European Talent Academy

Call to participate in UK-EU networking and training opportunity with the Technische Universität München (TUM) and Politecnico di Milano (PoliMi)

2025 theme: Smarter and healthier cities on a changing planet

Application deadline: 8th of December 2025 Time: 18:00 (CET) - 05:00 PM (GMT)

This programme provides newly appointed group leaders at Imperial, TUM and PoliMi working in the areas of food, water, healthy and resilient societies to meet each other across disciplines, to make international research connections, and to participate in a series of online and in-person training sessions, focused on both individual career development (e.g. leadership and communication, proposal writing, policy-influencing) and collaborative research skills (e.g. understanding UK and EU research funding and policy landscapes). The programme also aims to help researchers develop interdisciplinary project teams and develop proposals for further research collaboration.

Newly appointed lecturers and independent research fellows who are within 2-7 years of experience since completion of PhD*, from any of the faculties, who are working on topics that fit into the larger theme of food, water, healthy and resilient societies.

Participation offers the opportunity to:

• Connect with other Imperial, Poli Milano, and TUM group leaders doing work in complementary research areas and form important networks for future collaboration.
• Attend training and gain information about research funding available to support UK-EU research collaborations.
• Start thinking early in careers about accessing research funding to support career and research goals.
• Start building a portfolio of collaborative applications and funding for future Horizon Europe and other funding proposal calls.

Each institution will pay for the costs of its selected early career researchers to participate in the programme, including travel for in-person sessions. We anticipate having 5-8 participants from each institution, maximum 24 participants total. 

Background

Imperial and TUM formed a strategic partnership in 2018.  TUM and PoliMi formed a strategic partnership in 2022. As entrepreneurial universities focused on science and technology and with strong connections to industry, the three universities are well-positioned to collaborate. All three universities are committed to supporting early career researchers in establishing UK-EU networks for research and innovation. 

TUM launched the European Talent Academy in 2020-21, and the programme has thus far had over 87 ECRs participate from the three institutions. 

Previous themes were the EU Green Deal, Trustworthy AI, Lifelong Health and Climate, Energy and Mobility, Water and Food for Healthy and Resilient Societies.

Theme for 2026

To guarantee that the participants have a thematic research link and that the presented funding instruments are tailored to their needs and interests, the European Talent Academy will be based on an annual topic.

The theme for 2026 is: Smarter and healthier cities on a changing planet 

 Eligible researchers working on this topic from any disciplinary area are encouraged to apply.  At Imperial, this means we welcome applications from across our four faculties, as long as the research connects to the programme’s theme.

This years’ theme Smarter and healthier cities on a changing planet aligns closely with Imperial College London's Science for Humanity strategy, particularly through its focus on interdisciplinary research and global impact. The strategy’s commitment to powering research via the newly established Schools of Convergence Science—such as Climate, Energy & Sustainability and Health, MedTech & Robotics—directly supports innovations that can transform urban environments. By fostering collaboration across disciplines and institutions, Imperial aims to develop solutions that enhance urban health, resilience, and sustainability in the face of climate change and rapid urbanisation. This theme also resonates with the strategy’s emphasis on amplifying impact through partnerships and infrastructure that enable scalable, real-world applications for societal benefit

#Keywords:

Sustainability & Environment

Climate resilience, Carbon neutrality, Renewable energy, Green infrastructure, Biodiversity, Circular economy, Urban ecology, Nature-based solutions, Sustainable mobility, Environmental justice, Urban farming, Net-zero buildings, Sustainable architecture, Eco-innovation, Emissions monitoring, Green certifications, Urban rewilding, Soil health, Sustainable procurement, Blue-green networks, Low-carbon cities, Sustainable construction materials, Sustainable material innovation, Energy harvesting technologies, Water resource management in urban settings, Climate-smart design, Environmental communication design

Urban Planning & Design

Smart growth, Mixed-use development, Transit-oriented development, Walkability, Public space design, Urban regeneration, Compact cities, Zoning innovation, Green roofs, Low-impact development, Tactical urbanism, Placemaking, Urban densification, Inclusive urban planning, Mobility hubs, Urban morphology, Adaptive reuse, Biophilic design, Urban sprawl mitigation, Resilient streetscapes, Human-centered design for urban spaces, Urban interaction design, Design for wellbeing, Smart product-service systems, Design for sustainable behavior, UX/UI for urban services, Health-promoting environments, Participatory design and planning

Smart Technologies

Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial intelligence (AI), Digital twins, Urban sensors, Smart grids, Data-driven governance, Predictive analytics, Intelligent transport systems, E-governance, Urban informatics, Edge computing, Blockchain for cities, Smart lighting, Urban robotics, Cybersecurity in urban systems, 5G connectivity, Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), Smart waste management, Augmented reality (AR) in planning, Real-time traffic analytics, Air quality monitoring systems, Data-driven urban systems, Urban data analytics, Building Information Modeling (BIM), Advanced materials for urban resilience, Smart infrastructure, Smart materials, Computational urban science, Big data in urban analytics, Energy storage for urban applications, Urban innovation ecosystems, Policy for smart cities, Citizen engagement in smart cities, Data governance in urban systems, Ethics of smart technologies, Social impact of urban technologies

Health & Wellbeing

Active transport, Air quality, Mental health, Urban heat islands., Health equity, Noise pollution, Access to healthcare, Food security, Physical activity, Social cohesion, Urban loneliness, Green exercise, Community health workers, Urban nutrition, Pandemic preparedness, Health impact assessments, Clean water access, Age-friendly cities, Urban stress reduction, Public health data systems, Design for wellbeing, Health-promoting environments

Adaptation & Resilience

Disaster preparedness, Climate adaptation, Flood management, Energy efficiency, Water conservation, Urban cooling, Risk mitigation, Community resilience, Infrastructure durability, Future-proofing, Heatwave response plans, Emergency communication systems, Urban insurance models, Resilient supply chains, Microgrid deployment, Drought-tolerant landscaping, Urban fire safety, Resilient housing, Post-disaster recovery planning, Climate migration strategies, Climate-smart design