The CREEP Innovative Training Network is a coherent platform for training and career development of young scientists in Geodynamics, Mineral Physics, Seismology, Fluid Mechanics, and Materials Sciences. It aims to structure the collaboration in research and training between 10 leading academic centres in Solid Earth Sciences in Europe, bringing together in-depth expertise from 5 countries: the CNRS (FR), represented by Geosciences Montpellier and the FAST Orsay, the universities of Bristol, Durham and UCL (UK), Utrecht (NL), Roma TRE (IT), Munster and Mainz (DE), and as a partner organization: ETH Zurich (CH). The CREEP network is also composed by 11 partner organizations whose activity encompasses a wide range of industrial applications of rheology: multinational actors in the oil and gas industry (Schlumberger), major European glass (Schott), chemical industry (Akzo Nobel), and steel-producing companies (Aperam), high-technology SMEs specializing in numerical simulation, scientific instrumentation, applied geophysics, and geothermal energy (Rockfield, MP Strumenti, GMuG, Geospatial Research, Reykajvik Geothermal and IGEM).

CREEP will provide training to 16 early stage researchers (ESRs), among which 2 will be self-funded by partner ETH, via a structured program of cross-disciplinary collaborative research focused on the complex mechanical behaviour of Earth materials and their implications for geodynamic or industrial processes. This experience-based training is centred on PhD projects, which cover a large spectra of applications, from the deformation of the Earth surface and deep layers, to geothermal and petroleum exploration and industrial processes. Through them, the ESRs will acquire skills in experimentation, modelling of deformation at various space and time scales, and seismology. CREEP will also provide the ESRs with: (1) essential career-management skills via courses and practical activities aimed to develop their organizational, management and networking skills and (2) experience and understanding of the impact of research for the private sector via secondments in the industrial partners.