Institut National de l'Audiovisuel - Inathèque Encouragement Award

Inathèque Encouragement Award

You will receive 2,000 EUR as a one-off prize for an outstanding Master’s thesis on the subject of audiovisual or digital media. The prize money is provided by the Institut national de l’audiovisuel (INA), France’s national audiovisual archive, which has been awarding these prizes every year since 1997. In addition to the prize money, the INA will support the dissemination of your work. It will organise a public awards ceremony and may publish your research paper in its journal ‘La Revue des médias’ or other INA publications. It may also offer to edit your Master’s thesis or to edit it in collaboration with you. If you win, your travel and accommodation costs for the awards ceremony will be covered: in full if you live in France, and up to 500 EUR if you are travelling from abroad.

Who can apply

• Level: You have written a Master’s thesis (Master’s 2: research-based Master’s, professionally-oriented Master’s or equivalent qualification, including theses from the École nationale des Chartes).
• Field of study: Any topic is fine.
• Topic: Your dissertation deals with audiovisual or digital media, or is based on the collections of the INAthèque.
• Language: Your dissertation is written in French.
• Timing: You defended your thesis no more than one year before the application deadline.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply.
• Exclusions: Work produced for the INA, commissioned by the INA, or created as part of the INA-Sup training programme will not be considered. Each final thesis may only be submitted once.

How to apply

Applications should be submitted by email to the INAthèque. Please send your thesis as a PDF, a two-page summary, the signed application form, your CV and a letter of recommendation from your supervisor. The application deadline is 20 July 2026. The INA will initially carry out a shortlist based on the abstracts. A panel will then read and assess the remaining theses before selecting the winner.

How realistic are your chances?

As only one prize is awarded each year, competition is fierce. However, the entry criteria are quite specific: your dissertation must deal with audiovisual or digital media (or draw on INA archives), be written in French and have been defended only recently. This limits the pool of applicants to a specific group. If your thesis clearly fits the theme and demonstrates sound methodology as well as original research questions, your prospects are good, as the jury prioritises the quality of the research over formal perfection.