Institute for Research on Contemporary Maghreb - Mobility Grants for Doctoral Students of Human and Social Sciences

What the mobility grant offers

You will receive a funded research placement for 12 months in Tunis. Subject to a positive assessment, this may be extended once for a further 12 months, bringing the total duration to up to 24 months. You will be based in Tunis and will take part in the day-to-day research activities at the Institut de Recherche sur le Maghreb Contemporain (IRMC). This is a French research institute based abroad, founded in 1992, which focuses on contemporary history and the social sciences of the Maghreb (Algeria, Tunisia, Libya). The IRMC does not specify the monthly amount in its current call for applications, so the exact sum cannot be confirmed here.

Who can apply

• Level: You are a PhD student in the 1 or 2 year of your PhD programme, at the latest by the start of the funding period.
• Where you study: You are enrolled on a PhD programme at a French university.
• Field: Your field of study falls within the humanities and social sciences, for example history, sociology, anthropology, geography, political science, law, economics, or social science approaches to literary studies, philosophy and psychology.
• Research topic: Your doctoral thesis focuses on one or more Maghreb countries or the Euro-Maghreb region and is in line with one of the IRMC’s current research topics.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply; the call for applications does not contain any conditions regarding nationality.
• Languages: You speak French fluently. Knowledge of Arabic is an advantage, but not a requirement.
• Living in Tunis: You are prepared to live in Tunis and contribute to the Institute’s research work.

How to apply

Please submit your application in French to the IRMC by 5 July. An academic committee will review the applications and make its selection at its meeting in July.

How realistic are your chances?

This scholarship is very narrowly defined. You must be a doctoral student at an early stage of your studies at a French university, conduct your research in French, and be researching the Maghreb within the framework of one of the Institute’s research themes. This keeps the pool of applicants small, meaning that a well-suited candidate has a genuine chance of success. The decisive factor is a research topic that clearly requires an extended period of fieldwork and access to archives in Tunisia, and which is supported by a strong letter of recommendation from the supervisor.