CREST-Centre for Research in Economy and Statistics - CREST Doctoral Fellowships

CREST Doctoral Fellowships

You will receive a gross salary of about 2,369 EUR per month for a full three-year PhD at CREST, the Centre for Economic and Statistical Research near Paris. This is a PhD research contract, not a scholarship (a fixed grant without any work obligations). The contract involves approximately 64 teaching hours per year. You will carry out your research at CREST, supervised by an ENSAE professor in Paris or an ENSAI professor in Rennes, and will be enrolled at the doctoral school. The programme is funded by GENES, the association of French national schools of economics and statistics.

Who can apply

• Degree: You have completed a two-year Master’s degree or an equivalent qualification. You may also apply whilst in the final year of your Master’s degree, provided you go on to obtain your degree.
• Field of study: Your research must fall within one of the following four fields: economics, finance and actuarial science, statistics or sociology.
• Nationality: Anyone can apply, regardless of which country they’re from.
• Research potential: Your excellent grades demonstrate that you are capable of conducting research at doctoral level.
• Supervisor contact: It is strongly recommended that you contact a potential supervisor before applying. Students from ENSAE and ENSAI in particular are encouraged to apply.

How to apply

You must submit to CREST an application form, a research project of between 2 and 5 pages, a covering letter, your CV, your academic transcripts for the last three years, and letters of recommendation. A letter of recommendation must be written by your intended supervisor and submitted directly by them. The application deadline is 14 May. An interview may take place as part of the selection process.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding scheme is narrowly defined in terms of subject area: you must hold a Master’s degree and have a research project that falls within the fields of economics, finance, statistics or sociology, and which is to be carried out at a specific research centre. The pool of applicants is therefore more specialised than it is large. If you have very good grades, a clearly defined research project and already have a supervisor at CREST, your prospects are good. Establishing contact at an early stage is the step that sets serious applicants apart from the rest.