality international researchers and to encourage the development of interdisciplinary, international and inter-sectoral research that addresses any aspect of Cultural Heritage. The successful candidates will enrol in PhD programs under joint supervision that will require an international mobility. Choral students will benefit from dedicated events and a tailored doctoral training programme.

Summary

Coordinated by the Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, CHORAL (Cultural Heritage Outreach in RomAnce Languages) is a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska Curie programme co-funded by the European Union. It is tied to the Cultural Heritage Hub, an international research network within the Unita Alliance, which structures its research ecosystem facing cultural related challenges. CHORAL aims to train high-quality international researchers and to encourage the development of interdisciplinary, international and inter-sectoral research that addresses any aspect of Cultural Heritage. The successful candidates will enrol in PhD programs under joint supervision that will require an international mobility. Choral students will benefit from dedicated events and a tailored doctoral training programme.

Offer Description

As part of the UNITA Alliance, 14 excellent Doctoral Candidates (DCs) will enrol the CHORAL programme in Cultural Heritage.

UNITA is an alliance of twelve universities supported by the European Union. Launched in November 2020, the alliance is helping to build the European Higher Education area. The partner universities, all of which are in Romance-speaking countries, have in common that they are located in mountainous and border areas.

Coordinated by the Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, CHORAL (Cultural Heritage Outreach in RomAnce Languages) is a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska Curie programme co-funded by the European Union. This prestigious programme is linked to the Cultural Heritage Hub, an international research network within the Alliance, which structures its research ecosystem facing cultural related challenges.

Applications are open until February 15, 2025 for 14 grants on multiple PhD research topics in 7 Universities of the UNITA Alliance for fully funded 3-years PhDs, starting on fall 2025.

Presentation of the CHORAL Programme

CHORAL aims to train high-quality international researchers and to nurture the development of interdisciplinary, international and inter-sectoral research that addresses any aspect of Cultural Heritage. While rooted in cultural heritage, the program spans a wide range of scientific domains, including architecture, anthropology, arts and culture, computer science, history, literature, linguistics, management, musicology and more.

Selected candidates will be enrolled in PhD programs under joint supervision, awarding a double degree and requiring international mobility.

Why Pursue a CHORAL PhD ?

• High-Quality Training : Receive expert-led research training through the UNITA Alliance’s dedicated Cultural Heritage Hub, encompassing diverse fields within and beyond cultural heritage.
• Comprehensive Support : Benefit from dedicated guidance from the initial stages of your PhD to professional integration.
• Transformative Impact : Contribute to the socio-economic and cultural transformation of rural and cross-border mountain territories.
• Financial Support : Includes travel, mobility, and research costs.
• Double Degree : Graduate with a double degree from two European universities.

Application Deadline : January 15, 2025

25 PhD Research Topics for 14 positions in 7 universities within the UNITA Alliance :

• Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour (UPPA - France)
• Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB - France)
• Università degli studi di Torino (UNITO - Italy)
• Universidad de Zaragoza (UNIZAR - Spain)
• Università degli Studi di Brescia (UNIBS - Italy)
• Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA – Spain)
• Universitatea Transilvania din Brașov (UNITBV - Roumania)
• Funding : 3-year fully funded PhDs, starting Fall 2025

How to Apply

• Detailed information about the PhD Research Topics and the conditions to apply : https://www.research.univ-unita.eu/en/choral-project.html
• Where to apply : https://aap.univ-pau.fr
• Research Fields : Anthropology, Architecture, Artistic heritage, Arts and culture, Border Studies, Computer science, Digital Marketing, Economics, Environment and Geosciences, History, Information Science and Engineering, Law, Literature, Linguistics, Management, Musicology, Political Science, Sociology.
• Education Level : Master Degree or equivalent
• Skills/Qualifications : On the date of application, the candidate must be a doctoral candidate, i.e not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the deadline of the call, but in possession of a Master’s Degree enabling to do a PhD in Social Science, Arts, Architecture and Humanities applied to Cultural Heritage.

