Deadline: March 10, 2026
Applications are open for the MESCAL Project PhD in Marine Science 2026. The MESCAL Project, in collaboration with Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), IRD, and MARBEC, is offering a 3-year PhD bursary starting September 1, 2026.
The project explores how Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) along the East African coast can enhance fish populations’ resilience to climate change. It involves larval dispersal modeling, genetic analysis, and physiological assessments of key fish species, with research conducted in Kenya, France, and partner countries. The successful candidate will split their time between KMFRI in Mombasa and MARBEC in France, with work travel to South Africa and Tanzania.
Funding
- This bursary is funded by the IRD ARTS program (the bursary is already funded by the ARTS program, no separate application process for the program is necessary). The bursary covers the student stipend, health insurance and the costs of one round-trip travel per year between the two host countries (France and Kenya). Student stipend amount is adjusted based on the living costs of the country where the student is based at a given moment. Additional research and travel costs of the thesis will be covered by the MESCAL project.
Eligibility
- Candidates must originate from one of the partner nations of the IRD (i.e., from the developing world) and they must possess a masters in marine science, ecology, bioinformatics, oceanography or other related fields.
- The ideal candidate will have a Masters degree with course work in or exposure to marine population dynamics, ecological modeling, statistics and population genetics. Previous use of R, Python or Matlab is highly desirable. In addition, as the project will involve collaboration with a number of international partners in a large project, the student must possess strong teamwork skills, including a positive attitude, professional demeanor and good communication skills.
- A strong desire to live and work in France, Kenya and other MESCAL partner countries is central to successful completion of the thesis.
- Proficiency in scientific communication and writing in English will be essential to project success and diffusion of thesis results.
- Candidates from Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa are highly encouraged.
Application
Interested applicants should send an email on or before March 10, 2026 with subject “MESCAL ARTS connectivity PhD application” to [email protected] containing the following materials:
- A letter of motivation, including discussions of the applicant’s interest in this particular project and aspects of the applicant’s background that make him or her particularly appropriate for the project
- A detailed CV
- Names and contact information for 2-4 professional references
- Most recent course grades and class rankings
For more information, visit MESCAL Project PhD in Marine Science.
