Training capacities
While the MuSkLE-PhD programme primarily focuses on training future biologists, considerable efforts have been made to broaden its scientific and educational scope. The consortium brings together laboratories and offers training not only in fundamental and applied biology, but also in mathematics, physics, and social sciences. This structure enables students to receive a truly multidisciplinary education.
In addition, the programme will offer access to 4 new, cutting-edge training modules, unique in Europe (Technical Research Advancement in Musculoskeletal Science, TRAMS). For example, one such specialised training will provide in-depth instruction in the rapidly evolving field of spatial transcriptomics, combining advanced molecular biology techniques with the application of artificial intelligence to biological data.
Doctoral Fellows (DF) will also benefit from international academic partnerships and regional and national connections with private-sector partners. For example, Lyon 1 University is a member of the ARQUS european University Alliance, funded by the Erasmus+ programme with an EU contribution of €14.4 million. This alliance brings together the universities of Granada, Graz, Leipzig, UCBL, Maynooth, Minho, Padua, Vilnius, and Wrocław.
In addition to academic networks, the PhD MuSkLE programme involves non-academic partners including pharmactical companies and firms developing physiological monitoring instruments offering valuable exposure to non-academic career paths to students.
Finally, while the PhD-MuSkLE programme builds on a pre-existing consortium and a strong regional dynamic, its foundation also lies in the well-established expertise of Lyon 1 University and its partners in doctoral education. Lyon 1 and its affiliated institutions host more than 10 national doctoral schools and have been awarded 4 COFUND PhD programmes. In addition, many of the participating research teams have significant experience in PhD supervision (around 360 PhD students trained) and have successfully obtained funding through Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks (6 projects funded).
Training programme
The training programme is structured around 5 complementary pillars:
- Research training through original projects in top-level laboratories, covering all scales of musculoskeletal biology—from molecules to whole organisms—and using a variety of experimental models (human, animal, organoids, etc.).
- Interdisciplinary and intersectoral exposure through secondments, joint supervision, and collaborative projects between academic and non-academic institutions, enabling DFs to develop cross-cutting expertise and collaborative skills.
- A structured transferable skills curriculum, including scientific communication, data management and open science, entrepreneurship, ethics and integrity, project management, and leadership.
- A personalised Career Development Plan (CDP), designed and monitored by the DF, their supervisor(s), and a member of the SB. This plan will define both short-term academic and technical objectives and long-term career ambitions, in either the academic or non-academic sectors. The CDP will be reviewed annually and may be updated at any time to adapt to the evolving needs and aspirations of the DF. The SB member will also serve as a resource person for career guidance and conflict resolution.
- Personalised Training Pathways, aligned with Horizon Europe and MSCA principles of researcher-centred training. While ethics training is mandatory for all DFs, they will be encouraged to tailor the rest of their training programme to suit their specific research interests and career goals. DFs will select from a diverse catalogue of training modules, accumulating a minimum of 40 hours. This personalised approach fosters both scientific excellence and transferable skill development, empowering researchers to actively shape their professional trajectory. All training sessions will be evaluated by the universities’ dedicated services to ensure quality and relevance.
Each DF will benefit from:
- At least one interdisciplinary training workshop per year, open to all cohorts and focused on key thematic or methodological challenges in the field (e.g., AI for biomechanics, ethics of human performance enhancement, or data integration in regenerative medicine);
- Four new transversal training modules, including one on advanced spatial transcriptomics and AI-based analysis tools—a unique feature at the European level;
- Annual retreats and networking events, organised across partner sites in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, to foster peer exchange and develop a strong MuSkLE community.
The regional scale of the programme also facilitates low-carbon mobility for in-person training and events, in line with the EU’s environmental sustainability goals.
Three core training pillars
Scientific skills
Technical Research Advancement in Musculoskeletal Science (TRAMS)
Animal experimentation (conception level Ib diploma)
Python
Funding process and grant application
Image analyses
Writing an article with LaTeX#
Biostatistics
Conference proteasome muscle
Training from the existing Graduate MuSkLE programme
Soft skills
Ethics and scientific integrity
Scientific illustration, Inkscape
Science communication and media training
Project management
Stress management
Wikipedia workshop “Wikifier la science”
Transferable skills
Introducing to entrepreneur as a PhD
Acting against gender-based and sexual violence in higher education
Introduction to statistics with R
Artificial intelligence…with intelligence
Introduction to FIDLE-deep learning
Introduction to machine learning
Documentary research strategy for STM (Science Technology Medicine) theses
PHDOOC: Doctorate and career development
Developing communication tools for your job search
Working in the social and solidarity economy
Work on your pitch to prepare for job interviews
Arqus Career week outside academia
Workshop on mentorship
Workshop on diversity and inclusiveness in Science
Career development in academia
Workshop on low carbon
Sexism in research
Open Science
Science Communication and Outreach
A wide array of scientific training (mainly in English) will be offered to DFs.
- Courses range from general scientific tools (statistics, bioinformatics, animal experimentation, image analysis, etc), to advanced domains specific to the musculoskeletal system, locomotion and exercise. Many of these are drawn from the existing Excellence MuSkLE-Graduate programme, the educational programme from which the application is based (e.g., muscular physiology, electrophysiology, skeletal tissue engineering, etc.).
- DFs will also access (on demand) to 4 Technical Research Advancement in Musculoskeletal Science (TRAMS): advanced training modules of high level (coming from the unique expertise developed by the associated partners) will be proposed to give a cutting-edge technical training (tissue clarification and spatial transcriptomics of musculoskeletal tissues, muscle activity measurements).
A programme focused on soft skills will be proposed to DFs, addressing topics such as scientific writing, project management, Ethics and Research integrity. In complete alignment with Horizon Europe and MSCA commitments to ethics, research integrity, and responsible research and innovation, all DFs in the MuSkLE-PhD programme will complete dedicated ethics training as an integral part of their doctoral journey. These courses will cover key topics including plagiarism prevention, data integrity, and responsible conduct of research. Certification of ethics training will be a prerequisite for thesis submission and defence at Lyon 1 University and will be enforced across all partner institutions to ensure a common standard. Lyon 1 University, a signatory of the French national charter on Ethics and Professional Conduct, offers structured access to high-quality resources, including France Université Numérique (FUN)’s MOOC courses, specifically designed for early-career researchers. Additionally, the university conducts institutional campaigns on anti-plagiarism and good scientific practices multiple times per year. These resources will be made available to all MuSkLE fellows, regardless of host institution. Additionally, DFs will benefit from access to training on ethical considerations in emerging technologies, including a dedicated module on artificial intelligence, provided through Spatial Cell ID, the first national platform dedicated to spatial transcriptomics, lead by Jonathan Enriquez and Yad Ghavi-Helm. This comprehensive framework ensures that all MuSkLE DFs are equipped with the ethical and digital competencies expected of MSCA fellows and future leaders in European research.
A programme dedicated to transferable (horizontal) skills will be offered to DFs:
- Training encompasses scientific writing, project management, gender equity, open science, entrepreneurship, and career development, both within and outside academia.
- Thanks to our associated partners (accelerator of technology, innovation and incubator organisations hosted by all the implementing partners), all DFs will be able to attend a 3-day bootcamp every year, summer schools dedicated to entrepreneurship, business model, and intellectual property. One training is devoted exclusively to women’s entrepreneurship. These organisations are part of a regional network for academic innovation and are well-connected to local companies, with many supervisors already involved in business creation.
