I am currently a PhD student

On this page you will find all the information you need for your doctoral studies at Avignon University.

In accordance with the decree of 26 August 2022 amending the decree of 25 May 2016, the doctoral student's individual monitoring committee ensures that the programme is progressing smoothly, based on the doctoral charter and the training agreement.

The doctoral student's individual monitoring committee provides support for the student throughout the duration of the doctorate. It must meet before registration in the second year and then before each new registration until the end of the PhD.

The interviews are organised in three distinct stages:
1. Presentation of progress and discussion,
2. interview with the doctoral student without the thesis director,
3. interview with the thesis director without the doctoral student.

During the interview with the doctoral student, the committee assesses the conditions of his/her training and the progress of his/her research. During this same interview, it is particularly vigilant in identifying any form of conflict, discrimination, moral or sexual harassment or sexist behaviour. It makes recommendations and sends a report of the interview to the director of the doctoral school, the doctoral student and the thesis director.

In case of difficulty, the doctoral student's individual monitoring committee alerts the doctoral school, which takes any necessary measures concerning the doctoral student's situation and the progress of the doctorate.

The Monitoring Committee is composed of
1. the management of the host unit or its representative;
2. scientist(s) from outside the Doctoral School and Avignon University;
3. personality(ies) from outside the host unit and the field of the thesis.

The ISC report is to be completed during the committee by the laboratory director (or his/her representative) and sent only to gestion-ed@univ-avignon.fr with a copy to direction-ed536@univ-avignon.fr or direction-ed537@univ-avignon.fr
– ED 536 model report
– ED 537 model report
NB:
- The laboratory representative must not be part of the thesis management

- In the case of confidential theses, a confidentiality agreement may be signed between the university and the external expert (contact: gestion-ed@univ-avignon.fr).

Before the first ISC is held, the full composition must be sent to the ED for validation using the dedicated form:
– Composition CSI - ED 537
– Composition CSI - ED 536

NB: The CSI external scientist may sit on the defence jury as an examiner, but not as a rapporteur.

Re-enrolment in years 2 and 3

online registration opens on 1ᵉʳ July and closes on 30 November

ADUM re-registration procedure

Re-enrolment by waiver

For full-time doctoral students: from the 4thᵉ year onwards
For part-time doctoral students: from year 7ᵉ onwards
An additional period may be granted by way of exception by the head of the establishment on the proposal of the ED director after consultation with the ED/CED office.

In the event of an unfavourable opinion from the doctoral school director, an appeal may be made to the Research Committee.

For exemption requests, the documents to be provided must be submitted on the ADUM platform:

  • a letter from the doctoral student addressed to the President of the Université d'Avignon requesting a new registration and explaining the reasons that lead him/her to ask for an exemption
  • a letter from the thesis director supporting the application
  • a progress report: thesis manuscript with detailed summary
  • supporting document in case of illness

Re-registration procedure by waiver

For this authorisation, the committee is particularly vigilant about the state of progress of the work and will base its decision on the opinion issued by the 3ᵉ year or 6ᵉ year thesis committee.

From 1ᵉʳ May, no re-registration is possible for year N-1.

NB: this derogation may be granted to doctoral students who are in paid employment (outside the scope of their funded thesis and for part-time doctoral students) on production of a certificate from their employer, who have taken sick leave (with supporting documents) and to doctoral students who have had a child during the thesis preparation period.

Schedule of exemption committees for 2023/2024 :
17 October 2023, 10 November 2023 and 18 December 2023

Caesura

Period during which a doctoral student temporarily suspends his/her training and research activities in order to gain personal or professional experience outside the framework of his/her thesis in France or abroad.
Termination arrangements

The forms of gap year (in France or abroad) are set out in Article D. 611-16 of the Education Code. The gap year may take one of the following forms:
1. Training in a field different from that of the course in which the student is registered;
2. Experience in a professional environment in France or abroad;
3. A civic service commitment in France or abroad, which may take the form of a voluntary service of international solidarity, an international voluntary service in an administration or company or a European voluntary service;
4. A project to create an activity as a student-entrepreneur.
A gap year cannot be requested for medical or health reasons.
When the doctoral studies are full-time, the gap can be taken at the beginning of the 2nd year of the doctoral studies but not at the end of the 3rd year. The gap year may be taken during the 4th year of the doctorate, when the doctorate is being prepared on a part-time basis. Only one gap period in the doctoral cycle is possible.
The student is registered at Avignon University as being in a gap year and is issued with a student card. He/she pays the registration fees at the reduced rate provided for in the appendix to the annual decree fixing the tuition fees as well as the student and campus life contribution before registration.

The form completed and accompanied by the supporting documents must be sent to the following e-mail address gestion-ed@univ-avignon.fr.
Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.

