TERRA-MED: The “UM ” is a partner in a new European doctoral program on environmental challenges in the Mediterranean
With a total budget of 8.1 million euros, TERRA-MED is a new European doctoral program dedicated to issues related to water, land, and energy in the Mediterranean. Coordinated by the Pyrenees-Mediterranean Euroregion and funded under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA COFUND) of Horizon Europe, it will enable the recruitment of 33 doctoral researchers in Occitanie, Catalonia, and the Balearic Islands. As a project partner, the University of Montpellier will host eight of these doctoral candidates.
Training a new generation of researchers to address Mediterranean challenges
In light of the impacts of climate change, which are particularly affecting the Mediterranean basin, TERRA-MED aims to train a new generation of researchers capable of taking an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the interactions between water, land, and energy.
The program brings together universities, research organizations, and socioeconomic stakeholders from the three regions that make up the Pyrenees-Mediterranean Euroregion: Occitanie, Catalonia, and the Balearic Islands.
The 33 doctoral researchers s recruited will benefit from an international and cross-sectoral training environment that combines research, mobility, and collaboration among the program’s partners. This approach is intended to foster the development of new knowledge and solutions to address the environmental challenges facing Mediterranean regions.
Eight dissertations accepted at the University of Montpellier
As a partner in TERRA-MED, the University of Montpellier will serve as the primary supervising institution for four doctoral dissertations under the program. Four other dissertations, for which various Spanish universities will serve as primary supervising institutions, will involve researchers affiliated with theUM. A ninth dissertation will be hosted by Institut Agro Montpellier, a partner in the I-SITE program of excellence led by theUM.
This participation is fully in line with the University of Montpellier’s strategy regarding education through research and European and Mediterranean cooperation. It also reinforces the expertise of its scientific communities on major environmental challenges, particularly those related to biodiversity, vector-borne risks, and water management in the context of climate change.
Among the 15 challenges supported by the Region, the University of Montpellier is the lead institution for the “key challenges” in the areas of biodiversity, water, and infectious diseases. The selected thesis topics therefore focus primarily on these key challenges.
A doctoral program supported by the European Union
TERRA-MED has received 4.4 million euros in funding from the European Union under the MSCA COFUND call, for a total budget of 8.1 million euros.
Coordinated by the Pyrenees-Mediterranean Euroregion, the project brings together a network of academic and socio-economic partners with the goal of enhancing the international appeal of research and doctoral training throughout the European Mediterranean region.
TERRA-MED by the Numbers
- 33 International doctoral researchers
- 8 dissertations accepted by the University of Montpellier
- 3 regions: Occitanie, Catalonia, and the Balearic Islands
- 12 partners (including 10 universities)
- A budget of 8.106 M€, including 4.356 M€ in European funding
Learn more: TERRA-MED – Pyrenees-Mediterranean Euroregion
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA COFUND 2026) grant agreement.
