France Excellence Scholarships (BFE)

France Excellence Scholarships (BFE)

You get 1,850 EUR per month to live on while you do a PhD in France. The money runs for 18 months in total (6 months per year across the three years of your thesis). On top of that, the French government covers your return flights between Cambodia and France each year, your visa fees, and your university registration and student-life fee (CVEC) at a public French university. You also get health cover and repatriation insurance. You get priority access to subsidised student housing and official French Government Scholarship (BGF) status, which unlocks student discounts. The scholarship is run by the French Embassy in Cambodia through Campus France.

Who can apply

• Nationality: You are Cambodian.
• Degree: You hold at least a Master's degree by September 2026, when you would leave.
• Level: You are starting a doctorate (PhD) in France.
• Field: Open to all subjects. Priority goes to STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths), information and communication technology and data science, and health sciences.
• Language: For a programme taught in French, you have DELF B2 or an equivalent French diploma. For one taught in English, you have a B2-level certificate such as IELTS 5.5 or equivalent.
• Supervisor and place: You have a research project, a supervisor in France, and an acceptance (or pre-acceptance) letter from a French institution.
• Co-funding: A partner institution (such as the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, or CADT) agrees to share the cost. This is compulsory.
• Return commitment: You agree to come back and work as a lecturer or researcher at a Cambodian university for 3 years after your doctorate.
• Women: If two candidates are equal, women are given preference.

How to apply

You apply through an online form between 16 March and 27 April 2026 (by 22:00). The embassy checks the files and invites the strongest candidates to an interview before its selection committee around mid-May 2026. Results are published in June.

How realistic are your chances?

This award is cut very narrowly. You must be Cambodian, already hold a Master's, have a French supervisor lined up and secure a compulsory co-funding partner before you even apply. That last requirement shrinks the field to well-prepared applicants. So if you have a confirmed supervisor, a co-funding agreement and fit a priority field, your prospects are good. The number of PhD places is small, so a strong research project and interview matter.