What happens when the Internet fails?

What happens when a submarine cable is cut? When satellites lose contact with one another? Or when a cyberattack disrupts the networks we depend on every day?

The Internet is remarkably resilient, but it is far from invulnerable. As our dependence on digital infrastructure grows, so does the need to understand where it is vulnerable, how failures spread, and what we can do about them.

These are some of the questions we want to explore in RESILIOUS.

We are bringing together 15 PhD researchers and a network of universities, research centres, and industry partners across Europe to investigate how we can make the Internet more resilient. The research spans satellite communications, underwater robotics, network security, autonomous systems, and Internet governance.

As part of RESILIOUS, you'll have the opportunity to explore challenging research questions, experiment with new ideas, and work alongside researchers and industry experts from different disciplines and countries.

We are recruiting 15 PhD researchers. If you are curious about how the Internet works, why it sometimes fails, and what we could do differently, have a look at our open positions. One of these questions might be yours to explore.

Who can apply?

We welcome applications from curious and motivated people from around the world.

You don't need to know everything about your chosen research topic before starting your PhD. We're looking for people who enjoy tackling difficult problems, asking questions, learning new things, and working with others.

Different positions call for different skills and backgrounds, so have a look at the individual vacancies to see which ones interest you.

Eligibility requirements

There are a few formal requirements under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme:

• No PhD yet: You must not already hold a doctoral degree at the time of recruitment.
• Mobility rule: You must not have lived or carried out your main activity (work or studies) in the country where you will be recruited for more than 12 months during the 36 months before recruitment. MSCA exceptions may apply.
• Open to all nationalities: You can apply regardless of your nationality.
• University admission: You must meet the PhD admission requirements of the university associated with your position.

How to apply

Please submit your CV, copies of your Bachelor's and Master's degrees and academic transcripts, and a research statement of no more than 800 words.

About your research statement

We are not looking for a polished research proposal or a summary of everything you know about the topic. We'd like to understand how you approach an unfamiliar research problem.

Choose one specific question related to the position and explain why you find it interesting, what makes it challenging, and how you might begin investigating it.

We would also like you to describe one assumption you would question or one experiment that might prove your initial idea wrong. There is no single correct answer.

You are welcome to use AI tools to help with writing and language, but the research choices and reasoning should be your own. We may discuss your ideas during the interview.