From 1ᵉʳ January 2024, oral examinations will be organised via the ADUM platform.

Thesis defence procedure

Examination procedures

Beforehand, the ED checks that the candidate has fulfilled his/her training obligations.

Stage 1: the referees (6 to 8 weeks before the defence)

Two research supervisors are appointed by the Head of the institution or his/her representative on the recommendation of the thesis supervisor and the Director of the ED.

Information about the referees must be entered on ADUM between 8 and 6 weeks before the defence (recommended deadline: 2 months).

Rapporteurs must be from outside the ED and the candidate's institution; they may belong to foreign higher education or research institutions. A person who has participated in the individual thesis monitoring committee or signed one or more publications with the doctoral student during his/her thesis cannot be proposed as a rapporteur. They may, however, take part in the jury as examiners, or even chair the jury.
For any person proposed as rapporteur who is not of rank A, a cv stating the date on which the HDR was obtained must be provided.

The rapporteurs give their opinion in written reports, on the basis of which the Head of School or his/her representative authorises the examination. These reports are sent to the jury and to the candidate before the examination.

NB Important : The cover page template must be used (only the first page is compulsory, the plan or content can be adapted to suit the subject or the wishes of each individual).
The LaTex template is available on request by email to gestion-ed@univ-avignon.fr

Stage 2: the full jury (4 weeks before the defence)

The other members of the jury (examiners) are appointed by the Head of the institution or his/her representative on the recommendation of the thesis director and the Director of the ED.
The number of jury members is between 4 and 8. It is composed of :

  • at least half of the members must be from outside the ED and the candidate's enrolment institution (subject to the specific provisions relating to international co-supervision of theses);
  • at least half of the staff must be of rank A (university professors, research directors).
    Its composition should ensure, as far as possible, a balanced representation of women and men.

NB: The people involved in directing the thesis take part in the jury. They are therefore taken into account in the rules governing the composition of the jury (rank A/rank B ratio, external/internal ratio, M/F balance) and take part in the jury's discussions with the doctoral student. However, they do not take part in the deliberations behind closed doors and do not sign the minutes of the deliberations.
They sign the defence report, which must however specify that the decision was taken by the members of the jury, with the exception of those involved in supervising the thesis.
A Professor or Emeritus Research Director may be an examiner on a jury, but may neither be rapporteur nor president of the jury.

Stage 3: The defence

For ED 536, the defence can take place by videoconference. For ED 537, the defence may be held as a partial videoconference. The audiovisual service must be contacted by the doctoral student to set up the videoconference.

On the day of the defence, the members of the jury designate a president from among themselves (a rank A staff member). The thesis director may not be chosen as president of the jury.

The defence is public, unless an exception is granted by the head of the establishment if the subject of the thesis is of a proven confidential nature.
In its deliberations, the jury assesses the quality of the candidate's work and oral presentation, as well as his/her ability to discuss his/her results and their extensions in response to the jury's questions.
In exceptional circumstances, and with the exception of the Chair, the members of the jury may take part in the examination by videoconference.

Admission to the doctoral degree or deferral is then pronounced.
Corrections to the manuscript (to be made within three months of the defence) may be requested from the candidate before the authorisation of reproduction and the delivery of the diploma.

The chair draws up a report on the examination, countersigned by each member of the jury. There is no longer any mention. The examination report is sent to the candidate in the month following the examination. Corrections requested are checked by the jury chairman, who informs the ED.

At the end of the defence, and if admitted, the doctor takes an oath, individually undertaking to respect the principles and requirements of scientific integrity in the rest of his or her professional career, whatever the sector or field of activity.

The doctors' oath on scientific integrity is as follows:
"In the presence of my peers.
Having completed my doctorate in [xxx], and having thus practised, in my quest for knowledge, the exercise of demanding scientific research, cultivating intellectual rigour, ethical reflexivity and respect for the principles of scientific integrity, I undertake, insofar as I am concerned, in the continuation of my professional career, whatever the sector or field of activity, to maintain integrity in my relationship with knowledge, my methods and my results.

The English version of the oath :
"In the presence of my peers. With the completion of my doctorate in [research field], in my quest for knowledge, I have
carried out demanding research, demonstrated intellectual rigour, ethical reflection, and respect for the principles of research integrity. As I pursue my professional career, whatever my chosen field, I pledge, to the greatest of my ability, to continue to
maintain integrity in my relationship to knowledge, in my methods and in my results.

How is an oath taken?

Under the terms of the decree, the oath is taken individually at the oral examination, once the candidate has been declared admitted.

The Chair of the jury must specify on the examination report (by ticking the appropriate box) whether the doctoral student has taken an oath.

