Centre Region (France) - Doctoral scholarships of the Region Centre

Doctoral scholarships of the Region Centre-Val de Loire

You will receive 30,000 EUR per year for up to three years to complete your PhD at a research laboratory in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. This is the amount of a scholarship that is fully funded by the region. There are also co-funded scholarships, where the region pays around 17,000 EUR per year and a research organisation, another institution or a small or medium-sized enterprise covers the remainder. The money goes to your university, which thereby becomes your employer, not to the region. For 2024/2025, the region funded 10 fully funded and 50 co-funded scholarships, totalling over 4 million euros over three years.

Who can apply

• Level: You are starting the first year of your PhD programme. You already hold a research master’s degree or an equivalent qualification.
• University: You are enrolling at the University of Orléans, the University of Tours or INSA Centre-Val de Loire.
• Where you research: You will carry out your PhD research in a research laboratory in the region.
• Field of study: Open to all academic disciplines. Each year, the region publishes a list of approved dissertation topics, and you apply for one of them.
• Nationality: All nationalities can apply.

How to apply

You do not apply directly to the region. Each year, the region approves certain PhD topics proposed by the research laboratories and subsequently issues a call for applications. You should submit your application to the relevant doctoral school (the postgraduate school responsible for supervising your doctoral studies; known as an ‘école doctorale’ in France) or to the research institution offering the topic. A regional committee makes the final decision on who will receive funding.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a scholarship with strict eligibility criteria. You must be enrolled at one of the three institutions mentioned, be starting your first year of doctoral study, and apply for one of the specific dissertation topics approved by the region each year. This ensures that the pool of applicants for each topic remains small. If your Master’s background matches an approved topic and you have the support of a laboratory and a supervisor, your prospects are good. The competition stems mainly from the need to specialise in a specific topic, rather than from a broad, open field.