Any candidate in possession of the required diploma can apply regardless of the year of obtention of the diploma.

Specific Requirements

Researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, et.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 3 years preceding the date of the call deadline. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not considered.

Timeline of the call, deadlines for submission, and results

In alignment with the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of the Researchers and the evaluation procedures set out by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, CHORAL will establish 3 successive calls – in January 2024, 2025 and 2026. The schedule for CALL#2 is detailed below (Dates may however be subject to some variations).

• Opening of CALL#2 : 15/11/2024
• Ending of CALL#2 (Deadline for submission and deposit on the application platform) : 15/01/2025
• Start of the evaluation process by the different committees : 20/01/2025
• Experts’ evaluation of the candidates’ application : 03/02/2025 to 28/02/2025
• Interviews : 03/03/2025 to 28/03/2025
• Publication of the results : Before the end of May 2025
• Start of the PhD (if selected) : September 2025

At the end of CALL#2, 14 PhD candidates will be recruited for a duration of 36 months. The best ranked proposals will be short-listed for interviews, and applicants will be informed of the output of this step via a dedicated online platform.

Information about PhD topics

Candidates cannot propose their own subjects nor write a proposal. Research topics have been proposed by habilited supervisors from the Doctoral Schools of UPPA and the implementing partners after a call launched towards the academic community of the programme. Candidates must choose among the subjects posted on the CHORAL interface.

CHORAL places cultural heritage and the cultural and creative industries at the very heart of the research programme. It is designed to train the future generations of Cultural Heritage experts in Europe, with the scope of covering all aspects of cultural heritage, with a special focus on remote or endangered areas.

25 proposed PhD topics address any aspect of cultural heritage (as defined by UNESCO) and all within one of the following themes :

• Study and preservation of tangible CH : visual arts, monuments and buildings, archaeological sites, palaeontology, industrial archaeology, places of memory, museums and collections, art conservation and restoration, legislation for the protection of cultural and natural heritage
• Intangible CH and identity narratives : oral traditions, romance languages and literature, performing arts (music, dance, drama), rituals, travels, cultural identity, religion, collective and individual memory, migrations, vulnerable communities, gender studies, transnational history, values, human rights
• Enhancement and dissemination of cultural and natural heritage : tourism and valorisation, education, communication, heritage management, digitisation/digital tools, storytelling, institutions and heritage
• Innovation policies for the development of marginalised areas : natural heritage and cultural landscapes, cli- mate impact on mountain/rural areas, flora, agriculture, and landscape, culture and food, fauna, livestock farming and biodiversity sectors to ensure the economic strength of mountain regions and cross-border

The list of proposed PhD research topics is available on CHORAL website : https://www.research.univ-unita.eu/en/choral-project/phd-offers.html

Application procedure

In order to apply to CALL#2, applicants must comply with the following requirements :

Registration on the application platform

First of all, the candidate must go to https://aap.univ-pau.fr, and create an account to have access to 2nd Call for applications for HORIZON-MSCA-Cofund CHORAL PhD, and register his/her profile. Once the account created, the applicant can have access to the call and complete the form. To go further in his/her application, he/she must check that his/her application meets the Eligibility criteria described in the Guide for Applicants.

If the applicant encounters any problem during the application process on the platform, he/she should contact application-helpdesk.choral@univ-pau.fr .

Submission of a complete Application Form on the dedicated platform

When the previous steps are completed, candidates must submit their Application Form and all required documents, on the following dedicated online application and evaluation platform https://aap.univ-pau.fr : each applicant will receive an automatically generated confirmation email when the complete application document is successfully received. A Helpdesk service is available throughout the process at application-helpdesk.choral@univ-pau.fr.

IMPORTANT : The application must be in English and uploaded in PDF format. Only complete applications will be taken into consideration.

