CRNS-Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences - Michel Seurat Award

Michel Seurat Award

You will receive a one-off payment of 15,000 EUR to fund your fieldwork abroad as part of your PhD. This is a grant, not a monthly stipend. The one-off payment will enable you to carry out further fieldwork whilst working on your doctoral thesis. It is awarded once a year by the GIS Moyen-Orient et mondes musulmans in collaboration with the IISMM (EHESS/CNRS) and the journal ‘Orient XXI’. The French national research organisation, the CNRS, established the award in 1988.

Who can apply

• Degree: You hold a Master’s degree 2 or an equivalent qualification and are currently working on your PhD thesis.
• Age: When applying, you are subject to 35.
• Topic: Your doctoral thesis focuses on contemporary societies in the Arab world (for example, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Algeria, Morocco or the Gulf States).
• Field of study: Any subject area is fine, as long as your dissertation fits in with that topic.
• Language: You must be able to work in Arabic or another language spoken at your place of work. This is an essential requirement.
• Fieldwork abroad: Your surveys take place outside France.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply.

How to apply

You should apply online using the form provided, submitting a single PDF file. This should include a presentation of your final thesis, an academic CV, copies of your certificates and one or two letters of recommendation. The application deadline for the 2026 round is at midnight Paris time on 15 April 2026. A jury will then select the winner.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a single annual award with very strict selection criteria: PhD students within the 35 programme who are researching the contemporary Arab world and are able to carry out fieldwork abroad in the local language. This severely limits the pool of applicants. However, as this is an award well-known within academic circles, those who meet the criteria still compete for a single place. It is a compelling, detailed research proposal and strong language skills that set applicants apart from the rest.