University Paris-Saclay Interdisciplinary Doctoral Programme in Sciences of Light

LIGHTinPARIS is a MSCA COFUND Doctoral Programme in the field of Sciences of Light aiming at promoting interdisciplinary,international and intersectoral research projects at University Paris-Saclay (UPSaclay).

The Sciences of Light cover a very broad field,from fundamental physics to technological applications in photonics, quantum mechanics and biomedicine and open up anincreasing number of technological applications.

Among these sciences, photonics is one of the key enabling technologies identifiedin the Horizon Europe strategic plan.The Paris-Saclay region has been hosting numerous prestigious research laboratories for several decades.

To gather its strengths,UPSaclay has been created in 2020 by grouping several academic and research institutions located in Saclay area. It joins 8,100researchers working in 275 laboratories.

UPSaclay was ranked 15th in the 2023 Shanghai University ranking, and 3rd in physics (1st inEurope) in the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.Regarding Sciences of Light, UPSaclay gathers 700 researchers working in 28 laboratories across 5 graduate schools. UPSaclaygraduates every year 150 engineers and 70 PhDs specialized in optics.

In addition, UPSaclay hosts many world class research facilities.The Institute for the Sciences of Light (ISL) has been created in 2020 to foster interdisciplinary synergies among the graduate schoolsof physics, chemistry, engineering, geosciences and life sciences and promote international and intersectoral relations.The LIGHTinPARIS programme through ISL will recruit 30 PhD fellows (2 cohorts of 36 months each).

Industrial and international secondments will also be implemented to allow PhD fellows to shape their careers by acquiring technical skills and networking relationships.

Numerous trainings will also be offered to ensure that doctoral students have both technical skills and soft skills by the end of their PhD.