Open Positions
The ORBIS project is currently recruiting doctoral candidates (DCs) to work on sixteen individual research projects at participating institutions in Spain, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden or Switzerland.
Over the course of three years, ORBIS’s DCs will research topics at the forefront of orbitronics and nanoelectronics and benefit from a comprehensive and intersectoral training program including project workshops, special training sessions and participation in two secondments for a total of 6 months.
Furthermore, they will be enrolled in a PhD programme at an ORBIS beneficiary or associated partner and thus benefit from all local training activities and specialized courses. At the end of the 36-month period, the DCs will defend their PhD theses and obtain their degrees.
Read about the available individual research projects (IRP) below
Available Individual Research Projects (IRP)
Theoretical project
Experimental project
IRP1
CIC nanoGUNE, Spain
Optimization of orbit-to-charge conversion for magnetic readout in logic devices
IRP2
Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
Toward terahertz orbital pumping in ferromagnet/non-magnet stacks
IRP3
CEA-IRAMIS, France
Timescales of Orbital/charge interconversion in Rashba systems
IRP4
CNRS-Laboratoire Albert Fert, France
Electrical and current-gradient control of the orbital torque with light elements
IRP5
CNRS-CINaM, France
Ferroelectric control of orbital transport
IRP6
Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Germany
Angular momentum generation, conversion and transport in 2D heterostructures
IRP7
Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Germany
Orbital currents for spin excitations and exchange interactions
IRP8
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Netherlands
Orbitronics in van der Waals heterostructures
IRP9
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Netherlands
Spin- and orbitronics in chiral materials
IRP10
Martin Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
Microscopic origin and optimization of the orbital Hall effect
IRP11
International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Portugal
Exploring the impact of disorder on the orbital Hall and orbital Edelstein effects in 2D materials
IRP12
Uppsala Universitet, Sweden
Theory for detection of induced spin and orbital densities
IRP13
THALES, France
Orbital torque and pumping for GHz and THz magnonic devices
IRP14
NELLOW, France
Ferroelectric control of orbital currents
IRP15
SIMUNE, Spain
User friendly graphical user interface for multiscale transport approach
IRP16
ETH Zürich, Switzerland
Enhancing the efficiency of orbital-to-spin conversion for spin-orbit torque devices
Application info
Application period
1 February – 31 March 2026 (or until positions are filled).
Evaluation on a rolling basis.
Start date
Candidates are expected to start working on the project between June and September 2026.
Eligibility
The 16 researchers that will be recruited to work on ORBIS:
- may be of any nationality.
- must be proficient in written and spoken English.
Additionally, in accordance with the European Commission’s eligibility requirements for MSCA Doctoral Networks, at the time of recruitment (i.e. contract starting date) the researchers:
- must not have been awarded a doctoral degree.
- must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the employing institution for more than 12 months in the last 3 years.
We are offering
A comprehensive and international training programme in the burgeoning field of orbitronics
Training in research-specific, complementary and soft skills, that involve both the academic and industry sectors and are tailor-made to prepare young researchers for their future careers.
A competitive salary, adjusted according to the host country.
A mobility allowance (1)* of 710€/month and, if applicable, a family allowance (2)* of 660€ as part of the employment package.
Selection criteria
Academic record.
Scientific background.
Expected impact and benefits of the proposed training to the ESR’s career.
**
(1) The mobility allowance is aimed at covering private mobility-related costs of the recruited researcher, including travel and accommodation costs. This contribution does not cover travel for professional or research purposes.
(2) If the recruited doctoral candidate has or acquires family obligations during duration of the project, i.e. persons linked to him/her by (i) marriage, or (ii) a relationship with equivalent status to a marriage recognised by the legislation of the country or region where this relationship was formalised; or (iii) dependent children who are actually being maintained by the researcher, a family allowance will be paid to him/her as well.
