PhD in France…

I often get applications from students wishing to start a PhD in France. Therefore, I think it’s necessary to clarify the eligibility conditions for a PhD funding grant from the French ministry of research (the standard grant in France, but there exist many other possibilities through specific programs AMN/AMX, DGA, CIFRE, ONERA…).

Below is a translation of the eligibility conditions found on the research ministry website :
http://dr.education.fr/Alloc_doc/alloc_1.html

CONDITIONS TO POSTULATE FOR A PHD GRANT OF THE FRENCH MINISTRY OF RESEARCH:

The student who wishes to profit from a research grant must make the request of it for the academic year which immediately follows the date on which he obtained a master’s degree. This condition does not apply to the titular candidates of Aggregation. Exemptions are possible if, between the year of obtaining the DEA or the master research and the year of candidature, student has:
- carried out its national service, whatever the duration of this one, or accompanied its spouse who carried out his national service abroad
- prepared, during one year, and presented Aggregation or the CAPES,
- carried out the practical training course of Aggregation or the CAPES,
- been in disease or maternity leave during more than four months consecutive,
- carried out a training course abroad within the one year limit.
- finished their boarding school of speciality for the pharmacy and house physicians, having profited from a year-research to prepare a master’s degree or a DEA.

Country of obtaining master's degree: The candidate for a PhD grant must have obtained his diploma of thorough studies or his master research in France or an equivalent diploma in a country signatory of the agreement on the European Space of the higher education (in addition to by the Member States of the European Union, this agreement was signed by Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaïdjan, Bosnia-Herzegovinia, Croatia, federation of Russia, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Moldavia, Norway, Serbia-Montenegro, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Vatican). 

Age: Less than 25 years at the civil end of the year of the inscription in first year of thesis. Exemptions, granted by the chief of establishment, are possible for the old students of less than 30 years to January 1 of the year of candidature, on presentation of a request express and justified of the person in charge for the doctoral school.