French Muscular Dystrophy Association (AFM) - Call for Proposals AFM-Telethon PhD Fellowships

What the AFM-Telethon PhD Fellowship covers

A scholarship is a form of financial support for a research post. This scholarship will fund your PhD salary whilst you carry out research in France in the field of neuromuscular diseases and rare genetic disorders. The funding body is AFM-Telethon, a French charity that raises funds through its annual telethon to finance research into muscle and nerve disorders. You will start with a one-year contract, which may be extended for a second and third year, making a total of up to three years. A fourth year is possible, but only as a new application, not as an extension, and will last for a maximum of 12 further months. AFM-Telethon will enter into the contract with your university, and the university will pay your salary. The exact amount is not published. You can find it in the call for applications documents on the applicant portal.

Who can apply

• Level: You are a PhD student or are about to start your PhD programme at a French university.
• Where you work: You are a full-time PhD student in a laboratory in France. You cannot apply if your laboratory is based abroad.
• Field: Your research focuses on neuromuscular diseases or rare genetic disorders, such as muscle physiology, gene or cell therapy, stem cells, or drug discovery and translational research.
• Linked project: Your PhD must be carried out as part of a funded research project led by your supervisor or head of laboratory. This project must be funded for the entire duration of the grant either by AFM-Telethon (under the last two calls for proposals or the current one) or by another organisation, such as the ANR or an EU grant.
• Master's: You can apply even before you have completed your Master’s degree. However, you must submit your degree certificate and your final classification by 31 July, otherwise you will lose your entitlement to the scholarship.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply. What matters is the French PhD programme and the French research laboratory, not your passport.

How to apply

You complete the application yourself via your own account on the AFM Telethon portal and submit it. Both your laboratory supervisor and your tutor must give their consent online before you can submit the application, and your tutor must attach a letter of recommendation. The deadline for new applications is 10 March. There are two deadlines for extensions: 10 March and 13 October. External reviewers and expert panels assess the applications, and decisions are made around mid-July.

How realistic are your chances?

The field is highly competitive. You must already be enrolled on a French PhD programme and in a laboratory, be working on specific topics in the field of muscle and rare diseases, and be part of an existing, funded project. This rules out most applicants even before the selection process begins. If you clearly meet these requirements and your supervisor’s project is compelling, your prospects are good. Expert panels assess applications on the basis of their quality, so the quality of your project and your research team will determine the outcome.