EURAXESS

What it is

EURAXESS is an initiative of the European Commission that supports researchers who want to work or study in Europe. Its best-known part is a job board where universities, research institutes and companies post research positions, including many PhD positions and doctoral network places. It also lists funding opportunities, and it runs a network of service centres, which it counts at more than 600 across 43 European countries as of 2026-09, that give free personalised help with practical matters such as visas, social security and moving.

Why it matters

In many European countries, such as Germany, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries, a PhD is often an advertised position with a salary and an employment contract rather than a place you apply for once a year. Doctoral networks funded through the EU's Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions also recruit through adverts, and their listings state the contract terms. EURAXESS brings many of these adverts together, so it is where a student looking for a funded PhD in Europe should look early.

How to use it well

1. Search the job board by research field, country and "first stage researcher", which usually means doctoral candidates.
2. Read each advert's eligibility, contract type, salary information and closing date.
3. Check the supervisor or group page and recent papers before applying.
4. Use the country pages and service centres for questions about visas and residence permits once you have an offer.

Is it worth it?

Yes for PhD applicants targeting Europe. It is official, free and broad. Limits: not every position is posted there, adverts vary in how much they say about funding for international applicants, and the job board is designed for researchers generally, so filtering well takes a little practice. Combine it with university job pages and FindAPhD.

Free or paid

Free for researchers and free for institutions to post vacancies.

Common questions

Is every PhD in Europe a paid job? No. It depends on the country, the university and the funding. Many are, and adverts say so; others are scholarships or self-funded. Read each advert.

Can I use it for a masters? Mostly not. It focuses on researchers; use national study portals and Mastersportal for masters programmes.