The Application Form should contain all the following mandatory documents :

1. A full CV (Template provided) that includes all personal information, education background, research activities (if any) and information about two referees

2. Two Reference letters (in a single PDF file) : each referee will submit a letter concerning the applicant’s previous research activities and the applicant's research capacity and working experience

3. A personal statement (Template provided - maximum of 3 pages) that includes general motivation letter for participation in CHORAL and the research topic, qualifications and achievements, career development objectives, collaboration requested beyond higher education sector for short stays

4. An ethics and security issues self-assessment

5. A copy of the Master’s degree and academic transcripts translated into English ; for candidates with a Master’s degree in progress during the academic year of the call, marks and rankings corresponding to the first semester of the Master 2.

6. Copies of certificates of English language proficiency (for non-English native speaking applicants) : Cambridge First Certificate or equivalent, TOEIC, TOEFL, a certificate of your Master’s university attesting the English

7. Copies of a valid identity card (for EU citizens) or a valid passport (for visa application if selected)

8. A declaration on honour (Template provided) about the conformity of the mobility information

Successive stages in the selection process

The Research projects and their associated candidates will be selected according to a very rigorous process, taking place in successive stages where different committees will be involved :

1. An Eligibility committee will first check that all Eligibility criteria mentioned are met.

2. A Review panel with three external experts will evaluate : CV, personal statement, reference letters, degrees and marks. The best-ranked proposals for each PhD topics will be short-listed for interviews, and applicants will be informed of the output of this step by the PM, via the online

3. Interview panel : for each applicant, an interview panel will perform remote After all the interviews, a proposal ranking list for each PhD position will be issued, including a principal and a reserve list.

4. Applicant Selection Committee : the top scoring applications will be presented to the Steering Committee who will endorse the final funding Once the final short and reserve lists issued, applicants will be informed of the output of this step by the PM.

Selections will be made regardless of gender, nationality, religion, ethnicity and cultural background, but aiming for a good balance among the group.

Description of the evaluation and selection process

For the evaluation of the candidature, 3 steps can be distinguished :

STEP 1 : Verification of the Eligibility criteria of the candidates

In order to participate in CHORAL program, the applicants will have to demonstrate they satisfy the following eligibility criteria :

• Diploma : On the date of application, the candidate must be a doctoral candidate, e not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the deadline of the call, but in possession of a Master’s Degree enabling to do a PhD in Social Science, Arts, Architecture and Humanities applied to Cultural Heritage.
• Seniority : Any candidate in possession of the required diploma can apply regardless of the year of obtention of the diploma.
• Mobility rule : MSCA rule : Researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, et.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 3 years preceding the date of the call deadline. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not considered.
• Nationality : The call is open to researchers of any nationality.
• Language : Applicants who are non-native speakers of English are required to provide proof of proficiency
• in the language, as CHORAL’s working language is English : A minimum B2 level in English is required. A variety of English Language tests may be provided, such as TOEIC, TOEFL, TOEFL Internet-based Test, IELTS, CPE, PTE (Pearson Test of English), CAE. Please check to be sure your test results are still valid (some tests are valid for 2 years, whereas CPE and CAE results are valid for life)
• Number of applications : Possibility to apply to 3 PhD topics offered within a call for proposals.
• Formal proposal criteria : Application submitted before the deadline (all required support documents must be submitted online via the call website). Completeness of the application (including potential Supervisor’s letter of support). Application submitted in English. The candidates have to make sure to be in possession of a visa to work in European Union

STEP 2 : Evaluation of the Research Proposal and the Applicant's credential

Applications that meet the Eligibility criteria will be sent to three external experts for review. The three experts can be from academic and non-academic organizations. None of them will be affiliated to CHORAL partners.

The selection criteria followed for nominating experts are :

• Proof of research activities during a minimum of 10 years of professional experience
• Sound scientific knowledge in one of the research fields related to the call
• Relevant experience in similar evaluation processes or research project evaluations
• Non-conflict of interest with any of the applicants (a declaration of non-conflict of interest will be signed prior to any evaluation, see below)

The experts will evaluate the excellence of the candidate as well as their potential to deliver original, independent work with the vision and creativity to develop their profile as leaders in an interdisciplinary, international and intersectoral context.

