Call for Applications: The Chateaubriand Fellowship Program

Call for Applications: The Chateaubriand Fellowship Program

Expand your research in STEM, Humanities, and Social Sciences globally. Apply for the Chateaubriand Fellowship by January 25, 2026.

The Chateaubriand Fellowship is a prestigious grant offered by the Embassy of France in the United States. It supports exceptional PhD students from U.S. institutions who wish to conduct part of their doctoral research in France in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math & Health and Humanities & Social Sciences for a period of 4 to 9 months.  

Fellows are selected through a competitive, merit-based process, with evaluations conducted by experts in both France and the United States. 

For more information, click here and learn more below.  

Humanities & Social Sciences

The Chateaubriand fellowship program enables young scholars to deepen their experience and expand their networks by spending several months at a French higher education institution. The fellows will be able to conduct dissertation research and engage with a French mentor and scholars.

We offer two types of fellowships:

  • Fall Fellowship (4 months)
  • Spring Fellowship (4 months)

Eligibility 

  • You must currently be enrolled in a PhD program.
  • You must be registered at an American university (US citizenship is not required; however, French citizens, including dual French citizens, are not eligible).
  • All HSS research topics are eligible including law, political science and economics.
  • You must obtain a letter of agreement from your U.S. advisor(s), as well as a letter of invitation from a professor affiliated with a French university or research institution.
  • Your U.S. and French advisors must agree to co-supervise part of your dissertation.
  • Knowledge of French is not mandatory and is left to the discretion of the host institution.

Calendar for the 2026-2027 Academic Year 

  • Application Deadline: January 25th, 2026 at 12:00 pm EST
  • Award Notification: End of May 2026

Benefits 

  • Monthly allowance (currently 1,704€ per month, it cannot be combined with other French state-funded fellowships, such as Fulbright, during  your stay in France).
  • Round trip airfare between the US and France only, booked exclusively by Campus France Paris (no reimbursement available). Flights are covered up to 1,410€, provided your travel dates align closely with your program schedule — arriving no earlier than the day before your convention begins and departing no later than the day after it ends. If you choose to extend your stay beyond those dates, due to French state-funded fellowship regulations, the round-trip airfare cannot be funded.
  • Health insurance for the duration of the fellowship.

Selection Process 

Experts mandated by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research evaluate the scientific quality of each research project. Only those applications rated “A” at this stage proceed to the final round.

The final selection committee ranks applications based on the following criteria:

  • Scientific quality of the project
  • Overall quality of the application
  • Contribution to French/US research dialogue
  • Geographic distribution of candidates
  • Diversity of disciplines and research topics

How to apply 

To apply, please complete the online form. You will be asked to provide the following information:

  • Contact details
  • Academic background (degrees, fellowships)
  • Main accomplishments (awards, publications, conferences, etc.)
  • Research project in the US (summary and US advisor contact details)
  • Research project in France (summary and French advisor contact details)

Requested Documents 

Please upload the following documents with your application:

  • Detailed description of your research project
  • Letter of agreement from your US research advisor
  • Letter of invitation from your project advisor in France, including your planned semester dates: either Fall (September 1st – December 31st) or Spring (January 1st – April 30th or February 1st – May 31st)
  • Up to three letters of recommendation
  • Copies of your transcripts

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Please consult the guidelines for detailed instructions, including content and format requirements.

Optional Documents: 

  • Joint supervision agreement (co-tutelle): If your PhD is being carried out under a joint agreement between a US and a French university (co-tutelle), please provide the official agreement between your PhD advisor and your host professor for joint supervision.
Additional Fellowship Opportunity:
One fellowship in Human and Social Sciences (HSS) will be awarded in partnership with Université Clermont Auvergne. Eligible disciplines include literature, history, communication, economics, or law, addressing the following research themes: democracy, gender, the Anthropocene, and socio-economic vulnerability. Preferred host research centers for the laureate include CMH, CERDI, CHEC, CELIS, LAPSCO, LESCORES, and ComSocs.

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math & Health

The Chateaubriand fellowship program enables young scholars to deepen their experience and expand their networks by spending several months at a French higher education institution. The fellows will be able to conduct dissertation research and engage with a French mentor and scholars.

Eligibility 

  • You must be currently working on your PhD
  • You must be registered in an American university (US citizenship is not required; however, French citizens are not eligible).
  • All STEM and Health research topics are eligible
  • Research should be performed in a French laboratory (university, engineering school, public research laboratory…)
  • Your US and French advisors must agree to co-supervise part of your thesis
  • Knowledge of French is not mandatory and is left to the discretion of the host institution
  • Co-sponsorship by a candidate’s American university or French host institution is encouraged

Calendar for the 2026-2027 Academic Year 

  • Application Deadline: January 25, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST
  • Award Notification: May 2026
  • The fellowship in France for the 2026-2027 academic year must start between September 1, 2026 and April 30, 2027.

Benefits 

  • Monthly allowance (up to 1850 euros/month, depending on other sources of funding)
  • Support for round-trip airfare to France
  • Support for health insurance abroad

Selection Process

Experts mandated by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research evaluate the scientific quality of each research project. Only those applications rated “A” at this stage proceed to the final round.

The final selection committee ranks applications based on the following criteria:

  • Academic relevance of the research project
  • Student’s command of the subject
  • Benefits of a research trip to France for the future of the collaboration
  • Background of the research collaboration
  • Contribution of the project to France/US academic exchange

How to Apply 

To apply, please complete the online form. You will be asked to provide the following information:

  • Contact details
  • Academic background (degrees, fellowships)
  • Main accomplishments (awards, publications, conferences, etc.)
  • Research project in the U.S. (summary and U.S. advisor contact details)
  • Research project in France (summary and French advisor contact details)

Requested Documents 

Please upload the following documents with your application:

  • Contact information
  • List of degrees received and copies of transcripts. Unofficial transcripts are accepted.
  • List of publications
  • List of past fellowships received
  • List of other fellowships for which you are applying
  • Summary of your thesis research in the US
  • Summary of research to be performed in France
  • Detailed description of your thesis research in the US including your project in France (3 pages)
  • Letter of agreement from your US thesis advisor agreeing that part of your thesis will be co-supervised by a French colleague. This letter should also highlight your work, explain how a stay in France would be useful to both the lab and your project and how it will strengthen the existing or planned collaboration between your home and host laboratories.
  • Letter of invitation from your project advisor in France agreeing to co-supervise part of your thesis. This letter should also describe the existing or planned collaboration between the home and host laboratories and include information about what your stay in France will bring to the host lab and your project.
  • At least one letter of recommendation from a professor who knows your work but who is not your US or French advisor
  • Contact information of host laboratory in France
  • If your application is linked to an existing French-American collaboration, please be ready to provide information on this collaboration.

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Please consult the guidelines for detailed instructions, including content and format requirements.

Identifying a Host Laboratory

It is the applicant’s responsibility to identify and contact a French laboratory that would like to collaborate with your university, laboratory or thesis advisor.