The Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) is an international research centre at the forefront of neutron science and technology, offering access to one of the world’s most intense neutron sources and a suite of around 40 continuously evolving instruments.

Based on the European Photon and Neutron Campus in Grenoble (France), alongside ESRF – The European Synchrotron, ILL is a key host institution Nextstep, a high-caliber doctoral training programme designed to equip 36 PhD candidates with the skills and expertise needed to address key challenges in sustainable development and innovation. Together with eDREAM, a distributed research infrastructure specialising in advanced electron microscopy, Nextstep provides access to cutting-edge analytical techniques across Europe.

The programme has recently launched its second call for applications, with seven fully funded PhD positions available at ILL, starting in autumn 2026.

This offers an opportunity to undertake doctoral research within a leading international research infrastructure, in a collaborative, dynamic and multidisciplinary environment.

The application deadline is 3 May 2026. Further details on the available positions and application process are provided below.

• NS26-ILL01 | Lipid droplets as biophysical models for understanding viral replication: molecular mechanisms of dengue capsid protein binding probed by neutron scattering (more info here)
• NS26-ILL03 | Elucidation of reaction pathways for hydrogen reduction by in situ methods (more info here)
• NS26-ILL05 | Time-resolved small angle neutron scattering to understand kinetics of morphological transitions in polymerization-induced self-assembly (more info here)
• NS26-ILL15 | Machine learning for neutron reflectometry (more info here)
• NS26-ILL16 | Structural study of a stratum corneum model consisting of corneocytes and intercellular lipids  (more info here)
• NS26-ILL25 | Beyond Binary: multistate spintronics in magnetoelectric antiferromagnets (more info here)
• NS26-ILL36 | Neutron-X-ray imaging for defect-stress mapping in laser-blown-powder repaired aero-engine components (more info here)

P ©  L.THION/ILL

Text by Chiara Facoetti