National Assembly (France) - Award for Doctoral Dissertations

Award for Doctoral Dissertations (Prix de thèse)

You will receive your doctoral thesis published at no cost to you. The French National Assembly covers the printing costs and transfers the publication grant directly to the publisher as soon as the publishing contract has been signed, so you will never handle the money yourself. The National Assembly awards two prizes each year: one for a doctoral thesis on political and parliamentary law, and one for a doctoral thesis on the history of the French Parliament since the French Revolution. A jury comprising Members of Parliament and university professors makes the decision, usually in the spring of the following year.

Who can apply

• Degree stage: You had already defended your doctoral thesis before submitting your application.
• Field of study: Your thesis is on French political and parliamentary law, or on the history of the French parliament since the Revolution.
• Language: Your dissertation is written in French.
• Timing: You defended your thesis in the calendar year before the application round. For example, a defence between 1 January and 31 December 2026 counts for the 2027 prize.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply.
• University: It doesn’t matter where you did your PhD.

How to apply

Send your thesis as a PDF by email to the National Assembly's parliamentary archives division, or request the application form on its website. The deadline for the 2026 prize is 30 January 2026 at 17:00, and for the 2027 prize 11 January 2027 at 19:00.

How realistic are your chances?

This award has very strict eligibility criteria. Only French-language doctoral theses on French parliamentary law or parliamentary history are eligible, and your thesis must have been defended within a specific calendar year. This means that the pool of eligible candidates remains small; so, if your work clearly fits the subject and the timeframe, your chances are good. As only two prizes are awarded each year, a dissertation that adheres strictly to the subject stands out more than one that takes a broader approach.