Application to a PhD
Instructions for applicants for a doctoral contract
Under the heading “Thesis topics 2026,” you will find thesis topics that may be funded by an institutional doctoral contract.
If you are interested in a topic, you should contact the thesis supervisor.
If they agree to supervise you, subject to funding, you must complete the specific application form and send it to the thesis supervisor. dossier de candidature spécifique
Application requirements
Qualifications:
Applicants must hold a national master's degree or other qualification equivalent to a master's degree, obtained after completing a course of study or professional experience demonstrating their aptitude for research, or apply for an exemption in accordance with Article 11 of the Decree of May 25, 2016, on doctoral training.
Schedule and procedure for the 2026 competition
February 9: Announcement of thesis topics for 2026.
May 7: Deadline for submitting applications.
May 22: Deadline for domain juries to meet and for DEDs to submit rankings to the EG secretariat.
May 27: Executive Committee - presentation of domain rankings.
May 29: Meeting of the EG ENGSYS board.
June 4: EG ENGSYS Council for the allocation of first-session grants.
Nature and duration of the contract
The doctoral contract is a fixed-term contract between the institution and the doctoral student, allowing the latter to devote themselves fully and exclusively to their research work in preparation for their thesis. It is valid for three years and is subject to annual re-enrollment. The allowance amounts to €2,300 gross per month for contracts signed on or after January 1, 2026.
Note d'information concernant le recrutement des doctorants à l'Université de Lille
Following the publication of the decree of December 28, 2022, relating to the remuneration of doctoral contracts, the gross salary of doctoral students on contract will change on January 1 of each year from 2023 to 2026, and this change will affect all current contracts. Here is an estimate of the monthly remuneration costs per reference year:
- on January 1, 2023: €2,044.12 gross per month, or a total cost of €2,878.52
- on January 1, 2024: €2,100.00 gross per month, or a total cost of €2,957.22
- on January 1, 2025: €2,200.00 gross monthly, or a total cost of €3,098.04
- on January 1, 2026: €2,300.00 gross monthly, or a total cost of €3,238.86
The gross cost indicated corresponds to the rate of charges in force on January 1, 2023, which is therefore subject to periodic change. As a reminder, this cost does not take into account any reimbursement for commuting expenses, SFT, teleworking allowance, or health insurance contributions. This is why, in the case of project-based thesis funding, the departments assisting you with the setup take particular care to draw up a budget that takes these elements into account, as well as any changes in remuneration during the project period.
Under these new rules, the cost of a three-year thesis can no longer be calculated as a fixed amount over 36 months, but must be calculated based on the start date of recruitment. For information and as an example, here is the calculation for a thesis starting on October 1, 2023 (the most common start date):
2023: 3 months (€2,878.52/month) from October to December = €8,635.56
2024: 12 months (€2,957.22/month) = €35,486.64
2025: 12 months (€3,098.04/month) = €37,176.48
2026: 9 months (€3,238.86/month) = €29,149.74
This represents an estimated cost over 3 years of: €110,448.42
