Doing a post-doctorate in France

Researcher

Doing a post-doctorate in a country other than yours, and in particular in France, can add a new dimension to your career. By doing so, you become part of the international research effort and enjoy the benefits of the French reputation for research.

Why do a post-doctorate in France?

If you have a Doctorate, don't hesitate to do a post-doctorate in France. Thanks to the ties between the world of research in France and international laboratories, you will be able to greatly extend your contacts in your field, expand your network and smoothly launch your career in research.

What status does the post-doctoral student have in France?

In France, a post-doctorate lasts from 6 months to 3 years. A post-doctoral student is considered to be a researcher in their own right. Experiments, publication of papers, participation in seminars and conferences… The post-doc is an active participant in the life of the research laboratory. The annual salary for a full-time position can go from 26,000 to 70,000 euros net per year.

The post-doctorate at the university

Universities recruit post-doctoral students under the status of temporary lecturers and researchers, commonly called the ATER. These people can continue their research while giving approximately 200 teaching hours per year. The hours include lectures, tutorials and lab work.

How to find a post-doctorate in France

Post-doctorate positions are regularly published on different Internet sites, starting with the Campus France doctoral portal under the heading post-doctorate subjects.

You can also check post-doctorate offers published on French university and public research institute sites, such as for the CNRS, INSERM, IRD, INRA, INRIA, IRSTEA, CIRAD and the Pasteur Institute.

You should also check the sites for the Laboratories of Excellence (LabEx) that offer funded post-doctorates. The ABG, Academic Positions and Euraxess sites also list many offers in different fields.

To finance your postdoc in France, you can also apply for a European grant MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships, in the frame of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme. These fellowships cover 100% of costs of a postdoctoral contract (salary, research and management cost), for a duration up to two years. More information: https://www.horizon-europe.gouv.fr/les-bourses-postdoctorales-msca-postdoctoral-fellowships-27887

To find hosting offers of French universities and research organisations for MSCA postdoctoral candidates, you can consult the following platforms : https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/hosting/search and https://msca.b2match.io/

How to fund a research team in France

The European Research Council (ERC) provides funding to young researchers, for two to seven years after the Doctorate. Apply for the Starting Grant, which can finance the stay for both you and your research team for five years. It can go up to 1.5 million euros maximum. 25 teams are funded each year for projects in the humanities, life sciences and physical sciences.

ATIP-Avenir is a joint programme of the CNRS and INSERM that also funds your research team in the medical sciences.