EXTENDING THE RAIL NETWORK OF PHDS

The "Extending the Rail Network of PhDs" opportunity, designated as HORIZON-JU-ER-2025-EXPLR-03, is a grant program under the HORIZON Europe framework focused on furthering research and innovation in the rail sector. It aims to establish 3-5 PhD positions per funded project, enhancing collaboration between academia and industry, particularly the rail supply industry, SMEs, and start-ups.

Eligible applicants include universities or similar high-level research institutes that can form consortia with industry partners. The funding type is a lump sum grant, with a total indicative budget of €1 million to be distributed across two expected grants. Each grant is expected to range from €200,000 to €500,000. The application process is a single-stage submission with deadlines set for opening on October 30, 2025, and closing on February 11, 2026.

Geographic eligibility aligns with standard Horizon Europe rules, including EU member states and associated countries, thus promoting broad participation across Europe. There is a co-funding requirement for private members of consortia, requiring them to provide in-kind contributions valued at a ratio of 1.26352 times their funding request.

The research topics focus on two primary areas: noise reduction barriers in rail transport to mitigate environmental impact and the integration of smart grid technologies in railway systems to enhance energy efficiency. The call encourages innovative PhD proposals related to the EU-Rail Programme. It also emphasizes the importance of creating a sustainable rail system, cultivating a new generation of researchers who can engage effectively with the broader Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking community.

The funded PhDs are expected to contribute significantly to railway research and innovation, engaging in activities such as knowledge transfer, collaboration with industry partners, and participation in EU-Rail events and conferences. The expected outcome is a strengthened network of rail research, driving innovation towards sustainability and efficiency in the European rail sector.

For more information, potential applicants can consult the EU-Rail Joint Undertaking website or the Funding and Tenders Portal, with inquiries directed to the EU-RAIL JU Call Helpdesk prior to the query deadline.

The Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (JU) is offering a Research and Innovation Action grant to extend the rail research and innovation community by funding 3-5 PhD positions. The goal is to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing within the EU-Rail Programme. Consortia applying for this grant should aim to create PhD positions that can interact with the Funding Members of the Europe’s Rail JU. PhD researchers will be expected to engage with the JU, present research findings, and contribute to relevant events and publications. The JU expects to fund proposals from universities or similar institutes, each covering at least one PhD student.

Two specific PhD topics are highlighted, but applicants can propose other relevant scientific areas related to the EU-Rail Programme:

1. Low-Height Noise Reduction Barriers in Rail Transport: This topic focuses on mitigating the environmental impact of rail operations, particularly noise pollution affecting residents near rail corridors. Research should investigate noise reduction techniques, design and construction requirements for low-height noise barriers. Expected outcomes include:
 * Critical design and implementation parameters for low-height noise barriers, considering location, noise reduction, and cost-benefit.
 * Modeling the dependencies between barrier heights and materials, noise reduction levels, and noise propagation.
 * Identification of sustainable materials aligned with circular economy principles and rail safety requirements, such as plant-based barriers.
 * Assessment of secondary benefits like improved living conditions, enhanced passenger experience, better visibility for rescue operations, and improved site accessibility for maintenance.
 * Cost-benefit analysis comparing low-height barriers with traditional noise barriers, considering reduced material usage, complexity, costs, and manufacturing time.
 * Evaluation of the impact of low-height noise barriers on landscape aesthetics, constructability, and suitability in various rail corridor areas.
 * Justified actionable insights and recommendations for design, implementation, and adoption.
 * Detailed benefits and benefits measurements models proving their cost-effectiveness, environmental sustainability, and social impact.

2. Smart Grids and Micro Smart Grids in the Railway System: This topic addresses the transition to a sustainable and energy-efficient transport system by integrating smart grid technologies into the rail sector. Research should focus on energy supply and demand management, renewable energy integration, and optimizing energy consumption. Areas of focus include:
 * Energy Market Segment Analysis: Analyzing the current market status of smart grids and micro smart grids in the rail sector, considering the outputs of EU-RAIL JU’s Flagship Area 4 (FA4).
 * Impact Assessment: Analyzing the impact of new power supply sources/technologies on the current regulatory framework and its capacity to adapt to energy innovations in railways.
 * Commercialization and Standardization Roadmap: Investigating appropriate governance models for a self-sustained rail power supply grid, including efficient management, commercialization, and standardization.
 * Practical and theoretical recommendations for deriving a model that could influence energy, regulatory, and technological development for the future of sustainable railway transport.