In exceptional circumstances, a doctoral defence may take place behind closed doors if the doctoral thesis is of a clearly confidential nature. In this case, the thesis must be subject to confidentiality undertakings by the rapporteurs and members of the Jury and, where applicable, confidentiality undertakings by the public invited to attend the defence. An embargo on the dissemination of the thesis, for a period greater than or equal to the period of confidentiality, must also be provided for. The request to hold the defence in camera must be made to the head of the institution, and the departments responsible for the legal deposit and distribution of theses must be informed of the decision.

Writing a thesis in a foreign language

The thesis may be written in a foreign language. The doctoral student must submit an abstract of at least 30 lines in French with his/her foreign-language manuscript.

Implanteus University Research School Thesis Award

This individual prize of EUR 1,500 is intended to reward doctoral research of the highest quality within the framework of the EUR's multidisciplinary programme.
Only doctoral students with the Implanteus label are allowed to apply.

How to apply
Within 2 months of the thesis defence, the candidate for the prize must send the following documents to the EUR Project Manager (sylvie.fayard@univ-avignon.fr):
- a letter co-signed by the thesis director highlighting the quality of the doctoral research
- the thesis manuscript in pdf format
- the defence report
- publications (in pdf format) reporting on this research in international peer-reviewed journals (if not already included in the manuscript). At the end of the academic year, the EUR Executive Committee (possibly assisted by external experts) will select the prize winner.
The award will be officially presented to the winner by the EUR Director at the doctoral graduation ceremony.
Exceptionally,
- for 2022/2023 for a 3rd year doctoral student holding the label and having defended before June 2023, the prize may be awarded in the same year.
- for 2023/2024 for a 2nd year doctoral student who holds the label and has defended before June 2024, the prize may be awarded in the same year.

Perdiguier programme (long-term mobility)

Support for the international mobility of doctoral students enrolled at Avignon University (Perdiguier programme - Framework document + version française)

Support for the international mobility of doctoral students registered at Avignon University. This concerns doctoral students (excluding co-tutors) registered at the University of Avignon who wish to carry out a research stay of at least 2 months in a host structure abroad. Please note that foreign doctoral students going on a mobility trip to their country of origin are not eligible.

Three application review sessions will be organised in 2023-2024:

  • 9 November 2023
  • 21 March 2024
  • 23 May 2024

Applications must be submitted to the Collège des études doctorales of the Université d'Avignon at the following address gestion-ed@univ-avignon.fr

Programme d'Aide aux cotutelles et co-directions internationales (International co-supervision and co-direction support programme)

The International Cotutelle and Co-Directorships Support Programme  (version française) supports the international mobility of doctoral students registered at Avignon University in the framework of a cotutelle. Its objective is to encourage the setting up of thesis cotutelles, by guaranteeing a minimum income to doctoral students during the periods of mobility provided for in the framework of the cotutelle, and by contributing to travel expenses.

This aid depends on the situation of the doctoral student:
◦ For doctoral students whose thesis is mainly carried out at Avignon University: this assistance aims to support outgoing mobility to the cotutelle institution;
◦ For doctoral students whose thesis is mainly done abroad: this grant aims to support incoming mobility to Avignon University.
This support covers a mobility period of between 2 months (minimum) and 12 months (maximum).

The file to be submitted to the Doctoral School must include
- the application form duly completed and signed by the doctoral student, the thesis director and the laboratory director concerned at the AU ;
- proof of scholarships or other financial support already received during the mobility period;

All applications must be submitted at least 2 months before the first mobility.
The Cotutelle programme follows the same schedule as the Perdiguier grants.

ED mobility support programme (short-term mobility)

Applications (to be made to the ED/CED Manager) must be for stays of 2 to 10 weeks in France or abroad (to begin before the end of the current calendar year).

Dossier to be compiled :

Subject to a favourable opinion from the ED/CED office, the doctoral student may receive a lump-sum grant:

  • Metropolitan France: €200
  • Europe and North Africa: €350
  • Outside Europe: €500

Support for participation in a conference

Any doctoral student presenting an oral communication at a conference may request a contribution from the ED/CED to his/her mission expenses. This flat-rate assistance is granted only once during the thesis.

The amount of aid awarded varies according to the country of destination, as follows:

  •     Metropolitan France: 200 euros
  •     Europe and North Africa: 350 euros
  •     Outside Europe: 500 euros

Dossier to be compiled :

These requests are examined on an ad hoc basis by the ED/CED office and cannot be submitted after the event.

Support for participation in non-departmental training

Any doctoral student wishing to participate in a training course outside the ED as part of his/her thesis project may request financial support from the ED.

Dossier to be compiled :

The aid granted is a lump sum:

  • Metropolitan France: €150
  • Europe and North Africa: €250

These applications are considered on an ad hoc basis by the ED/CED office and cannot be submitted after the course.

