Doctoral candidates' activities during their doctorate
Variety and consistency
(Opens a new window) A doctorate is defined as training "in and through research". Doctoral candidates are trained first and foremost by carrying out research on the subject of their thesis, which encompasses a diverse range of activities: literature reviews, designing and carrying out experiments, surveys or simulations, analyzing and testing results, publishing and communicating those results, as well as exchanges and collaborations with the international scientific community.
They take part in the life of their laboratory, their doctoral school, their doctoral college and/or their institution, and may take on responsibilities within this professional community, for example, by running a "journal club", organizing a series of seminars, or acting as an elected staff or student representative on a board, etc.
They also take part in doctoral training offered by their doctoral colleges or doctoral schools, in series of seminars, practical activities or periods of mobility that strengthen their scientific culture, prepare them for their future career in the public or private sector, and foster their international openness.
Finally, (Opens a new window) like other researchers, they contribute to the transmission of knowledge and to the links between science and society, in particular through additional activities such as teaching, research knowledge transfer, expert consultancy or science communication.
Teaching during the doctorate: a formative experience
Why teach during your doctorate?
Getting involved in teaching activities is a valuable opportunity for doctoral students to develop transferable skills that will be useful for their future career. Teaching in particular makes it possible to:
- Strengthen your disciplinary expertise: "What is well conceived is clearly expressed, and the words to say it come easily" (Nicolas Boileau). Teaching leads to a solid command of a disciplinary field that is much broader than the subject of the thesis.
- Develop your skills: knowing how to summarise and convey advanced concepts in an accessible way, speak in public and hold an audience's attention are extremely valuable skills for teaching and for many other activities.
- Gain valuable professional experience: teaching is often a decisive factor in academic recruitment, but can also be valued in other sectors (consultancy, management, etc.).
What types of teaching?
If they wish to teach, doctoral candidates may be assigned a variety of teaching duties:
- Most commonly, practical classes and tutorials, but also supervising student projects and dissertations, and sometimes lectures,
- at undergraduate level (most often first and second year), but sometimes also at third-year, master's level or in engineering schools,
- for students in initial or continuing education,
- during sessions delivered in companies, for tailor-made modules (for example, for staff at the employer of a doctoral student on a CIFRE contract).
How?
Several schemes enable doctoral candidates to teach, depending on their status or career plans.
Additional duties under the public-law doctoral contract
The (Opens a new window) public-law doctoral contract framework allows the contract's basic research duties to be supplemented by several additional duties, including teaching.
The annual time that may be devoted to these additional duties may not exceed one-sixth of annual working time, i.e. 32 days of actual work or 64 hours of tutorials with students present (plus preparation, exams, etc.).
Additional activities give rise to (Opens a new window) extra pay, which is (Opens a new window) paid out monthly.
It is possible to combine several duties, for example: 32 hours of teaching ("tutorial-equivalent") and 16 days of expert consultancy work.
Teaching may take place at an institution other than the employing institution (for example, a university rather than a research organisation), but this must be specified in an agreement between the two institutions.
Teaching under a private-law doctoral contract or a research stay agreement
The private-law doctoral contract framework (particularly under a CIFRE scheme) and the research stay agreement also enable doctoral candidates to carry out additional teaching activities.
For the private-law doctoral contract, this must be specified both in the employment contract and in the collaboration agreement between the employer and the institution where the student is registered.
ATER status (Temporary Teaching and Research Assistant)
(Opens a new window) The ATER post is a full-time (or part-time) contract combining research and teaching (up to 192 "tutorial-equivalent" hours with students per year for a full-time ATER).
It is generally available after the thesis defence, but may be offered to advanced doctoral students whose supervisor confirms that the thesis can be defended within a year.
This status allows for full immersion as an academic (teaching & research) and represents a valuable step for those aiming for an academic career.
Research knowledge transfer: turning results into action for society
What is research knowledge transfer?
Research knowledge transfer activities involve making research results usable within society or marketable.
Research knowledge transfer is an integral part of the (Opens a new window) duties of teacher-researchers and researchers, with a (Opens a new window) dedicated framework.
