UNIVERSITE PARIS-EST

Their core work

Université Paris-Est is a French higher education and research institution based in Marne-la-Vallée, near Paris, with academic departments spanning engineering, environmental sciences, and humanities. In EU research, its visible participation is in Marie Skłodowska-Curie training networks — programs that fund doctoral researchers to work across multiple European institutions simultaneously. Its two H2020 projects reveal breadth rather than specialization: one in biological waste-to-energy technologies, another in the history of urban development across Europe. As a university, its primary contribution to consortia is hosting and supervising doctoral candidates while contributing disciplinary expertise in the relevant field.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

With only two projects and no keyword data available, a precise evolution narrative is not possible. What the data does show is a brief burst of MSCA participation in 2015-2016, spanning two very different disciplines — environmental engineering and humanities — suggesting the university engaged with EU training networks opportunistically across its faculties rather than pursuing a focused research agenda. There is no evidence of a sustained or deepening thematic trajectory within H2020.

No clear directional trend is visible from two projects in different fields; future collaborations would depend on which faculty is driving the engagement rather than any institution-level strategic focus.

How they like to work

Université Paris-Est has not led any H2020 projects — both participations are as a partner or third party, which is typical for universities joining MSCA training networks as hosting institutions for doctoral candidates. With 34 unique partners across 15 countries from just two projects, the consortia it joined were large, multi-institutional networks rather than tight bilateral collaborations. This suggests the university is comfortable operating within complex multi-partner structures but does not appear to initiate or coordinate them.

Despite only two projects, Université Paris-Est has touched 34 consortium partners across 15 countries, reflecting the large network structure typical of MSCA-ITN programs. The geographic spread suggests European reach through these training consortia rather than any targeted bilateral partnerships.

What sets them apart

Université Paris-Est's distinguishing feature within H2020 is not a specialized research niche but rather its role as a doctoral training host in MSCA joint doctorate programs — a role that requires accreditation, supervisory capacity, and institutional infrastructure for international PhD students. For consortium builders assembling MSCA-ITN or joint doctorate applications, the university can contribute academic supervisors and a recognized degree-awarding institution in the Paris metropolitan area. Its cross-disciplinary presence in both environmental engineering and urban humanities makes it a flexible partner for thematically diverse training networks.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ABWET
  The only project from which the university received EC funding (€788,627), focused on biological waste-to-energy — the most technically specific and commercially relevant topic in their H2020 portfolio.
• UrbanHist
  A long-running joint doctorate (2016-2021) in European urban history, illustrating the university's humanities and social science capacity beyond its engineering or environmental faculties.