Interactions with other EU-RAIL projects, specifically PhDs EU-Rail (GA 101175856) and Academics4Rail (GA 101121842), are expected to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration. The action should also interact with the project funded under HORIZON-JU-ER-2025-FA4-01: A sustainable and green rail system.

The proposal page limit is 70 pages, as an exception to the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2023-2025 General Annexes. Admissibility conditions are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes, complemented by additional criteria in Annex VIII. Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

The starting date for grants may be the submission date, with applicants needing to justify a retroactive start. Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum. The total indicative budget for the topic is 1 million EUR. Applicant Private Members of the EU-Rail part of consortia should provide in-kind contributions to additional activities to be declared via the template model available on the F&T portal. The amount of total in-kind contributions should be no less than 1.26352 times the funding request. Grant agreements will set annual deliverables on in-kind contributions and mandatory reporting requirements for Private Members of EU-Rail.

EU-Rail expects proposals from consortia with expertise in the areas presented in the call text or other scientifically relevant areas. Applicants should leverage knowledge from academia, the rail supply industry, SMEs, and start-ups, considering client expectations in the horizon 2030 and the EU-Rail Master Plan and Multi-Annual Work Plan.

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including Part B forms for HE EU-RAIL IA, RIA, and CSA. Evaluation form templates are also available for RIA/IA and CSA actions. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, call-specific instructions, and information on financial support to third parties. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual.

The EU-RAIL JU Call Helpdesk can be contacted at info-call@rail-research.europa.eu, with a deadline for queries on Wednesday 28 January 2026 at 17:00 (Brussels Local Time).

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to boost research and innovation in the rail sector by supporting PhD projects. It encourages collaboration between academia and industry, focusing on topics like noise reduction and smart grids, while also allowing for applicant-proposed research areas. The EU-Rail Joint Undertaking seeks to create a network of researchers who can contribute to the future of sustainable and innovative rail transport in Europe. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and applicants should form consortia with relevant expertise and consider the long-term vision for the rail industry.

Eligible Applicant Types: Universities or similar high-level institutes, Academia, rail supply industry, SMEs, and start-ups are mentioned as entities whose expertise is valuable for the consortia. The call is targeted towards scientific research entities.

Funding Type: Grant. The call is a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) under Horizon Europe, which typically provides grants. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement: Consortium. The call explicitly requests related entities to establish consortia.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The text refers to Horizon Europe Work Programme 2023-2025 General Annexes for eligible countries, and mentions that a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries have specific provisions for funding. Therefore, the geographic eligibility includes EU, associated countries, and potentially some non-EU/non-associated countries as specified in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: Rail transport, smart grids, micro smart grids, energy, environment, sustainability, noise reduction, advanced materials, engineering, and research. The primary focus is on extending the rail research and innovation community and promoting collaboration in areas related to the EU-Rail Programme.

Mentioned Countries: The text does not explicitly mention specific countries, but refers to EU, non-EU, and associated countries.

Project Stage: Research, development, and validation. The call aims to extend the rail research and innovation community and realize PhD positions, suggesting a focus on early-stage research and development.

Funding Amount: The total indicative budget for the topic is 1 million EUR.

Application Type: Open call. The text refers to a single-stage submission process and provides a deadline.

Nature of Support: Money. The eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Application Stages: 1. The call follows a single-stage submission process.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants for HORIZON-JU-ER-2025-EXPLR-03 is 2.

Co-funding Requirement: Applicant Private Members of the EU-Rail part of consortia responding to this topic should provide in-kind contributions to additional activities to be declared via the template model available on the F&T portal. The amount of total in-kind contributions (i.e. in-kind contributions for operational activities and in-kind contributions for additional activities) should be no less than 1.26352 times the funding request, in aggregate, of these applicant Private Members. Any discrepancy shall be well and duly justified.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, managed by the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking, seeks to expand the rail research and innovation network by funding consortia to establish 3-5 PhD positions. The call encourages collaboration between academia, industry (including SMEs and start-ups), and research entities to explore topics related to the EU-Rail Programme. The total budget is 1 million EUR, and the funding will be distributed as lump-sum grants. The call is open to entities from the EU, associated countries, and potentially some non-EU/non-associated countries. The call focuses on research and innovation actions, particularly in areas like low-height noise reduction barriers and smart grids in railway systems, but also allows for applicant-proposed topics related to the EU-Rail Programme. Applicants are expected to form consortia that include universities or similar high-level institutes, and private members of the EU-Rail part of consortia are expected to provide in-kind contributions. The application process is a single-stage submission, with a deadline of February 11, 2026. The call aims to foster a sustainable and green rail system by supporting PhD research that contributes to the Europe’s Rail Programme and promotes innovation in the rail sector.