End of thesis contracts

The objective is to allow doctoral students registered at the University of Avignon to finish their thesis in good conditions while helping them to prepare their future. The contract is therefore aimed at doctoral students who are in the process of finalising and defending their doctorate, and who wish to make use of the results of their thesis. The proposed contract includes a limited teaching load, so as to consolidate the doctoral student's teaching record while keeping a significant part of his or her research work.

Eligibility criteria :

  • Proof of three years' enrolment in a doctoral programme at the University of Avignon
  • produce a certificate from the thesis director undertaking that the thesis will be defended within 12 months
  • not have benefited from an end-of-thesis contract at the Université d'Avignon.Procedure : application for authorisation to recruit to be sent to the DRH with the necessary documents for the establishment of a contract (more information on Recruitment-E-doc: HR - DAPR end of thesis contract file).

This assistance is mainly financed by the host laboratory, so it is necessary to check with your thesis director beforehand.

Reimbursement of printing costs of the thesis

The cost of printing thesis manuscripts for members of the jury may be covered by the ED up to 300€, upon presentation to the ED secretariat of an original invoice in the name of the PhD student.

EURAXESS Portal

Avignon University is a EURAXESS Local Contact Point and a member of the Euraxess France association. The network EURAXESS Researchers in Motion is a European Commission initiative launched in 2004 to facilitate the mobility of researchers in Europe.

Discover the EURAXESS portal

Scientific and Technical Culture

Election of doctoral student representatives to DHS boards

The doctoral student representatives are elected by and among the doctoral students belonging to the doctoral school, for a two-year term of office. The mandate ends in case of resignation, loss of doctoral student status (at the end of the academic year of the thesis defence).
The election is carried out through a one-round list system based on proportional representation, with the seats to be filled being distributed according to the rule of the largest remainder, without a mixture of candidates.
All doctoral students regularly registered at the university and belonging to the ED are eligible to vote. No one can take part in the vote if he/she is not on the list of voters. Voter status is assessed on the date of the vote.
Every voter registered on the electoral roll is eligible to vote.

Every two years, doctoral students are asked to mobilise not only to vote but also to stand for election.

For each ED, it is a list ballot with 4 members and 4 substitutes. The candidates for this election must therefore make a proposal for a list of 8 members (specifying for each one who is a titular and who is a substitute). This list should be as representative as possible of the disciplines and laboratories, men and women.

This is an important moment in the life of our EDs. It is an opportunity for the elected doctoral students to give their points of view and make their demands. They participate in particular in the Commissions of derogations, in the ED Councils (which meet 2 or 3 times per academic year). The Councils are notably the places where the annual report on the activity of the DEs is discussed and where the possibilities for the evolution of the training offer and the international mobility support systems are debated.

For ED 536, the doctoral students elected for the 2023/2025 term are :

  • Ahmadou Moustapha DIENG
  • Virgile SUCAL
  • Lindsay MAS-NORMAND
  • Alexandre MAKHLOUF
  • Célia EL MARAHI
  • Lucas MAISON
  • Clarisse BREARD

They can be reached at representants-doct536@univ-avignon.fr

For ED 537, the doctoral students elected for the 2023/2025 term are :

  • Charly GUIBAUD
  • Thibaud MEURICE
  • Laure DOMONT
  • Laure-Hélène SWINNEN
  • Thibault LECOURT
  • Allison GUIRAUD
  • Thomas SAINT-JEAN

They can be reached at representants-doct537@univ-avignon.fr

In case of relational difficulties between the doctoral student and his/her thesis director, a mediation procedure at two successive levels is set up: a) with the laboratory director, b) with the ED director.

In the case of doctoral students on a doctoral contract with the institution, a 3rd mediation may involve an advisory commission (article 10, paragraph 2 of the decree of 23 April 2009).

If you have any questions, you can contact the university's HR department (clarisse.vermes@univ-avignon.fr) or the Ethics Officer (martine.le-friant@univ-avignon.fr).

Any request for mediation must go through the Avignon University reporting platform (https://signalement.univ-avignon.fr/).

Doctoral School 537 offers you a monthly slotOn the first Tuesday of each month, from 1 to 2 pm, we discuss various aspects of doctoral life.

  • Tuesday 7 February 2023 : The ISC (new composition, new organisation, reports and obligations...)
  • Tuesday 7 March 2023 : The thesis defense (oath of scientific integrity, deliberation, appendices, deadlines...)
  • Tuesday 4 April 2023 : The CV (update, main headings, issues...)
  • Tuesday 2 May 2023 : CNU qualification (planning, documents required, evaluation criteria...)

ED Brief presentation materials

Mis à jour le 25 March 2024