Government of France/Government of Brazil - CAPES-COFECUB Programme - Home

What the CAPES-COFECUB programme funds

This programme funds the travel and subsistence costs of researchers travelling between France and Brazil, so that a French and a Brazilian team can carry out a project together. The projects run for four years (March 2027 to December 2030). On the French side, travel to Brazil is covered up to 1,400 EUR per trip, along with a daily allowance of 125 EUR for stays of between 10 and 15 days. PhD students and early-career researchers undertaking a two-month stay in Brazil will receive 1,000 EUR per month. On the Brazilian side, the Brazilian education authority CAPES covers the travel and living costs of Brazilian researchers travelling to France. CAPES also funds up to two scholarships per year (eight over the four years). These cover ‘sandwich’ stays as part of a PhD programme (where part of the PhD is completed abroad), postdoctoral stays and research stays lasting several months. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Higher Education jointly fund the programme with CAPES. It has been running since 1979.

Who can apply

• You apply as a team, not alone: You will need a French team and a Brazilian team based at recognised universities or research centres that have joined forces to work on a joint project.
• Two project types: ‘experienced’ projects, in which the project leaders completed their PhDs more than 10 years ago, and ‘early-career researcher’ projects, in which they completed their PhDs less than 10 years ago.
• French team: For projects involving experienced researchers, the French project leader must be actively engaged, hold the HDR (the French qualification for supervising research work) and be affiliated with a doctoral school within an accredited laboratory. For projects involving early-career researchers, the HDR is not required, and the team may be smaller.
• PhD students required: Each page must include at least one PhD student.
• Field of study: All academic disciplines are open for consideration, ranging from the life sciences and engineering to the humanities and mathematics. There are no specific focus areas; the sole criterion is academic quality.
• No overlap: You must not currently be leading or participating in any ongoing COFECUB or USP-COFECUB project.

How to apply

The French project leader must complete the application online in French via the Campus France extranet for researchers. The application deadline is midnight on 9 June 2026. Each page is assessed separately (by COFECUB in France and CAPES in Brazil). A joint committee then makes the final decision; the results will be announced by 2027 January.

How realistic are your chances?

The selection process is extremely rigorous: in 2025, only 17.95% projects were accepted. Selection depends solely on the scientific quality of the project and both teams; a strong, well-coordinated Franco-Brazilian partnership is therefore essential. New collaborations and teams that have previously received only limited funding from COFECUB are given special consideration, ensuring that first-time partnerships also have a genuine chance. Make sure you prepare well in advance, as the online application is very detailed and the deadline is strictly enforced.