Like other researchers, doctoral students can take part in research knowledge transfer activities, in particular for their own work.
Knowledge transfer activities can take many different forms, such as:
- Filing a patent to prepare for the commercialisation of an (Opens a new window) innovation arising from research results (see (Opens a new window) FrenchTech mission) or setting up a company*
- Collaborating with a partner and/or a (Opens a new window) research dissemination structure to develop a prototype or technical solution in any field or sector of activity in society,
- Creating an (Opens a new window) exhibition, museum display or work of art, or a (Opens a new window) heritage discovery trail, showcasing research results for the general public, in partnership with a museum, a nature reserve or a local authority, for example
- Creating a tool that showcases research data as part of " (Opens a new window) Open Science", for example to inform and shed light on public debates (a barometer, a simulator, data visualisation).
Why carry out knowledge transfer activities during your doctorate?
Like teaching activities, knowledge transfer activities offer doctoral students tangible benefits:
- A source of motivation: giving concrete follow-up to research work within society strengthens commitment and gives the thesis an additional sense of purpose,
- Developing sought-after skills: active listening and adaptability (understanding the expectations of a range of stakeholders and responding to them appropriately), a "design thinking" approach, and serendipity.
- Enhanced employability: knowledge transfer can lead to creating your own job (by setting up a company) and provide greater maturity when looking for employment.
How to get started?
- Get trained: Most doctoral colleges and doctoral schools offer modules on intellectual property, entrepreneurship or research knowledge transfer in general, such as "doctoriales" events.
- Get support: Institutions' knowledge transfer structures (e.g. PUI, SATT) can support doctoral students with their projects.
- Get hands-on experience: modules dedicated to research knowledge transfer offered to doctoral students often include role-play or simulation exercises. To take it a step further, additional duties allow doctoral students to gain hands-on experience of research knowledge transfer.
Additional duties under the public-law doctoral contract
The (Opens a new window) public-law doctoral contract framework allows the contract's basic research duties to be supplemented by several additional duties, including a research knowledge transfer duty.
The annual time that may be devoted to these additional duties may not exceed one-sixth of annual working time, i.e. 32 days of actual work.
Additional activities give rise to (Opens a new window) extra pay, which is (Opens a new window) paid out monthly.
It is possible to combine several duties, for example: 32 hours of teaching ("tutorial-equivalent") and 16 days of knowledge transfer work.
This knowledge transfer activity may be carried out at an institution other than the employing institution, but this must be specified in an agreement between the institutions.
With a private-law doctoral contract
The private-law doctoral contract framework (particularly under a CIFRE scheme) was designed to encourage partnership-based research as well as transfer and knowledge transfer activities. Research knowledge transfer activities therefore fit naturally within this framework. Questions relating to the sharing of intellectual property, and all other matters relating to research knowledge transfer, are addressed in the collaboration agreement accompanying the private-law doctoral contract.
Residence permit
For the time being, due to constraints relating to their residence permits, non-EU foreign nationals must wait until after their PhD defense before they can move from planning to set up a company to actually setting one up in France.
Expertise and consultancy: putting your knowledge and skills into action
What do consultancy and expert advisory work mean for a doctoral student?
Consultancy and expert advisory duties allow doctoral students to put the high-level knowledge and skills they have acquired during their doctorate at the service of stakeholders outside academic research: companies, public institutions, local authorities, associations or the media.
These activities typically involve:
- Understanding the issues faced by these stakeholders,
- Providing scientific insight into these issues. The aim is not to carry out research, but to review the state of scientific knowledge on these questions at an international level,
- Facilitating decision-making by providing reasoned opinions, studies or technical reports.
As with knowledge transfer, these duties fit within a logic of links between science and society, but on a different level. It is knowledge and skills that are drawn upon here, rather than research results.
Diverse forms of consultancy and expert advisory work
Consultancy and expert advisory activities can take various forms, including:
- Writing scientific monitoring briefs,
- Producing expert reports for public institutions, local authorities or companies (e.g. evaluating public policy, risk analysis, feasibility studies),
- Taking part in committees or working groups (e.g. ethics committees, working groups on societal issues, evaluation panels),
- Contributing to the media (press, radio, television) to inform debates or explain complex issues,
How to carry out consultancy and expert advisory activities during the doctorate?
