Chancellery of Parisian Universities - Awards of the Chancellery of Parisian Universities

What you get

For an outstanding doctoral thesis (PhD), you will receive a one-off award of up to 10,000 EUR. Smaller prizes start at 2,000 euros, although the exact amount depends on which prize you win. The Chancellery of the Universities of Paris awards these prizes every year. It is a public body that manages the legacy of the former University of Paris and funds the prizes through donations and bequests. Each year, around 54 PhD students are honoured, sharing a total of more than 450,000 euros. If your doctoral thesis is in the fields of medicine, cancer research or pharmacy, you may also be eligible for a 10,000 EUR prize, which is awarded in conjunction with the French National Academy of Medicine.

Who can apply

• Level: You have completed a PhD thesis.
• Timing: You defended your doctoral thesis in the calendar year preceding the year of award. For the 2026 edition, this means that you defended your thesis in the year 2025.
• Where you studied: You have successfully defended your doctoral thesis at a university or higher education institution in the Paris region (Île-de-France). These include the universities of Île-de-France, EHESS, INALCO, EPHE, Sciences Po Paris, the Musée national d’Histoire naturelle and the École nationale des chartes.
• Field of study: Students from all disciplines are eligible to apply, including law, political science, economics, business administration, medicine, natural sciences, pharmacy and the humanities.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply.

How to apply

You do not apply directly to the Chancellery. Instead, you submit your file to the institution where you were enrolled when you defended your thesis. That institution selects candidates and forwards them. The deadline for this pre-selection is around 30 March. Specialised juries, made up mostly of university professors, decide the final winners.

How realistic are your chances?

This is an award for completed, outstanding doctoral theses, not an open call for funding. Only recent PhD graduates from specific institutions in the Paris region are eligible to apply. Initially, candidates are shortlisted by their own university; subsequently, a specialist jury selects the best theses in each subject area. If your thesis stands out and your institution nominates you, you have a genuine chance of winning. However, the bar is set high, as only around 54 awards are presented across all disciplines each year.