PhD, research opportunities and grants for France

Why France ?

• France is home to some of the largest research organisations in Europe
• France devotes more than 2% of its GDP (about €40 billion) to public and private research. The nation is home to some 70,000 doctoral candidates, a third of whom are from outside France, and more than 200,000 scholars and researchers, about half of whom work in public universities, schools, or other institutions
• Some 10,000 doctoral dissertations are defended each year in France
• France is among the top 5 research-oriented countries in the world
• France is the 4th country in the world for Nobel Prize laureates and 2nd in the world for Fields Medal laureates
• French universities offer a diverse spectrum of research areas and well-equipped laboratories
• Theses on scientific topics can be written in English
• In the scientific field, doctoral students (French and non-French) are paid from 1684€/month (gross salary, health insurance included) with a 3 years contract.

1. Opportunities offered by the Embassy of France in South Africa

Short term mobility for researchers and doctoral candidates in political and social sciences

In 2010, the Embassy of France in South Africa launched the SAFeThink scholarship programme for students, doctoral candidates and researchers in the fields of political and social sciences.

The SAFeThink programme is run in cooperation with five South African think tanks and forms part of the commitment between France and South Africa to establish fruitful partnerships between their universities while building a vast network of academic and professional contacts. Since 2010, the SAFeThink programme has allowed 5 South African senior researchers to conduct joint projects with French research institutes.


The Embassy of France offers research grants for doctoral candidates and researchers in the field of political and social sciences to carry out a 4 to 10 weeks research project at a French partner institution. Candidates must hold a Master’s degree or its equivalent. The grants cover a round-trip flight ticket, health insurance, a monthly stipend towards living expenses and Schengen visa fees.

Applications are accepted throughout the year, but should be submitted at least 2 months before the envisioned departure for France.

• For more information about host institutions and think tanks in France, click here

• Download the SAFeThink brochure here

• For any questions and to submit your application, contact safethink@ambafrance-rsa.org

PhD research grants for co-supervision (“co-tutelle”) agreements

A co-supervision (“co-tutelle”) is a PhD programme offered jointly by two higher education institutions : one in South Africa, the other one in France. It allows students to obtain a joint PhD degree delivered and recognized by both institutions. Students enrolled in a co-tutelle PhD programme gain invaluable international research experience both in South Africa and in France.

The Embassy of France in South Africa offers research grants for doctoral candidates that are enrolled in a co-supervision (“co-tutelle”) programme. Candidates must hold a Master’s degree or its equivalent. The duration of the grant is 3 to 6 months per year, with an option of renewing it for the following 2 years. The grant includes a round-trip flight tickets, social and medical insurance and a monthly stipend towards living expenses, as well as Schengen visa expenses.

Applications are accepted throughout the year, but should be submitted at least 2 months before the envisioned departure for France.

• For more information concerning the grants, please contact CampusFrance South Africa at pretoria@campusfrance.org.

• Download the brochure here
  

2. Research opportunities and grants offered by other organisations

• Different French organisations and research institutions offer PhD and research grants in the fields of science and technology : click here for regular updates.

• PhDinFrance is an online platform that presents PhD and research programmes from various universities and engineering schools in France.

• The European Union offers different doctoral and post-doctoral grants
  - Erasmus Mundus Action 1 offers fellowships for Joint Doctorates
  - Erasmus Mundus Action 2 offers grants for academic exchanges in various areas

• Campus France’s grant search engine, CampusBourses, delivers instant information on financial grants from national and local governments, corporations, foundations, and institutions of higher education.