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Photonics Scholarships & PhD Positions 2026–2027: 14+ Open Programmes

14 verified photonics scholarships & phd positions for 2026–2027 are open right now, concentrated in Netherlands and France. The soonest deadline is 7 November 2026 — closing-soon entries are flagged in the list. Hosted by Eindhoven University of Technology, University of Manchester and EMJM Imaging Consortium. Listings are re-verified daily against official sources.

EMJM Imaging Consortium

EMJM Imaging – Erasmus Mundus Master in Imaging

EMJM Imaging Consortium · France

EMJM Imaging is an Erasmus Mundus master dedicated to imaging science — from medical imaging to photonics and computational imaging — delivered by a French-led consortium. The 2027-2029 application dates had not been posted at the time of checking; the previous round closed in early January 2026, so a similar timeline is likely.

Fully Funded€1,400/month (EMJM scholarship rate)
To be announcedDetails
EuroPhotonics Consortium (Aix-Marseille)

EuroPhotonics – Erasmus Mundus Master in Photonics

EuroPhotonics Consortium (Aix-Marseille) · France

EuroPhotonics is the long-running Erasmus Mundus master in photonics coordinated from Aix-Marseille with partners in Barcelona and Karlsruhe. The 2027-2029 recruitment campaign runs from 1 November 2026 to 4 February 2027, covering photonics engineering, biophotonics and quantum-light specialisations.

Fully Funded€1,400/month (EMJM scholarship rate)
Closes in 101 daysDetails

PhD studentship at the University of Manchester to build heterogeneous quantum-dot–atom repeaters for quantum networks, combining III-V semiconductor quantum-dot photon sources with warm rubidium atomic vapour for frequency conversion and photon storage. Supervised by Dr Joanna Zajac. Stipend £21,805 per year (2026/27 UKRI rate). Deadline: 1 December 2026.

Partially FundedGBP 21,805 per year (2026/27 UKRI rate, tax-free)
Closes in 36 daysDetails

IMAPP is an Erasmus Mundus master in applied physics delivered by a European consortium with strong laboratory and instrumentation components. Its dedicated 2027-2028 timeline page lists the application windows, scholarship milestones and results dates for the next intake.

Fully Funded€1,400/month (EMJM scholarship rate)
See official page for datesDetails
IMLEX Consortium (University of Eastern Finland)

IMLEX – Master of Science in Imaging and Light in Extended Reality (Erasmus Mundus)

IMLEX Consortium (University of Eastern Finland) · Finland

IMLEX combines photonics, lighting technology and computer science for extended-reality applications, coordinated from the University of Eastern Finland with Japanese industry ties through Yoshino Co. The next application round runs from 2 December 2026 to 13 January 2027 (23:59 UTC+2) via the national Studyinfo service.

Fully Funded€1,400/month (EMJM scholarship rate)
Closes in 79 daysDetails

LASCALA trains physicists in large-scale accelerator and laser technologies, including the facilities that power research at institutes like CERN and ELI. The class of 2027-2029 campaign opened on 2 November 2026, with the scholarship deadline on 17 February 2027 and a self-financed window to 30 April 2027.

Fully Funded€1,400/month (EMJM scholarship rate)
Closes in 114 daysDetails

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) invites applications for a PhD position on advanced epitaxial growth for indium-phosphide (InP) based photonic integrated circuits. The doctoral project works with a state-of-the-art Aixtron epitaxy reactor to grow InP, InGaAsP and InAlGaAs heterostructures that form the active building blocks of integrated photonic devices.

Fully FundedEUR 3,204 - EUR 4,051 gross per month (CAO-NU PhD scale)
Closing soon · 15 daysDetails

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) invites applications for a PhD position on dynamic space-time interfaces for high-speed terahertz (THz) beam control. The project develops dynamically modulated THz interfaces that can steer, shape and route terahertz beams at high speed, including nonreciprocal propagation effects that break the usual symmetry of wave transmission.

Fully FundedEUR 3,204 - EUR 4,051 gross per month (CAO-NU PhD scale)
Closing soon · 15 daysDetails

Employed PhD position in laser spectroscopy at Uppsala University's Department of Physics and Astronomy (ref UFV-PA 2026/2816). Monthly doctoral salary. Deadline: 20 November 2026.

Fully FundedSalary per Swedish collective agreement (typically SEK 32,000–35,000/month initial)
Closing soon · 25 daysDetails
University of Manchester

PhD/MPhil Photon Physics at The University of Manchester

University of Manchester · United Kingdom

PhD/MPhil in Photon Physics at The University of Manchester. Harnessing quantum technology to reveal what other tools cannot. Research in Quantum Technology for Physics develops new experimental techniques and approaches that exploit quantum mechanics to better our understanding of the physical world. Use state-of-the-art laser facilities at the Photon Science Institute and work with industrial partners.

Partially FundedStipend/salary rate set by the funder — see the official listing
Rolling admissionsDetails

This PhD uses optical measurements to understand polymer-based electronic devices while they operate. The goal is to connect material behaviour with device stability and energy-efficient computing. Applicants can apply without IELTS - selection is based on documents and an English interview, not a test certificate.

Fully Funded€3,204–€4,051 gross/month, increasing with doctoral year.
Closing soon · 12 daysDetails

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) invites applications for a PhD position on spatiotemporal light generation with frequency-gradient metasurfaces. The project explores engineered metasurfaces that imprint controlled frequency gradients on ultrashort optical pulses, enabling ultrafast beam steering, temporal focusing and self-torque light beams.

Fully FundedEUR 3,204 - EUR 4,051 gross per month (CAO-NU PhD scale)
Closing soon · 15 daysDetails

RADMEP+ is a multidisciplinary European master on how radiation affects microelectronics and photonics — a key specialisation for space, nuclear and high-radiation environments. Application rounds have opened in mid-October and closed on 9 February in the last two cycles, so the 2027-2029 round is expected to follow the same rhythm.

Fully Funded€1,400/month (EMJM scholarship rate)
Closes in 106 daysDetails