Doctorate in Administration (Cofra)
Launched on a pilot basis in 2022 and consolidated in 2025, the Cofra programme aims to strengthen links between academic researchj and public policy, and to support PhD holders' career progression into civil servants' careers.
This programme is supported by the Ministry for Higher Education, Research and Space, which has entrusted its implementation to the National Association for Research and Technology (ANRT).
Context and objectives
Like the rest of society, the government faces the many challenges of a world in transition. Research and the recruitment of research-trained professionals into the civil service are key tools that can be leveraged to address these challenges, foster innovation, and transform public policy.
This is why, in 2022, a pilot scheme was launched with the Doctorate in Administration (Cofra) programme. After two years of piloting, the Ministry responsible for Higher Education, Research and Space revisited this programme to give it fresh momentum and entrusted its organisation to the ANRT.
The Cofra label certifies that a Cofra project complies with the programme's objectives and makes it possible to offer doctoral candidates dedicated support.
This programme pursues two objectives:
- strengthening links between academic research and public action by encouraging the emergence of partnerships around doctoral research projects addressing the challenges of transforming public action and the emerging issues facing State administrations
- providing PhD holders with career prospects within the State administration.
Find out more about the Cofra programme Opens a new window
Visit the ANRT's dedicated website
Cofra vacancies and applications Opens a new window
On the ANRT matching platform
The Cofra guide and other resources Opens a new window
Guide, agreement template, etc.
The principle
A Cofra doctoral project is both:
- a training-through-research project, preparing the doctoral candidate in particular for a career in the State civil service;
- a partnership doctoral research project, on a research topic of shared interest to a doctoral candidate, an academic research laboratory and a State administration.
Conditions
The doctoral candidate prepares their doctorate
- full-time: their working time is devoted entirely to their doctoral project. It is shared in a balanced way, adapted to the needs of the research project, between the academic laboratory and doctoral school sites on the one hand, and the State administration on the other;
- under the joint supervision of at least one thesis supervisor in the academic research laboratory and one named contact in the partner State administration;
- within the doctoral school associated with this laboratory, with annual enrolment for the doctorate at the university or institution accredited to award doctorates and responsible for this doctoral school;
Recruitment of the doctoral candidate
Two main contractual frameworks are possible for the doctoral candidate.
- either a project contract with the State administration. This contract is concluded for a period of 3 years and may be renewed under conditions set by decree. The doctoral candidate receives a salary at least equal to that received by public-law contractual doctoral candidates;
- or a public-law doctoral contract, concluded with one of the supervisory bodies of the academic research laboratory, the university or the institution where the candidate is enrolled for the doctorate. This contract is concluded for a period of 3 years and may be renewed under conditions set by decree. The doctoral candidate receives a salary set by order (from 1 January 2026: €2,300 gross per month).
The programme is also open to contractual civil servants, already in post, who wish to undertake a thesis. Such cases may account for up to 30% of the total number of Cofra projects each year.
The partnership is governed by a partnership agreement
This agreement is signed by the State administration, the university or institution where the candidate is enrolled for the doctorate and, if this is a different institution, the supervisory body of the academic laboratory hosting the doctoral candidate. It sets out in particular:
- the sharing of time between sites;
- the arrangements for joint supervision and monitoring of the doctoral candidate by the laboratory and the administration;
- the funding of the research work and the doctoral candidate's salary;
- the conditions for access to the partners' prior knowledge;
- the conditions for access to the research 'fields' that the State administration's area of activity can offer;
- the clauses relating to the dissemination of the work and results, and to intellectual property
