TERRA-MED: An Interregional PhD Project for Advancing Sustainability and Climate Resilience in Occitania, the Balearic Islands, and Catalonia.
TERRA-MED is a pioneering international PhD project led by the Euroregion Pyrenees Mediterranean that addresses the growing challenges of climate change in the Mediterranean. The project will attract and train talented young researchers from around the world and bring together leading universities, research centres, public authorities, and local organisations to develop practical solutions that directly benefit people, communities, and territories.
The three Mediterranean regions forming the Euroregion are particularly exposed to the compounded impacts of climate change, which disrupt natural resources, ecosystems, and socio-economic systems. To respond to these shared problems, TERRA-MED focuses on the Water–Land–Energy nexus, looking at how water, land, and energy systems are closely connected and how they can be managed more sustainably and efficiently in the face of climate change.
With a total budget of €8.1 million, including €4.3 million EU Funds, TERRA-MED will recruit and support 33 PhD researchers through an international call for applications opening in late 2026. The recruited young talents will work across borders and disciplines, combining science, innovation, and real-world experience. Each PhD project will involve partners from different regions and sectors, with time spent abroad and collaboration between universities, public institutions, and industry.
The 33 doctoral researchers will benefit from a dedicated training programme jointly designed and delivered by the 12 academia partners and 22 associated partners. This programme will help them develop not only strong scientific skills, but also practical, social, and entrepreneurial abilities, preparing them for careers in research, public policy, or industry.
TERRA-MED is the first Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND programme ever coordinated by a Euroregion and the largest competitive research project ever led by the Euroregion Pyrenees Mediterranean. Fully aligned with the European Green Deal and key European missions on water and climate adaptation, TERRA-MED sets the Euroregio as a leading cross-border space for developing innovative and practical solutions to climate change and sustainability challenges in Mediterranean regions.