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France Annual call — doctoral projects are published from March, with selection over April-June for an October start

Université Paris-Saclay ADI Doctoral Contract

A French doctorate is a job, not a fee-paying degree, and the ADI (Aide à la Décision d'Inscription) doctoral contracts funded through Université Paris-Saclay's IDEX programme are the clearest example. Successful candidates sign a three-year employment contract worth roughly €2,200 a month gross, with social security, pension contributions and paid leave — plus a tuition position that costs only the standard national doctoral registration fee of about €400 a year. Paris-Saclay is France's largest research cluster, formed from Orsay, CentraleSupélec, ENS Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech and the CEA, CNRS, INRAE and Inria laboratories on the same plateau, and it ranks in the global top 20 for mathematics and top 50 overall. For Sri Lankan Master's graduates in science, engineering or computing, this is one of the few routes to a fully-salaried European doctorate that does not require prior EU residence.

Université Paris-Saclay

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

payments

Monthly Salary

~€2,200 gross (~LKR 759,000)

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Duration

3 Years (Employment Contract)

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Registration Fee

~€400/year only

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Master's Degree with Distinction

A completed Master's (or final-year Master's student) with excellent results and a research thesis. Sri Lankan applicants typically come from Moratuwa, Colombo, Peradeniya or a European Master's, and the ranking within your Master's cohort is asked for explicitly.

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Supervisor and Project Agreed

You must apply to a specific published thesis subject and be backed by the supervising laboratory. Contact the supervisor before the call closes — unsolicited applications with no laboratory sponsor are not ranked.

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Open to All Nationalities

The ADI contracts are open to international candidates without residence conditions. Sri Lankan nationals apply on the same footing as EU candidates; a long-stay student visa (VLS-TS) is issued once the contract is signed.

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English Sufficient

Most Paris-Saclay doctoral work in science and engineering is conducted in English and the thesis may be written and defended in English. French is not an admission requirement, though free courses are provided and help with daily life.

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Find a published thesis subject

Doctoral schools publish funded thesis topics on the Paris-Saclay ADUM portal from around March each year. Filter by doctoral school and laboratory, and shortlist projects that match your Master's thesis.

Contact the supervisor early

Email the named supervisor with your CV, transcripts, Master's thesis abstract and a short note on why the project fits you. This step decides most outcomes — the laboratory nominates candidates for the funding competition.

Submit the formal application

CV and full academic transcripts with rank in cohort
Master's thesis or research report
Two academic reference letters
Motivation letter tied to the specific thesis subject

Interview and ranking

Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by the doctoral school selection committee, usually online for overseas applicants. Contracts are allocated by ranking, and outcomes are normally communicated by early summer for an October start.

Contract, visa and arrival

Once the doctoral contract is signed, apply for the VLS-TS long-stay visa through Campus France Sri Lanka. Budget six to eight weeks. Paris-Saclay's welcome desk assists with the residence permit, social security registration and CAF housing allowance.

Why Université Paris-Saclay?

Paris-Saclay concentrates around 13% of all French research capacity on one plateau south of Paris — universities, grandes écoles and the CNRS, CEA, Inria and INRAE national laboratories side by side. It is consistently ranked France's top university and among the world's best for mathematics and physics, and it has produced multiple Fields Medal and Nobel laureates.