The score will be calculated by the PC and The PM which will result in a ranked list for each doctoral candidate’s position. The threshold to reach the interview will be 70 out of 100 and the maximum number of applicants invited for interviews will be 4 for each positions offered.

For the evaluation at any of the following steps (eligibility check, application review, and interview), applicants can appeal against the decisions, based on administrative or procedural arguments only. If the request is successful, the application will be re-evaluated, the candidate interviewed or re- interviewed or included (re-included) in a list for funding.

STEP 3 : Criteria for interviews

The Management Team of CHORAL (PC and PM) will combine the feedback from the 3 independent reviewers, and calculate the average score which will result in a ranked list for each doctoral candidate’s position. It will determine which applicants will be invited for interview based on the rank order.

At the interview stage, short-listed candidates will be invited to present and discuss their applications during an online interview that will consist in a presentation of their curriculum vitae and motivation followed by questions and answers.

Five interviewers will perform remote evaluations. Two of the experts will be the Supervisors for the considered PhD position. The two others will be members of the Cultural Heritage Hub, not working in the same organizations as the Supervisors. An external evaluator will be appointed to follow the interviews.

Interviews will consist in a presentation given by the candidate about his/her background, previous and recent research experience and his/her professional project and motivation for the thesis project of his/her choice. During the interviews, the candidates will be evaluated on the following criteria : general presentation of their application, research capability and leadership potential.

Working conditions of the Fellowship

In each PhD position, the doctoral candidate is enrolled in two universities : the recruiting university and the co-super- vising university. Each doctoral candidate will be hired by the recruiting university for a 36-month Research work contract (doctoral contract), governed by the recruiting university national regulations.

In all cases, the employment conditions for doctoral candidates will follow the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. Doctoral candidates will be subject to employment conditions and entitlements similar to those of permanent researchers regarding working hours, paid annual leave, health care coverage, maternity/paternity leave, pension, and unemployment insurance. They may also be eligible for a family allowance depending on their individual situation. Gender equality will be guaranteed throughout the recruitment process. Support will also be provided to researchers with disabilities and researchers holding refugee status. Applicants having taken a career break may be eligible for the project, as long as they apply within three years from obtaining their Master’s degree.

The monthly gross salary will depend on the recruiting country. The following list presents an indicative gross salary after employers' taxation, provided as guidance.

Benefit

CHORAL fellows will benefit from the following advantages :

The monthly gross salary will depend on the recruiting country. The following list presents an indicative gross salary after employers' taxation, provided as guidance. The salary gross amount may be subject to changes corresponding to taxes increases/decreases

• France : 2200€/month (approximative net salary 1716€/month over 12 months (further information https://www.salaire-brut-en-net.fr))
• Italy : 2270€/month (approximative net salary 2005€/month over 12 months)
• Spain : 2164€/month (approximative net salary 1701€/month over 12 months (further information https://taxscouts.es/calculadoras/calculadora-de-sueldo-neto/))
• Romania : 2740€/month (approximative net salary 1603€/month over 12 months (further information https://www.calculator-salarii.ro/calcul-salariu-net/))

The net salary amount may be subject to changes and corresponding personal tax position.

Mobility allowance up to 4500 € over the 3-year period to partially cover travels, accommodation, etc. linked to secondments for the project duration.

Conference allowance up to 3500 € over the 3-year period of the PhD, to cover expenses related to the travel for attendance or participation to conferences, workshops.

Contact

For any question, please contact application-helpdesk.choral@univ-pau.fr or the Management Team of CHORAL : choral@univ-pau.fr

For any question, consult the FAQ of CHORAL website : https://www.research.univ-unita.eu/en/choral-project.html