Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah - Bourses doctorales Culture juive (FMS)

Culture juive doctoral grant (FMS)

You get 1,450 EUR per month for 12 months while you write your PhD. You can extend it once by formal request, so the maximum is two years. If you already earn some income, the amount is reduced. The money comes from the Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah. Its Commission Culture juive funds research into the history, thought and Jewish culture of France, from Antiquity to today.

Who can apply

• Level: You are enrolled as a PhD student when you apply, from your first doctoral year onwards.
• Topic: Your thesis is about the history, thought and Jewish culture of France, from the Gallo-Roman era to the present day.
• Language: You write your thesis in French.
• Field of study: Any discipline fits if the subject matches, for example history, Jewish tradition texts, Hebrew, Yiddish, Judeo-Spanish or Judeo-Arabic, or literature, philosophy and the arts linked to Jewish culture.
• Nationality: All nationalities can apply.
• Financial need: Students with no income get priority. If you earn something, you must declare it and the grant is reduced.
• Limits: You can hold at most two yearly grants in total. After two rejections in a row, you cannot apply a third time.

How to apply

First arrange a meeting with the Commission Culture juive to check whether your project qualifies. Request it by email at least 15 days before the deadline. Then send a full dossier: a project description, two academic references (one from your PhD supervisor) and your CV. The deadline for the current cycle is 20 August 2026. You hear the decision within about three to six months.

How realistic are your chances?

This grant is narrow: your PhD must be on Jewish-French culture and written in French, which keeps the applicant pool small. If your topic clearly fits and you have no other funding, your prospects are good, since students without income get priority. The required pre-check meeting also filters out unsuitable projects early, so a well-matched candidate has a realistic shot.