ALLIANCE is a COFUND doctoral program led by Lund University and partners, designed to train 40 Doctoral Candidates over two 48-month cycles. It builds on the HELIOS and HALRIC networks, offering two tracks—International-Academic or Industrial-Academic—within a transnational knowledge hub.

The program integrates advanced methodologies from physics, engineering, and life sciences, focusing on imaging, machine learning, and data science to address societal challenges in health and technology. Doctoral Candidates benefit from structured career planning, skills development, peer networking, and mandatory secondments, with access to world-leading research facilities and infrastructures.

ALLIANCE aims to create a new generation of interdisciplinary scientists, leveraging regional investments and advanced research environments to drive innovation in Europe.

Partners:

  • Lund University (ULUND)

  • University of Hamburg (UHAM)

  • Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY)

  • European XFEL facility (EuXFEL)

  • Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)

Call for the doctoral candidates - more information coming soon

About the implementing partners

Lund University, founded in 1666, is Scandinavia’s largest research university and a global top 100 institution. With over 3,500 researchers and 6,000 international students, ULUND has led more than 1,000 EU projects, primarily in technology, science, and medicine. Here, ULUND is represented by its Department of Physics—a major hub for modern physics research, with 400 staff across seven divisions, and a central role in the MAXIV laboratory and international collaborations.

University of Hamburg, awarded in 2019 as University of Excellence, offers a unique research infrastructure and has a vibrant interdisciplinary scientific community. UHAM's collaboration with DESY through the PIER graduate school enhances the programme's interdisciplinary approach.

Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) is one of the world's leading accelerator centers, generating the world's most intense X-ray light and accelerating particles to record energies.

European XFEL facility (EuXFEL) is the world's largest X-ray laser, allowing researchers to investigate open scientific problems in various disciplines.

Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) is one of the leading biomedical research institutions in Europe, with highly specialized clinics and research departments.