Call for thesis subjects – « EU-DOCS for SmUCS

Researchers from La Rochelle Université can submit thesis topics developed in collaboration with counterparts from international higher education and research establishments. Selected thesis topics will be funded for a period of 36 months. Theses must be co-tutored by La Rochelle Université and a foreign university.

To help you identify EU-CONEXUS partners, please use the RIIS platform or contact the EU-CONEXUS Project Development Support Office.

An information session on the program will be held in July, followed by a matchmaking session (date to come).

Are you a researcher from a foreign institution interested in working with us? The La Rochelle Université research units webpage will help you identify partners in La Rochelle.

Eligibility criteria of the subject

Subject eligibility is based on the following conditions:

• The co-director (outside La Rochelle Université) is a person attached to a university capable of awarding a doctoral degree.
• The letter of commitment is completed and signed by the rector, vice-president Research or president of the partner institution, as well as by the thesis co-director.
  With this letter (see model), the partner institution undertakes to pay La Rochelle Université the sum of €5,000 (mobility grant), agrees with the duration of the secondment, the duration of the cotutelle, and the total duration of the thesis (36 months). Without this letter of commitment, the subject will not be accepted.
• The project timetable is designed to ensure that:
  • The thesis does not exceed 36 months.
  • The doctoral student spends a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 9 months at the academic partner.
  • The doctoral student spends 3 months on secondment with a non-academic partner.
• The subject meets the program’s objectives: quality of the subject, response to the challenges of the Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability (SmUCS).
• Doctoral supervision is validated by the doctoral schools of both institutions.
• The research project is approved by the heads of both research laboratories to which the two supervisors are affiliated.
• The subject complies with European Union rules on research ethics.
• The subject identifies a non-academic partner for the 3-month secondment.

Secondment

Each thesis must include a 3-month secondment at a non-academic partner, during which doctoral students will be able to:

1. Experience SmUCS challenges from a practical perspective in a working environment related to their field of activity.
2. Present their research activity to the host organization, sharing potential solutions and having the opportunity to reflect with stakeholders on how this can meet their future needs (impact and dissemination activities).
3. Contribute to any ongoing reflection within the structure in relation to their field of research.

Non-academic partners can be chosen from the list of partners in the EU-DOCS for SmUCS project (cf. 13 partners below). This list may be extended depending on the relevance of the secondment to the doctoral student’s thesis topic. If you need help identifying a non-academic partner, please contact: eudocs_cofund@univ-lr.fr or campusinnov@univ-lr.fr.

How to apply?

The application should be completed in English and submitted along with the mandatory supporting documents:

• Filled subject proposal form (fully dated and signed)
• Filled assessment of ethical issues (fully dated and signed)
• Letter of commitment signed by the rector, the Vice President of Research, or the president of the academic partner institution
• CV of the two supervisors (max. 4 pages)

Any project submitted must include the opinions of:

• The heads of both research units to which researchers belongs
• The Doctoral Schools (or similar structure) on the doctoral supervision of each supervisor.

Applications must be sent no later than 5 September 2025 at eudocs_cofund@univ-lr.fr

Details on the call for thesis topics are available in the document “EU-DOCS for SmUCS – Subject Call”. All related documents can be downloaded at the bottom of the page.