The doctoral rift science network for the energy transition

TALENTS is a European based research network aiming to train early career researchers with the interdisciplinary, science-driven understanding and skills that are the foundation to develop new sustainable solutions for the global challenges of the energy transition. Our joint research focuses on continental rifts which are key regions for geothermal energy, carbon capture and storage, for new resources such as native hydrogen as well as high-risk human habitats due to geohazards such as earthquakes and volcanic activity. We believe that only if we better understand the natural process chains that shape rifts and passive continental margins by investigating key natural laboratories, characterising rift initiation (East African Rift), rift maturation (Gulf of Corinth in Greece, Central European Rifts), and continental breakup (West Iberian margin), we will obtain key knowledge for a safe and sustainable exploration for new, carbon free energies. TALENTS fuses research and training at 18 beneficiaries and academic partners that are among the world leaders in the study of rift systems and 11 companies that are actively involved in the energy transition. The 12 PhD projects address fundamental scientific aspects of rift system processes, collectively bridging several orders of magnitude of spatial and temporal scales. Each doctoral candidate is linked to (1) an academic partner to complement and broaden their scientific training, (2) to a dedicated industry partner to acquire industry-relevant skills and preview possible non-academic career paths, and (3) to a media contact to actively train in communicating their science to the public. Training by research and interaction will be complemented by various forms of education, spanning a wide range of topics to develop scientific and professional skills, to establish ethical standards and to widen career perspectives.