French-Italian University - Mobility grants for Italian-French doctoral dissertations

Vinci mobility grant for French-Italian doctoral theses (UFI)

You will receive a one-off grant of 4,000 EUR for a doctoral thesis supervised jointly by a French and an Italian university. The grant covers your travel expenses between France and Italy, as well as the costs of taking part in research activities related to your joint doctoral thesis. It will be available to you for up to one year after your thesis defence. The grant is provided by the Franco-Italian University (Université Franco Italienne / UFI), which promotes academic cooperation between the two countries.

Who can apply

• Degree stage: You are a first- or second-year PhD student.
• Joint supervision: You are writing a ‘cotutelle’ thesis, i.e. a doctoral thesis supervised jointly by a French and an Italian university. You must have a signed cotutelle agreement (or a framework agreement for a joint doctoral programme). A dissertation that is merely supervised jointly, without such an agreement in place, is not permitted.
• Enrolment: You are enrolled at both a state-recognised French higher education institution and a state-recognised Italian higher education institution.
• Field of study: All hatches are open.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply.
• Once only: This funding may be claimed no more than once per PhD programme. You are not eligible to apply if you have already received funding under Chapter III from a previous Vinci call for applications.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online via the UFI website in French and Italian. Please attach your signed cotutelle agreement and proof of enrolment at both universities. The application deadline is 16 February at 12:00 midday Paris time. If your cotutelle agreement has not yet been fully signed, you may submit it by 29 May. The final decision will be made by the UFI Executive Board. It will assess the academic quality of your project, the compatibility of the two research teams and the added value of joint supervision.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding scheme is very narrowly defined. You must already be undertaking a formal joint French-Italian doctoral thesis under a signed cotutelle agreement, which rules out most PhD students from the outset. If you clearly meet this requirement and submit a compelling, clearly defined project proposal, your prospects are good, as the pool of eligible applicants is small. Furthermore, in the selection process, preference is given to projects with societal relevance and those in the field of Mediterranean cooperation, and the Council ensures a balanced distribution across disciplines and regions; consequently, a distinctive, well-reasoned application is advantageous.