Between Earth and Sky in Toulouse

Objective

The Programme Between Earth and Sky in Toulouse (BEST) will reinforce the University of Toulouse’s (UT) position as a global leader in multidisciplinary research and education, while strengthening its international strategy and expanding its intersectoral network of academic and non-academic partners through high-quality, interdisciplinary doctoral projects. The programme will advance the objectives of the Toulouse Initiative for Research’s Impact on Society (TIRIS), a strategic effort to federate UT’s academic strengths, promote interdisciplinary research, and place science at the heart of major societal challenges: 1. Understanding and promoting healthy living and well-being, 2. Quantifying and analysing the societal impact of global change, 3. Accelerating sustainable transitions in mobility, energy, resources and industrial change, and fostering breakthrough innovation in aeronautics and space. BEST will fund 37 doctoral fellows hosted for three years in one of UT’s 143 laboratories. Coordinated by the Doctoral College of Toulouse, it will offer each fellow a tailor-made training path combining interdisciplinary research, intersectoral mobility, and career development. Fellows will benefit from international partnerships, secondments, and exposure to societal actors engaged in Europe’s green and digital transitions. The programme will foster lasting academic-industry links and strengthen integration between STEM and SSH. Beyond academic excellence, BEST aims to modernise UT’s doctoral recruitment and training practices by aligning them with the highest European standards. It will also promote open science, inclusive participation, and global visibility for Toulouse as a hub of responsible, forward-looking research. In this spirit, the programme invites researchers to imagine new ways of thinking, connecting, and growing between Earth and Sky.