A Senegalese PhD student, co-supervised by CIRAD, takes samples in the field © CIRAD, C. Dangléant

Doing a PhD at CIRAD

CIRAD’s researchers are heavily involved in PhD and post-doc training. CIRAD has close links with doctoral schools at higher education establishments in tropical and Mediterranean countries and in France. Training through research lies at the heart of our remit.

CIRAD takes particular care in selecting, supervising and supporting its PhD students and including them in its research teams. It recognizes that career opportunities for junior researchers are largely dependent on the quality of their thesis.

A range of funding sources

CIRAD’s PhD training policy is backed by incentive schemes and research grants for PhD and post-doc students working on topics considered to be of strategic importance.

Around twenty new partial scholarships are awarded per academic year.

These scholarships are funded jointly with other organizations such as ANSES, INRAE, territorial authorities, etc.

CIRAD also welcomes students with scholarships funded by other bodies (grants from the French government or their own country, their parent institution, etc.).

Partner doctoral schools

PhD training at CIRAD is provided in partnership with doctoral schools in France and elsewhere with an interest in agricultural research in the global South.
CIRAD has partnership agreements with two French doctoral schools:

  • ABIES (agriculture, food, biology, environment, health)
  • GAIA (biodiversity, agriculture, food, environment, Earth, water)

It also has close links with four others:

  • I2S (information structure systems)
  • EDEG (economics and management)
  • Interdisciplinary doctoral school, Réunion
  • Doctoral school of the University of the French West Indies and French Guiana

 

List of doctoral schools

 

 

Key figures

  • 400 400 PhD students welcomed each year
  • 79 nationalities
  • 60% from a tropical or Mediterranean country
  • 249 theses funded or co-funded by CIRAD
  • 172 researchers hold an HDR (accreditation to supervise research), guaranteeing top-level supervision