Home · Funding opportunities · Call for international PHD mobility​

Call for international PHD mobility​

Guidelines

ISblue is launching a call for applications to support the funding of international mobility for PhD students. The total budget is 90 K€ for 2 calls.

The call is open twice a year, in July and December.

Objectives

Co-supervision theses: international co-direction or co-tutelle*

The objective of this funding is to support both the international mobility of doctoral students and their co directors, and to encourage the establishment of international co-direction and international thesis co supervision agreements.

Mobility and its financing can be multi-year, so the projects presented will be able to schedule trips over the duration of the thesis (3 years max). The grant may include mobility funding for a co-supervisor.

*An international co-direction implies a minimum of 6 months of mobility in the partner institution during the 3 years of doctoral preparation.

Outgoing international mobility short stays (duration of stay ≤ to 3 months)*

*Overseas departments and regions are eligible for mobility

The objective is to bring:

– support for the international mobility of doctoral candidates for short stays (typically 1 month to 3 months) in order to acquire new techniques and methodologies, or to carry out field work.
– occasional assistance is available to attend international conferences, summer schools but is not considered a priority.

​Incoming international mobility short stays (duration of stay ≤ to 3 months)

The objective is to provide support for foreign doctoral students in incoming mobility for short stays.

Eligibility criteria

For all types of mobility, you must have been enrolled in your thesis for less than 3 years (except in the particular case of theses financed over 4 years).

AND

For co-tutelle and outgoing co-direction mobilities:

be enrolled in an ISblue partner higher education institution

For mobility in incoming co-direction:

– be enrolled in a foreign doctoral program and be enrolled at an ISblue partner
– your thesis subject must be related to Marine Science and Technology
– you must be directed or co-directed by a thesis supervisor, member of an ISblue Research Unit

For short stay mobility (incoming or outgoing):

be enrolled in an ISblue partner higher education institution
OR
be a doctoral student at a foreign university and be hosted in an ISblue Research Unit as part of an international collaboration

For mobility regarding participation in congresses, summer schools or symposia:

Only doctoral candidates from ISblue doctoral schools who have not yet participated in such an event and whose thesis and laboratory director certify that the project cannot be supported by any other means will be eligible.

Only one grant for participation in conferences, summer schools or colloquia will be awarded during the entire duration of the thesis.

The application file

You will be asked:

– to present the purpose and objective of your application, the interest for your work, or your post-doctoral professional integration, integration into the ISblue themes
– the budget for your trip and the co-financing(s) envisaged
– the motivated opinions of your thesis directors or your thesis director and the host supervisor

Documents to attach to your application:

For requests for co-co-direction:

– thesis registration certificate for incoming mobility
– the co-supervision agreement or co-direction agreement (if applicable)
– the motivated opinions of your thesis directors or your thesis director and the host supervisor

For all other mobility:

– thesis registration certificate for incoming mobility
– acceptance letter to the international congress (if applicable)
– the conference program if you are attending a conference (if applicable)
– the motivated opinions of your thesis directors or your thesis director and the host supervisor

Validation of the application

With the exception of applications for participation in an international conference, your application will be submitted for approval by the director of the host research unit.

This process is done directly online. At the last stage of the form, you must enter the e-mail address of the person concerned. He/she will receive an e-mail giving him/her access to your file and allowing him/her to validate (or not) the stay.

Project call timetable

JULY
Opening of the call: 1st July 2024
Closing of the online server: 15th September 2024

The jury will meet in March 2024.

DECEMBER
Opening of the call: 1st December 2024
Closing of the online server: 15th February 2025

The jury will meet in March 2025.

Evaluation

The evaluation and classification of the applications will be carried out by the ISblue PHD Mobility Committee. It is composed of representatives of the ISblue operational committee, the EDSML management, and deputy site directors of the DSs to which the ISblue doctoral students report (the 4 DSs concerned are the EDSML, the DS SPI, the DS SPIN and the DS MathSTIC).

DS : doctoral school

The criteria are as follows:

– scientific excellence and quality of the doctoral student’s project
– inclusion in ISblue research themes
– opinion of the head of the doctoral school unit on the importance of this international collaboration for the laboratory (and ranking of the laboratory’s various requests, if applicable)
– inclusion of the project in a cooperation programme or an agreement signed between an ISblue institution and a foreign partner
– expected impact in terms of international outreach
– the quality of the budget presented (honest and balanced) show all the co-financing requested

Financing

The scholarship is neither paid to the doctoral student nor to his or her laboratory.

The procedure implemented is a direct payment of expenses up to the actual cost of travel and within the limit of the allocated package (travel packages and stay packages depending on the destination).

Transport tickets must be issued at least 2 months before the date of travel in order to benefit from the most advantageous fares.

Food expenses are not considered in your budget. The jury may take them into account if there is a significant difference in the cost of living between the 2 countries.
Laboratory costs should not be included in the budget (consumables, analyses, etc.).

More information​

​For any technical questions during the application process, a “Frequently Asked Questions” document is available for consultation by clicking here.

For any question or information regarding the call : contact.isblue@univ-brest.fr