UPRAISE Research PhD Mobility Call – GEM

Aim of the Research Mobility Grant

The purpose of this Research Mobility Grant is to support doctoral researchers (PhD students) undertaking short-term research mobility activities that contribute to the objectives of the UPRAISE project.

UPRAISE aims to strengthen Europe’s advanced digital skills capacity in Virtual Worlds technologies and related domains, including:

• Extended Reality (XR)

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Digital Twins

• Immersive Technologies

• Human-Computer Interaction

• Metaverse and Virtual Worlds ecosystems

• Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship

• Sustainability and Ethics in Digital Technologies
• Applications in Manufacturing, Energy, Healthcare, Education and Creativity

The Research Mobility Grant supports GEM PhD students wishing to conduct collaborative research at another academic institution, research laboratory, innovation hub, industry partner, or UPRAISE consortium member, where the proposed research contributes directly to one or more UPRAISE application domains 

Eligible activities

The grant supports short-term research mobility activities carried out between participating institutions, laboratories, research centres, innovation ecosystems, or industrial organisations.

Eligible activities include:

• Research visits

• Collaborative research projects
• Access to specialised laboratories or infrastructures
• Joint supervision activities
• Research data collection
• Experimental studies
• Development of scientific publications
• Participation in research activities related to Virtual Worlds technologies and applications

The proposed activity must clearly demonstrate its relevance to the UPRAISE objectives and expected impact on the applicant’s doctoral research.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must meet all the following conditions:

Academic status

Applicants must:

• Applicants must be regularly enrolled as PhD students at Grenoble Ecole de Management for the 2026–2027 academic year and must maintain their enrolment status throughout the mobility period.

Nationality

Applicants must be citizens of:

• An EU Member State or

• A country eligible under the Digital Europe Programme  (the full list is available here: list-3rd-country-participation_digital_en.pdf );

Research topic

The proposed research must contribute to one or more UPRAISE thematic areas related to:

• Virtual Worlds
• XR technologies
• AI applications
• Digital Twins
• Digital innovation ecosystems
• Human-centred digital transformation
• Sectoral applications in manufacturing, energy, healthcare, education, creativity, or public services

Proficiency in English 

This is a fundamental requirement, as it is the official language of both the Open Call and PHD program. Unless the applicant is a native English speaker, they must provide a certified score report meeting minimum thresholds: 

• TOEFL IBT: 80
• IELTS Academic/IELTS Indicator: 6.0
• Cambridge English (Proficiency/Advanced/Business Higher): Grade A/B/C
• Duolingo English Test: 100
• Bachelor’s degree was fully taught in English (official proof required)

Timeline

• Deadline to submit is 9 November 2026, 18:00 Brussels time. 
• Successful applicants will be notified on 12 November 2026 and the mobility can start from 1/12/2026 for up to 3 months.

Available funding

• Amount per scholarship: A maximum of €5,000 
• Number of scholarships: 5 Grenoble Ecole de Management PhD students