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Doctoral program between the University of Montpellier (UM) and the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS)

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The University of Montpellier (UM) and the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) wish to strengthen their partnership on topics of mutual interest.

To this end, UM and ANAS have agreed to collaborate on up to two joint doctoral theses for the 2021–2022 academic year, exclusively for students of Azerbaijani nationality who hold at least a master’s degree (or equivalent) recognized as such by both institutions.

This call for proposals aims to identify collaborative projects between research teams at the University of Montpellier and research units at ANAS.

Funding principle:

As part of this program, the doctoral student will spend two years at UM working on a jointly supervised dissertation and one year in an ANAS laboratory. ANAS is committed to providing funding to the selected Azerbaijani students:

  • the cost of a round-trip between Azerbaijan and France
  • a monthly stipend of 1,200 euros for a total period of 24 months during their stay at the UM.
  • the cost of health, accident, and repatriation insurance.

Under the joint supervision arrangement, the co-advisors and the doctoral student must, upon selection of the application, determine how the student’s time will be divided between Azerbaijan and France—that is, how the 24-month period spent at a research unit accredited by the UM and the 12-month period spent at an ANAS research unit will be allocated.

ANAS covers laboratory expenses related to the time the doctoral student spends in the UM laboratory: 1,000 euros per year per doctoral student for non-experimental sciences; 3,000 euros per year per doctoral student for experimental sciences.

Priority Areas :

The themes are determined each year by ANAS. The priority themes for the 2021–2022 academic year are as follows:

  • Molecular paleontology
  • RNA biology

Submission of applications :

The relevant UM doctoral schools propose several thesis topics, each of which is assigned by an UM thesis advisor. These topics are then submitted to ANAS, which in turn proposes candidate profiles (pairs consisting of a doctoral student and an ANAS co-advisor).

The final selection of applications will be made by a joint UM/ANAS committee.

Proposals for thesis topics should be submitted to the doctoral schools accredited by the University of Montpellier, which will then forward them via email.

Calendar :

Tender launch: April 8, 2021

Deadline for submitting thesis proposal topics to the UM: April 26, 2021 (Part 1 of the application form)

Applications submitted by a doctoral student and ANAS co-advisor: May 17, 2021 (Part 2 of the application form)

Selection of applications by the Doctoral Schools and the Research Committeeon June 7, 2021

The final selection of applications will be made by a joint UM/ANAS committee via videoconference in June 2021.

Estimated start date for the dissertation: October 1, 2021

For further information: