Before

Version française

Procedure for submissions and applications (version française, English version)

1. Contact the laboratories (list available on home page) to find a future thesis director
2. The thesis director must submit a thesis topic on the website https://theses.doctorat-bretagneloire.fr (TEBL) with the requested documents (signed frame form, subject form, proof of funding). Both forms are available here at the end of the page : https://theses.doctorat-bretagneloire.fr/bs/campagne-2023/++add++Thesis .
3. Once the subject is published, the future doctoral student has the opportunity to apply.
4. Once all the supporting documents have been collected and are in order, the application will be examined by the Site Selection Committee (CSS).
5. Once the application has been accepted, the doctoral student can pre-register on AMETHIS.

It is the responsibility of the structures recruiting doctoral students to seek or provide for the remuneration of doctoral students.

The main types of financing

The doctoral contract

The doctoral contract is a three-year fixed-term contract that allows the doctoral student to devote herself/himself fully and exclusively to her/his research work for the preparation of the thesis.

Regional allowances

The Brittany and Pays de la Loire regions award doctoral research grants to cover the salary costs of the doctoral student.

CIFRE

The CIFRE is a mechanism that allows a doctoral student, attached to a laboratory or research unit, to complete his/her thesis while being paid by a private company under French law, by a public institution, an association, in short, by a funder outside the university
The CIFRE agreements bring together three different partners in a research project that will lead to the defence of a doctoral thesis: a structure (company, local authority or association), a young graduate and a laboratory or research unit.
These agreements are aimed at private or public institutions (other than universities) that undertake to entrust a doctoral student with research work in direct liaison with an external research unit. The funding institution signs a three-year permanent or fixed-term employment contract and pays its "young CIFRE" a salary of at least €23,484 gross per year.

Other sources of funding

Associations and foundations can also fund theses.

Doctoral School Competition

The docotoral establishment contract (CDE)

The CDE is a three-year fixed-term contract that allows the doctoral student to devote herself/himself fully and exclusively to her/his research work for the preparation of the thesis. It is offered by the University of Angers and Nantes University. Each year the Doctoral School organises a competition common to both geographical sites to enable students with an M2 research degree or equivalent to benefit from these contracts.
The rules, practical details and timetable of the competition are published on this site at the beginning of each calendar year.

The procedure for applying for a doctorate is detailed in the internal regulations of the ED.
You can also find below the administrative procedure according to your institution of affiliation:

• Angers
• Nantes
• Nantes Université
• Ecole Centrale
• Gustave Eiffel

International co-supervision

Co-supervision is a system that allows a doctoral student to complete his/her thesis while being attached to both a French and a foreign institution over the same period of time (registration fees are paid at a single university). A co-supervision agreement is signed between the two institutions (time spent in each country, specific conditions for the thesis defence, etc.).
Doctoral students are therefore required to work partly in France and partly abroad.
Comment mettre en place une cotutelle ? (Nantes)
Cotutelle (Angers)

Mobility aids

As cotutelle doctoral students are naturally required to travel extensively between the two countries during their three years of doctoral studies, the Ministry of Research is proposing financial support to make it easier for research units to cover the costs incurred by the high mobility of cotutelle doctoral students.

Décret n°2021-1233 du 25 septembre 2021 relatif au contrat doctoral de droit privé

The employer takes the initiative and "distributes the job offer to interested doctoral schools at least one month, except in emergency cases, before the deadline for submitting applications" art1.

The offer must include:

• The subject of the doctoral project
• The nature of the research activities and complementary activities entrusted to the doctoral employee
• The expected skills
• The conditions for carrying out the thesis
• The envisaged remuneration

“A condition of collaboration is concluded between the employer, the doctoral student employee, the registration establishment and, where applicable, the establishment hosting the research unit hosting the doctoral student employee.” art 1


This agreement includes at least:

1. "The thesis subject
2. The name of the thesis director(s)
3. The name and position of the referent provided for in article 5
4. The research unit(s) hosting the doctoral employee
5. The material conditions for carrying out the research project and the time spent with the employer, within the research unit(s) hosting the doctoral employee
6. The thesis reaction methods defined in accordance with article 6
7. If applicable, the additional activities of the doctoral student employee
8. The terms by which the doctoral student employee participates in scientific exchanges and training organized by the registration establishment or, where applicable, in other activities, in accordance with article 7
9. The conditions of collaboration, exchange, sharing, dissemination and exploitation of research results, in accordance with the provisions of article 8, as well as the conditions relating to the submission and dissemination of the thesis
10. The conditions for exchange and sharing of the parties' prior knowledge related to the thesis subject
11. The terms of composition, organization and operation of the doctoral student's individual monitoring committee set by the doctoral school council
12. The terms of early termination of the agreement."art 4