The first requirement is to be recognized as an expert. Some universities, institutions and research organizations, as well as other bodies such as doctoral candidates associations, have set up structures to make it easier for the local socio-economic community to access the skills of their PhD candidates (for example, the (Opens a new window) Consulid consultancy at the University of Lille).
Additional duties under the public-law doctoral contract
The (Opens a new window) public-law doctoral contract framework allows the contract's basic research duties to be supplemented by several additional duties, including a consultancy or expert advisory duty.
The annual time that may be devoted to these additional duties may not exceed one-sixth of annual working time, i.e. 32 days of actual work.
Additional activities give rise to (Opens a new window) extra pay, which is (Opens a new window) paid out monthly.
It is possible to combine several duties, for example: 32 hours of teaching ("tutorial-equivalent") and 16 days of consultancy or expert advisory work.
This consultancy or expert advisory activity may be carried out at an institution other than the employing institution, but this must be specified in an agreement between the institutions.
With a private-law doctoral contract
The private-law doctoral contract framework (particularly under a CIFRE scheme) was designed to encourage partnership-based research and, more broadly, the full range of activities that give research work follow-up within society.
Consultancy and expert advisory activities carried out by the doctoral student for the benefit of their employer therefore fit naturally within this framework.
Science communication: bringing research and society closer together
What is science communication?
Science communication involves making research accessible to non-specialist audiences: children, teenagers, curious adults, and so on. It means sharing your knowledge, methods and results in a clear, engaging and appropriate way, avoiding technical jargon.
Why get involved in science communication during your doctorate?
Getting involved in science communication offers many benefits, both for the PhD candidate and for the public:
- Contributing to the link between science and society: through science communication, PhD cadidates help spread scientific culture, inspire vocations and encourage people to take up research; they also bring science closer to citizens and help shape the image of research in society,
- Gaining perspective: sharing your research with a non-specialist audience helps clarify your ideas by identifying the essential points, lets you look at your own work from a different angle and, often, helps you find new meaning in it.
- Developing skills: science communication improves your ability to interact with the public, to communicate, to summarise and to adapt your message, all valuable assets for the rest of your career. Science communication activities can be highlighted on your CV.
- Opening up to new experiences: taking part in science communication events is often a source of motivation and enjoyment, offering a welcome break from thesis work.
To convince yourself, you can consult a (Opens a new window) doctoral thesis on the effects of science communication on researchers.
How to get started?
- Get trained: Most doctoral colleges and doctoral schools offer science communication training modules for PhD candidates. There are even tailor-made courses to prepare you for science communication activities supported by your university or institution,
- Taking part in activities run by your university or institution: as science communication is part of the public service duties of universities and higher education institutions, your university or institution generally organises activities you can take part in (the " (Opens a new window) Fête de la science" festival, (Opens a new window) Science en Bulles, (Opens a new window) Ma thèse en 180 secondes, school workshops, public lectures, or articles in popular science publications),
- Joining other science communication initiatives: programmes such as (Opens a new window) La main à la pâte, (Opens a new window) Pint of Science, (Opens a new window) Déclics or the (Opens a new window) Children's Science Congress allow you to get involved without extensive preparation, with appropriate support.
Additional duties under the public-law doctoral contract
The (Opens a new window) public-law doctoral contract framework allows the contract's basic research duties to be supplemented by several additional duties, including a science communication duty.
The annual time that may be devoted to these additional duties may not exceed one-sixth of annual working time, i.e. 32 days of actual work.
Additional activities give rise to (Opens a new window) extra pay, which is (Opens a new window) paid out monthly.
It is possible to combine several duties, for example: 32 hours of teaching ("tutorial-equivalent") and 16 days of science communication work.
This science communication activity may be carried out at an institution other than the employing institution (a science museum or natural history museum, for example), but this must be specified in an agreement between the institutions.
With a private-law doctoral contract
The private-law doctoral contract also allows additional science communication activities to be undertaken, subject to discussion with the employer.