T4EU Junior Labs
Facilitating international networks and interdisciplinarity for PhD students
ABOUT
At Transform4Europe (T4EU), we encourage PhD students and their supervisors to cultivate meaningful networks that will support their future academic and professional careers. The T4EU alliance facilitates connections between students at eleven European universities
Through the Junior Labs initiative, T4EU PhD students have the unique opportunity to establish their own academic groups —known as Junior Labs—or to join existing ones. These labs provide invaluable hands-on academic experience, developing cooperation across disciplines and institutions, and can culminate in academic work, common communication, organisation of activities and participation in T4EU events at the different universities in the alliance.
WHAT ARE T4EU JUNIOR LABS?
T4EU Junior Labs are time-limited, student-led academic networks formed by PhD candidates actively enrolled at T4EU partner universities. These labs aim to:
- Encourage interdisciplinary academic work.
- Facilitate networking among PhDs.
- Promote international engagement and provide critical experience to enhance future career prospects.
- Encourage international mobility in Europe.
Each Junior Lab operates over a period of up to two years, led by a project leader who must be registered as a PhD student at a T4EU university throughout the duration of the project. Other participating students must also be enrolled within a T4EU university.
T4EU can provide your network with help in communicating about your activities and with organization of mobility. The alliance can also provide you with advice on T4EU activities adapted for your working group.
HOW TO START?
Applications for Junior Labs are reviewed by the Joint PhD Office to ensure alignment with the T4EU pillars.
- The inaugural call is open from June 2025, with a submission deadline the 30 September 2025.
- Applicants will be notified by late November 2025.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- Who is eligible?
Doctoral students currently enrolled at any university within the T4EU alliance.
- How does it work?
A doctoral student from the alliance can initiate a Junior Lab or join an existing one, fostering international, interdisciplinary networks.
- Duration?
Junior Labs are established for a period of two years.
HOW TO GET STARTED
- Seek approval from your academic supervisor and home institution.
- Complete the initial contact form to engage with T4EU representatives and discuss your ideas.
- Find the documents to provide here
Develop your proposal and assemble a team of participants from at least 3 different T4EU universities. T4EU can help you to arrange a call for participation if you are searching for more members and communicate your idea through the network. You can also use the Connect4Research tool to find academic contacts within T4EU. Your proposal is to be sent in via your local T4EU contact. Find the documents to provide here.
