Become a FIRE PhD student

Application for 2024 is now closed

FIRE applications are open to ambitious candidates addressing the challenges of our time from a fresh perspective and having a scientific background or a different area of expertise.

Candidates must complete this online application form whether or not they have identified or even secured funding for their PhD salary (doctoral contract from the University, CIFRE, European program, ANR, etc.)

Eligibility

Master degree or equivalent; this typically includes 5 years of higher education

Unconventional interdisciplinary projects (questions and/or approaches that are novel for the hosting labs) – see some examples of PhD projects

Strong background of the student in at least one of the disciplines relevant to the PhD project

Cosupervision with at least one of the hosting labs in the Paris region

Contribution to the implementation of the SDGs

Key dates
  • Application opens: 5th February 2024

  • Application deadline: 5th April 2024 at 23:59 (Paris time)

  • Pre-selection results: Early may, 2024

  • Interviews: 3rd - 7th June 2024

  • Eligible candidates with confirmed funding are admitted (personal funding, lab funding or FIRE funding): June-September 2024

  • First mandatory workshop for FIRE students: early September 2024

Funding

The FIRE PhD program is supported by several partner institutions that offer fellowships to students according to their ranking after the interviews. These include fellowships from the Universities (doctoral contracts), EURIP, INRA, ITMO Cancer and Servier.

Since the doctoral school and its partners are not able to support all the eligible candidates, students and their supervisors are encouraged to apply for funding available from other institutions and organizations (see below).

Candidates that have already secured funding are also interviewed by the International Scientific Committee to determine their eligibility for the FIRE PhD program.

  • Personal information
  • Supervisors and hosting laboratories
  • Potential funding
  • Educational background
  • Previous research experience
  • Personal and motivation statements
  • PhD project proposal (4 pages max)
  • 3-4 letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum Vitae
Funding sources

The following sources may be of interest to students and labs who are looking for funding sources.

  • Université de Paris: list of fundings

  • iEUD: list of fundings

  • Université de Paris - International fellowships

  • Région Île-de-France

  • Ville de Paris - CIFRE

  • Campus France – Bourses d’Excellence Eiffel (updated for 2024)

  • Cité du Genre (updated for 2023)

  • Institut des Amériques (updated for 2021)

  • Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (FRM) (updated for 2024)

  • Pasteur Paris-University (PPU)

  • INCEPTION program (updated for 2022)

  • Inria-Inserm PhD on Digital health

  • Fondation pour l'Audition

  • Fondation Vaincre Alzheimer

  • Association Huntington France

  • Programme PAUSE for scientists in exile

  • DIM C-BRAINS International PhD program

  • Fonds Marion Elizabeth BRANCHER - Stem cells

  • PEPR Santé des femmes, santé des couples

FAQ
Can you provide housing arrangements ?

Few individual studios on the campus may be available for fellows under 30 years old.

Are there any teaching obligations ?

No. However, we expect you will be actively involved in mentoring students at all levels. We also encourage you to do occasional teaching in undergraduate, master or PhD courses, and generally be involved in the Learning Planet Institute’s education and outreach activities.

Can I work in a host laboratory outside of LPI ?

Some of the FIRE PhD students do their research in the lab hosted at the Learning Planet Institute (UMR 1284) but most of them work with external labs.

Who can I contact for more info ?

You can write to us at firephd@learningplanetinstitute.org.