FRANCE EXCELLENCE – 2026-2027 Scholarships Program

France Excellence PhD: Scholarships for PhDs in France during the 2026-2027 academic year
February 16th 2026: Application deadline

1. Presentation and aims of the program

The French Institute in Israel is now accepting applications for its “France Excellence PhD” program, which offers PhD’s scholarships in France for the 2026-2027 academic year.

The “France Excellence PhD” scholarship program is a tool developed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enable French higher education and research institutions to attract the best foreign students to their PhD programs. It enables the training of future foreign researchers and decision-makers in all fields.

2. Duration of the study

The France Excellence PhD scholarships cover up to three years.

3. Application requirements

Applicants must meet the following conditions:
• Be an Israeli national and/or have studied in an israeli higher education establishment (dual French-israeli nationals are not eligible);
• Be a permanent resident in Israel;
• Hold a Master’s degree or being enrolled at the Master last year;
• The language level in the language of teaching as asked by the studies they apply for: at least a level B2 (French or English), but can be C1 or even C2 in some programs.
• Have an admission or pre-admission in a certified French higher education establishment hosting a doctoral school;
• Have a clear and well-thought-out academic project coherent with a professional project.

The scholarships are intended solely for PhD studies in France. For short term research stays, the grants provided by France Excellence Chateaubriand Fellowships are more appropriate.

These scholarships cannot be combined with any other full grants (for example Erasmus+).

The French Institute in Israel is committed to promoting gender equality. Women are highly encouraged to send their applications.

4. Selection criteria

Only candidates with complete applications and meeting all of the above conditions will be considered for this grant. The selection criteria are the following:
• Academic excellence and language level in the language in which the thesis will be written;
• Quality of the research project;
• Relevance and consistency of the PhD and the professional project;
• Quality of extra-curricular experiences;
• Motivation.

The jury will give preference to projects that address the French research priority themes.

5. Content of the scholarships

This France Excellence PhD grant gives to beneficiaries the status of French government scholarship holder, which includes:
• A monthly allowance fixed at 1690 euro per month, flat-rate deduction for the provision of accommodation (amounts applicable in 2025, subject to adjustment in 2026)
• Health care and liability insurance in France (only for the student)
• Assistance from the Campus France agency to find an accommodation
• Visa free of charge (only for the student)
• National tuition fees in universities recognized by the French Ministry of Higher education (specific tuition fees may be excluded from this coverage).

*The scholarship does not cover:
• Travels
• Any other expenses incurred by the research project and the stay in France.

Visa applications remain the responsibility of the beneficiaries. Also note that the allowance is insufficient to cover travel and family expenses.

6. How to apply?

Before starting the application procedure, you need to find a Thesis Director and get a pre-admission from a French doctoral school. Then, gather the required documents (below).

Directory of doctoral schools can be found here.

The application, written in English or French, must include the following documents :
• Passport copy
• Higher education degrees
• Transcripts
• Cover letter
• Resume (two pages maximum)
• Admission letter or pre-admission letter in a doctoral school signed by the director of the French lab
• Detailed thesis project
• Any other useful document (for instance : language certificate, recommendation letter, etc…)

The application file must be sent before February 16th, 2026 at 6PM to the following address: [email protected] adding " FAMILY NAME* First name – Candidature – Bourse DOCTORAT" in the subject line. Only complete applications in the required format will be considered.

*Replace with your family name and first name. Please respect the format and name of each file.

Please note that all documents must not exceed 5 Mo. Possibility of sending 2 or more e-mails if necessary. Paper files will not be accepted.

An acknowledgement of receipt will be sent to you by email a few days after receipt of the file. Do not hesitate to write to us if you do not receive the acknowledgement of receipt as some emails are not received due to their size.

It should also be noted that in order to obtain this grant, the successful applicants must devote themselves full-time to their research project and studies.

7. Selection calendar

• November 27th 2025: Opening of the applications for the PhD study scholarships
• February 16th 2026: Application deadline
• March 2026: Scientific evaluation of applications
• May 2026: Results
• October 2026: Departures to France of scholarships holders
Information and announcements will be made regularly on our website, as well as on Facebook and Instagram pages.

8. Cancellation of the scholarships

The French Institute in Israel has the right to cancel the scholarships, even after having given the
laureate their signed attestation, for the following reasons, among others:
• Visa not granted;
• The student is recipient of another grant or scholarship at the same time;
• One of the eligibility conditions mentioned above is not met;
• Failure to enrol in the program for which the scholarships were awarded
• Grant rules not followed by the grant holder;

The scholarships will be suspended during periods of mobility abroad or travel to the student's home country (excluding annual leave).

Contact : Esther Marciano [email protected]