Fondation Carnot - National Heritage Institute Scholarship

What you get

You will receive 6,000 EUR to carry out a research project abroad. Your stay will last from 3 to 6 months and may be split into separate periods. The grant is paid as a one-off sum and cannot be extended or renewed. In addition to financial support, the Foundation Committee and your mentors (experienced advisers who will guide you) will be on hand to assist you throughout the project.

The Fondation Carnot, which is part of the Fondation de France, awards up to 2 of these scholarships each year. They are aimed at graduates of the Institut national du patrimoine (INP) who wish to carry out research abroad in a country of their choice.

Who can apply

• Your diploma: You hold an INP diploma as a cultural heritage curator (conservateur du patrimoine) or cultural heritage restorer (restaurateur du patrimoine), which you obtained in 1991.
• Nationality: You are a French national.
• Career stage: Preference will be given to applicants at the start of their careers. The selection panel may, on occasion, interpret the term ‘at the start of their careers’ more broadly.
• Field: Your research is relevant to work in the field of cultural heritage, such as materials and craftsmanship, the restoration of art and cultural artefacts, art history, archaeology, ethnology or the history of science and technology.
• The project: You have a detailed research plan which, ideally, relates to your own professional activities and involves one or more institutions in the host country.
• Language: You speak the language of the host country well.

How to apply

Please submit your complete application to the INP by 31 October each year. The programme directors will shortlist candidates based on their applications. If you are shortlisted, you will have an interview in November or December with the Fondation Carnot selection panel, which will then make the final decision.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding scheme is very narrowly defined. You must hold a French INP qualification in the field of heritage conservation or restoration and be undertaking a specific research project abroad; consequently, the pool of eligible candidates is very small and there are only a few applicants. As a maximum of two scholarships are awarded each year, a well-prepared project that is supported by a host institution and demonstrates a clear profile as a early-career researcher has a genuine chance of success. The decisive factors are the quality of your research proposal and the interest shown by the host institution abroad.