France’s ministries of Europe and foreign affairs (MEAE) and of higher education and research (MESR) have implemented a program of support for foreign doctoral candidates wishing to complete a PhD in France on a topic related to earth systems, climate change and sustainability, or the energy transition.
You are an international student
Where to find thesis subjects? (Call is closed)
The list of thesis subjects financed as part of the "Make Our Planet Great Again" initiative are accessible on the Campus France portal dedicated to PhDs in France
How to apply?
It's very easy: everything is online.
You have found your thesis subject of interest?
Send a message with your CV to the contact mentioned at the bottom of the page of your chosen thesis subject.
The deadline for a registration is April 22, 2018 (The deadline for some PhD topics may be extended up to May 4th)
Are you eligible?
Your profile is eligible to apply for the PhD/Doctorate program "Make Our Planet Great Again" if:
- you have a Master's degree or you will pass a Master's degree before August 31, 2018
- you have lived in France for less than 90 days since April 1, 2016
- you are exclusively a foreign national
there is no condition in relation with age
Students are selected by chosen French institutions.
What revenue do chosen candidates receive?
If you are selected by a French institution, you will have a 3-years employment contract in France. The employment contract will start on December 31, 2018 at the latest.
You will benefit from a pay from your host institutions of a minimum of 1,758 Euros gross per month.
Schedule
April 22, 2018: applications deadline
April 23 to May 7, 2018: PhD schools select and rank at most 3 candidates per subject
May 7 to June 12, 2018: Expertise of subject projects/candidates
From June 14, 2018: Notifications of chosen subject projects/candidates
Starting on September 2018: Candidates are greeted in their institutions
You are a French institution
The application period for French institutions is now closed. It was open from March 12 to 30, 2018.
How to join the program?
The French institution must offer a thesis subject and ask for a cofunding on the "Applying to call for projects" page. The institution sends a commitment letter for a cofunding of the PhD student's salary if the subject is chosen.
Chosen institutions then launch an international call for applications to recruit a PhD student. The call is also relayed by Campus France and sent to all students who showed interest on the website www.makeourplanetgreatagain.fr. Institutions then publish a list of 3 candidates by subject chosen to be confirmed by the international jury.
What funding do institutions receive?
Selected institutions will receive a 50,000€ cofunding subsidy over 3 years to recruit a PhD student.
- French institutions commit to welcome a PhD student in France with an employment contract (doctoral contract or other) during 3 years.
- The minimum salary paid must be 1,758 Euros gross per month.
- An annual funding of 16,666€ will be paid to chosen institutions.
Selection process
Consistent with the aims and requirements of this call for projects, the selection process convenes experts and an international jury representing the various subjects.
What students are eligible?
Students are selected by chosen French institutions.
Students must hold or be about to pass a Master's grade degree.
Students must not have lived in France since April 1, 2016.
They must be exclusively foreign nationals.
there is no condition in relation with age.
The employment contract will start on December 31, 2018 at the latest.
Subjects and schedule of the program
Research subjects
Three main research topics are priorities: Earth system sciences, Climate change and sustainability sciences, and Energy transition.
Schedule
Week of February 26, 2018: Pre-launch phase of application process
March 12, 2018: Institutional application period opens
March 30, 2018 at 23:59 CET: Institutional application period ends
April 5 - 20, 2018 : List of approved dissertation topics is published ; student application period
April 23 to May 4, 2018: PhD schools select and rank at most 3 candidates per subject
May 5 to June 12, 2018: Expertise of subject projects/candidates
From June 14, 2018: Notifications of chosen subject projects/candidates
Starting on September 2018: Candidates are greeted in their institutions
How to apply as a student?
Apply directly to the institutions that will be laureates and will propose funding.
The application will be held from April 5 to 22, 2018. The list of topics will be available on the "PhD in France" portal by Campus France.
Can I apply to more than one PhD topic?
Yes, institutions will choose you, but we recommend not to apply to more than 3 different PhD topics, your application must be targeted and not go all over the place.
Will I receive a scholarship or salary?
You will receive a salary, not a scholarship. You will sign an employment contract with the French host institution. Your net monthly salary will be around 1,350 €/month (1,758 € gross/month).
Do I have to send a research project to French institutions?
No, you must apply directly to PhD topics that will be offered by French institutions and their doctoral schools.
Do I have to speak French?
No, if you do not speak French, you can write your thesis in English and do your thesis defence in English.
Of course we recommend to learn French during your stay in France!
I am already a PhD student, can I come in France to finish my PhD?
This program is exclusively for those who are not already registered in a PhD.
f you are already registered in a PhD program and would like to travel to France for a short stay, you must apply to the "Short Stay" program.
I won't pass my master (or equivalent) until 2019, can I participate?
No, this call is open to candidates who already hold a master's degree or who will graduate before 31 August 2018.
Which visa should I apply for?
If you are a national of a European country, you do not have to apply for a visa.
If your nationality is non-European, you need to apply for a visa "passport - Talent, researcher mention"
Where should I do my PhD?
You have to do your PhD in France in the host laboratory and the doctoral school of the French higher institution that support your application.
If you have a question...
... and want a customised answer, write to mopga@campusfrance.org. You will receive an answer as early as possible.
If you want to stay tuned with news and calls for projects about Make Our Planet Great Again...
... and receive our emailings, send an email to infomopga@campusfrance.org. Your email address will automatically be included to our mailing list.
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