Fondation Médéric Alzheimer - Prix Jeunes Chercheurs (Fondation Médéric Alzheimer)

Prix Jeunes Chercheurs (Fondation Médéric Alzheimer)

You receive a one-off prize of 10,000 EUR, paid directly to you with no need to prove how you spend it. The money helps you start a PhD in France on Alzheimer's disease and cognitive ageing, studied from the angle of the humanities, social sciences or public health. The award comes from the Fondation Médéric Alzheimer in Paris, which gives it out once a year. In 2025 the foundation picked 2 winners, up from one in earlier years.

Who can apply

• Degree: You hold a Master 2 (the second year of a French master's) in a humanities, social-science or public-health subject. A research-track Master 2 is viewed more favourably.
• Field: Your planned thesis is about cognitive ageing and Alzheimer's disease or related illnesses. Biomedical topics are not eligible.
• Where you study: You have a thesis topic, a thesis supervisor and a research lab lined up in France.
• Stage: You have not yet started your PhD and have no funding for it so far.
• Experience: Earlier research experience is welcome but not required.
• Nationality: All nationalities can apply, as long as you do your doctorate in France.

How to apply

Fill in the downloadable application form and send it through the online form, by email or by post. The window runs from late February to mid-September. A jury from several disciplines reviews the eligible files. You may be called for an interview before the jury. Results are announced at the end of October.

How realistic are your chances?

This prize is cut narrowly. Your thesis must sit in a specific field (Alzheimer's seen through humanities, social science or public health, not biomedicine), you must have a supervisor and lab in France, and you must not yet have funding. That keeps the applicant pool small. If you clearly fit these conditions and write a convincing case for your topic, your prospects are good. With only 2 winners a year, the final choice still stays selective.