Giract Opens 17th Edition of European PhD in Flavor Research Awards Programme

Seven industry sponsors back bursaries and a thesis prize for the next generation of European flavor scientists

Geneva, Switzerland — Giract, the Geneva-based market intelligence company for the food and beverage ingredients sector, announces the seventeenth edition of its European PhD in Flavor Research Awards. The programme, backed by seven leading industry sponsors, invites first-year and final-year PhD students across Europe to apply before the 30 October 2026 deadline.

Now in its seventeenth year, the awards was created to strengthen Europe's flavor research talent pipeline by connecting promising PhD candidates with the companies shaping the industry. This edition is backed by Ajinomoto, Asahi Group Foods, Givaudan, Kerry, Lallemand Bio-Ingredients, Lesaffre and PepsiCo, and continues to be organised by Giract in coordination with Andrea Cattaruzza, Director of AndCat Ltd, and Professor Emeritus Andy Taylor of the University of Nottingham, UK.

Under the programme's two-tier structure, six first-year PhD candidates will each receive a €3,000 bursary to fund their research, with the opportunity to visit a sponsor company's laboratory during their second year of study, funded in part by the bursary. One final-year PhD student will receive the programme's Best Thesis Award, worth €5,000, and will be invited to present their research at the Savory Flavor and Food Industry Conference in Geneva, offering a platform to connect directly with potential employers.

Eligible applicants must be enrolled as PhD students at a European university or research institute, with projects relevant to flavor science, technology, processing or chemistry. Full eligibility criteria and application forms for both award categories are available on Giract's website.

Applications for both the first-year bursaries and the final-year thesis award close on 30 October 2026, with final-year theses due for adjudication shortly thereafter. Further information about the programme, its sponsors and past winners is available at giract.com/flavor-research-programme.php.