2025-2026 Scholarships program for PhD

1. Presentation and aims of the program

The French Institute in Israel is launching the scholarships program for the allocation of study scholarships for PhDs in France during the 2025-2026 academic year.

2. Length of stay

The France Excellence PhD scholarships cover up to three years.

3. Conditions of application

Applicants must meet the following conditions:

• Be an Israeli national and/or have studied in an israeli higher education establishment (dual French-israeli nationals are not eligible);
• Be a permanent resident in Israel;
• Hold a Master’s degree or being enrolled at the Master last year;
• Have at least a level B2 in the language of the thesis (French or English);
• Have an admission or pre-admission in a certified French higher education establishment hosting a doctoral school;
• Have a clear and well-thought-out academic project coherent with a professional project.

The scholarships are intended solely for PhD studies in France. For short term research stays, the SSHN grants provided by France Excellence Chateaubriand Fellowships are more appropriate.

These scholarships cannot be combined with any other full grants (for example Erasmus+).

The French Institute in Israel is committed to promoting gender equality. Women are highly encouraged to send their applications.

4. Selection criteria

Only candidates with complete applications and meeting all of the above conditions will be considered for this grant. The selection criteria are the following:

• Academic excellence and level in the language of the thesis;
• Quality of the research project;
• Relevance and consistency of the PhD and the professional project;
• Quality of extra-curricular experiences;

The jury will give preference to projects that address the French research priority themes.

5. Amount of the scholarships

This France Excellence PhD grant gives to beneficiaries the status of French government scholarship holder. It includes:

• A monthly allowance (fixed at 1690 euro per month in 2024[1], flat-rate deduction for the provision of accommodation)
• Health care and liability insurance in France (only for the student)
• Assistance from the Campus France agency to find an accommodation
• Visa free of charge (only for the student)
• National tuition fees in universities recognized by the French Ministry of Higher education (specific tuition fees may be excluded from this coverage).

These scholarships do not cover:

• Travels
• Any other expenses incurred by the research project and the stay in France.

Visa applications remain the responsibility of the beneficiaries. Also note that the allowance is insufficient to cover travel and family expenses.

6. How to apply?

Before starting the application procedure, you need to find a Thesis Director and get a pre-admission from a French doctoral school. Then, gather the required documents (below).

Directory of doctoral schools here.

The application, written in English or French, must include the following documents:

*Replace with your family name and first name. Please respect the format and name of each file.

The application file must be sent before January 12, 2025 at 6PM to the following address: [email protected] adding " FAMILY NAME First name – Candidature – Bourse DOCTORAT" in the subject line. Only complete applications in the required format will be considered.

Please note that all documents must not exceed 5 Mo. Possibility of sending 2 e-mails if necessary. Paper files will not be accepted.

An acknowledgement of receipt will be sent to you by email a few days after receipt of the file. Do not hesitate to write to us if you do not receive the acknowledgement of receipt as some emails are not received due to their size.

It should also be noted that in order to obtain this grant, the successful applicants must devote

themselves full-time to their research project and studies.

7. Selection calendar

• October 23rd 2024: Opening of the applications for the PhD study scholarships
• January 12th 2025: Application deadline
• February/March 2025: Scientific evaluation of applications
• May 2024: Results
• October 2024: Departures to France of scholarships holders

Information and announcements will be made regularly on our website, as well as on Facebook and Instagram pages.

8. Cancellation of the scholarships

The French Institute in Israel has the right to cancel the scholarships, even after having given the

laureate their signed attestation, for the following reasons, among others:

• Visa not granted;
• The student is recipient of another grant or scholarship at the same time;
• One of the eligibility conditions mentioned above is not met;
• Failure to enrol in the program for which the scholarships were awarded
• Grant rules not followed by the grant holder;

The scholarships will be suspended during periods of mobility abroad or travel to the student's home country (excluding annual leave).

Contact : Esther Marciano [email protected]

[1] For 2025, the yearly decision of the minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France will fix the amount of the grants.