GATES project: positioning Grenoble as a world-class scientific hub for excellence

The GATES project focuses on three major goals: attracting top international talent, supporting research in the humanities and social sciences through data services, and innovation in undergraduate education.

One of its central pillars is the development of high-level research through co-supervised PhD projects involving Grenoble’s major research infrastructures. Within this framework, the ESRF is actively contributing to GATES through its collaboration on more than 24 planned PhD theses, six of which are already underway.

These co-supervised doctoral projects provide students with a unique opportunity to work at the interface of academia and large-scale facilities. They benefit from dual supervision, access to state-of-the-art synchrotron techniques, and strong exposure to international research networks.

The current GATES PhD projects at the ESRF cover the fields of planetary sciences (the evolution of terrestrial planets), cultural heritage (degradation of ancient Egyptian pigments), additive manufacturing (how microstructure design influences performance in alloys), food safety (detoxification of cadmium in cacao plants) and sustainability solutions (improve CO2 reduction catalysts and engineering of enzymes to enhance CO₂ conversion.

These interdisciplinary projects illustrate the strength of the Grenoble ecosystem in combining academic expertise with cutting-edge infrastructure. GATES is not only a platform for scientific innovation but also a stepping stone for early-career researchers working at the frontiers of knowledge.

The ESRF’s participation in GATES reflects its ongoing commitment to supporting excellence in research and training. Together with UGA and its partners, the ESRF continues to provide outstanding opportunities for young scientists and contributes to positioning Grenoble as a leading global centre for research and innovation.

This project is funded by the French State and managed by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) under the Investissements d’avenir programme, reference ANR-22-EXES-0001.