Public-law doctoral contract

The doctoral contract is a legal framework that allows a public higher education and research institution or a national research organisation to recruit a doctoral candidate on a fixed-term public-law employment contract.

It is provided for under Article L.412-2 of the Research Code. It was created by decree in April 2009 and amended in 2016.

Parties to the doctoral contract

The public-law doctoral contract is concluded between a doctoral candidate enrolled in doctoral training and a public institution whose statutes provide for a higher education or research remit, falling into one of the following categories:

  • Public scientific, cultural and professional institution (EPSCP) (universities, certain grandes écoles ... (Opens a new window) See the list)
  • Public scientific and technological institution (EPST) (CNRS, INRAE, INSERM, IRD, INRIA, INED ... (Opens a new window) See the list)
  • Other public administrative institutions (EPA) whose statutes provide for a higher education or research remit

Public-law contractual doctoral candidates are considered to be State contractual staff and, except for the provisions specific to the public-law doctoral contract, the general provisions applicable to non-permanent State staff apply to them.

Timeline: start date, probationary period, duration, extension or termination

The contract's start date may fall within the year following first enrolment for the doctorate. However, the academic council, or the body fulfilling that role within the institution, may authorise a doctoral candidate who has been enrolled for more than a year to be granted a public-law doctoral contract.

The contract is concluded for a period of 3 years, with a 2-month probationary period.

The contract may be extended by a maximum of one year in the event of maternity leave, paternity leave or sick leave, provided that a request is made before the contract expires and supporting evidence is provided.

Outside these circumstances, the doctoral contract may be extended twice, for a period of one year each time, on a reasoned request submitted by the doctoral candidate, on the proposal of the doctoral school director, following the opinion of the thesis supervisor and the director of the relevant research unit. A further one-year extension is possible for doctoral candidates with a disability or incapacity.

The contract ends at the end of the agreed term. Early termination is possible in the event of serious misconduct or abandonment of the doctoral project. If enrolment for the doctorate is not renewed, the doctoral contract automatically comes to an end. Contract termination then takes place in accordance with the general provisions applicable to State contractual staff.

Purpose and duties

The main purpose of the public-law doctoral contract is to enable the doctoral candidate to carry out, as part of their doctoral project, original research work in a research laboratory under the responsibility of a thesis supervisor.

Doctoral candidates may also carry out additional duties: teaching (capped at 64 hours of tutorials per year), science communication, consultancy or expert advice, or the exploitation of research results (capped at 32 working days per year for these three categories of duties combined).

Remuneration

The public-law doctoral contract sets a minimum salary where working time is devoted exclusively to research activities related to preparing the doctorate. This salary has been increased under the research programming law for the years 2021 to 2030 (LPR), according to the following timetable:

  • Before the increase: €1,758 gross per month;
  • 1 September 2021: €1,866 gross;
  • 1 September 2022: €1,975 gross;
  • 1 January 2023: €2,044 gross;
  • 1 January 2024: €2,100 gross;
  • 1 January 2025: €2,200 gross;
  • 1 January 2026: €2,300 gross (+30%). 

Where additional duties are assigned to the doctoral candidate, these give rise to a monthly salary supplement calculated according to the number of hours or days worked, based on the tutorial pay scale:

  • Each hour of teaching is paid at a minimum of the hourly tutorial rate.
  • Each working day is paid at a minimum of twice the rate mentioned in the previous paragraph, for expert advice, research results exploitation or scientific information dissemination duties.

Partnership doctoral project

The public-law doctoral contract is compatible with carrying out the doctoral project within a partnership framework.

Where the thesis is carried out under an international joint doctoral supervision (cotutelle) arrangement with at least one foreign university, research activities and additional duties may be carried out in France and in the partner country, in accordance with the terms of an agreement drawn up by the institutions concerned.

Where the doctoral candidate carries out all or part of their activities at an institution other than their employing institution, an agreement sets out the definition of the activities assigned to them, the arrangements for carrying them out and evaluating them, and any contribution paid by the host institution to the employing institution.

Individual monitoring committee vs performance review

Contractual doctoral candidates have the same rights and obligations as other contractual civil service staff (leave, social security cover, etc.), but the public-law doctoral contract provides for exceptions or adjustments to the general provisions that apply to contractual civil service staff.

One such point concerns the (Opens a new window) annual performance review. Instead of an annual performance review, public-law contractual doctoral candidates have an (Opens a new window) individual monitoring committee, which is also held annually, conducted by a committee appointed by the doctoral school. This must take place before each re-enrolment, for all doctoral candidates, regardless of their contract or status.

Contrat de travail Contrat doctoral Contrat doctoral de droit public

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