Federation for International Refractory Research and Education
News
15 PhD positions open in REFFRACTEUR – FIRE is a partner!
REFFRACTEUR, a new Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions - Doctoral Network (DN-ID), has been selected for funding by the European Commission.
REFFRACTEUR means “Digital REFractory FRAmework for a Carbon-neutral and Resilient indusTry in EURope)” and will train 15 Doctoral Candidates (PhDs) at the interface of materials science, digitalisation, circular economy and industrial decarbonisation, addressing one of Europe’s most strategic challenges: the transformation of high-temperature industries (steel, cement, glass, non-ferrous metals).
What makes REFFRACTEUR unique?
1 - A fully integrated approach combining Digital Product Passports, AI-driven quality control, physics-informed digital twins and decision-support systems
2 - A strong Industrial Doctoral Network, with each PhD spending ~50% of their time in industry
3 - A pan-European consortium covering the entire refractory value chain, from raw materials to end-users and recycling
4 - Direct alignment with the European Clean Industrial Deal, circular economy and climate-neutrality objectives
15 fully funded PhD positions (36 months) are now open across Europe, covering topics in:
1 - Sustainable refractory materials
2 - Microstructure-property relationships
3 - Advanced thermomechanical characterisation
4 - Digital twins & AI
5 - Life-cycle assessment and circularity
6 - Optimisation of industrial operations
Application deadline: 8 June 2026
1 - Open to international candidates (MSCA mobility rules apply)
2 - Full details and application procedure: www.reffracteur.eu
We warmly encourage excellent MSc graduates, as well as colleagues and partners, to share this opportunity within their networks.
Here is the list of our partners: CNRS (Institut de Recherche sur les Céramiques), Montanuniversität Leoben (COC & CPS), Universidade do Minho, Université de Liège, Technische Universität Wien, Université de Limoges, Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge, Forschungsgemeinschaft Feuerfest e. V. - FGF, Elkem ASA, Imerys, RHI Magnesita, Vesuvius, CERAQUITAINE, Safran, SHS - Stahl-Holding-Saar GmbH & Co. KGaA, Fesios, Siemens, Tata Steel Nederland, LSA - Laser Analytical Systems & Automation GmbH, Université de Limoges, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, FIRE - Federation for International Refractory Research & Education, EUROPEAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, RWTH Aachen University, Centre Sciences, Pôle Européen de la Céramique, Cerame-Unie
Last news
Highlight of FIRE Alumni - Mathilda Derensy - Institute of Mineral Resources Engineering, RWTH Aachen University - Germany
My interest in refractories began during my engineering studies in ceramics at ENSCI Limoges, when I discovered that the refractory specialisation offered an international research experience through the FIRE program. I quickly realised that refractories are far more complex and fascinating than simple bricks.
Imerys & FIRE: Driving Innovation in Refractories Through Global Collaboration
I had the immense pleasure of being invited to talk about cooperative refractory research and education during the plenary session of the 20th China National Youth Academic Symposium on Refractories last May. The event took place in Yangzhou, China, and served as a perfect platform to promote the key mission of the Federation of International Refractory Research and Education (FIRE).
Contact us and/or Become Member!
Contact us for any information and/or to Become Member of FIRE: fire@ecers.org
