Barrande Fellowship Programme

The Embassy of France to the Czech Republic and the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MYES) coordinate the Barrande fellowship programme, the exchange mobility programme for Ph.D. students between the Czech Republic and France. The programme is designed to provide Ph.D. students in the Czech Republic with opportunities to study in France and Ph.D. students in France with opportunities to study in the Czech Republic.

With all the scientific fields being represented, it enables Ph.D. students to acquire international expertise in humanities, life and natural sciences, exact sciences and engineering, economical and juridical sciences, medicine and others. While the call is open to all scientific fields, it particularly welcomes applications in the fields of environmental sciences, energy, mathematics and information technologies.

The aim of the programme is to enhance international education exchange while encouraging scientific cooperation between French and Czech research teams. Czech and French students are encouraged to extend their research abroad and learn new skills they will be able to develop further in their home countries. They are to become the spearheads of French-Czech bilateral relations. In pursuit of this aim, the programme funds “cotutelles” and short-term research stays.

Cotutelle (double-degree Phd)

The scheme called “cotutelle” is a doctoral degree programme which is undertaken jointly at two partner higher education institutions, one in France and the other in the Czech Republic. Research is conducted under the joint supervision of a Czech and a French supervisor, both providing the full measure of supervision for the student. The student undergoes multiple stays abroad, under the terms of the agreement co-signed by the Czech and the French higher education institution, the “Convention de cotutelle”, for a maximum of three years. On its completion, the student is awarded two diplomas, one from each institution.

Short research stays

The programme offers grants to Ph.D. students for a short-term research stay in France or in the Czech Republic. Length of a short stay is between 1 and 3 consecutive months. The fellowship-holder receives a monthly stipend in the amount of about 1,704 EUR/40,000CZK in France / 35,000 CZK in the Czech Republic.

Eligibility

The Barrande Fellowship Programme is open to all students registered at a Czech higher education institution, for a research stay in France, and to all students registered at a French higher education institution for a research stay in the Czech Republic. Students need to hold a higher education diploma before their first stay abroad.

Please refer to the Applicant’s guidelines (Links available in the “Application” section).

Note on language requirements

The programme is open to all English speakers on the condition that the French or Czech thesis supervisor from the foreign institution agrees with English as the language used during the stay.

Application

The application should be prepared following the rules appearing in the Applicant’s guidelines for a cotutelle grant or the Applicant’s guidelines for a short stay. Students must apply by January 29th 2026. The link and details for online application are indicated in both Applicant’s guidelines

Schedule