FAQ

GENERAL INFORMATION

How many doctoral candidates will be recruited ?

20 fellowships will be funded for 36 months in Health and SSH - Social Sciences and Humanities. 10 in September/October 2025, 10 in September/October 2026

Is a good level of French required ?

Breath is an international program and requires to be fluent in English. Also, a good level of French is convenient for the day to day activities. For specific projects, a high level of French can be required. In this case, it is specified in the job offer description.

What is the monthly gross salary for fellows ?

The doctoral candidates will receive 2550€/month gross+ 400€ net for mobility allowance. An additionnal 400€ family allowance is possible (depending on your family situation).

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE CALLS

How many calls for applications will be launched ?

The Breath programme will launch two calls for applications, one in 2025, one in 2026. See the calendar on https://breath.univ-angers.fr/en/apply/calendar.html

What is the deadline for submitting applications for the first call ?

The deadline for the first call is March 13rd, 2025, at 00:00h CET.

When will open the second call ?

The second call will open on January 2026 and will replicate the same recruitment process as for the first call. See the calendar on https://breath.univ-angers.fr/en/apply/calendar.html

Could a doctoral candidate apply to the Breath programme with its own research subject ?

Around 40 PhD topics from the 3 partner universities will be offered but freedom is also offered to the candidates to propose their own topics, providing that the research topic is in line to the BREATH project framework. See Guide for Applicants for more details

Is there any difference between the 1^st and the 2^nd call in terms of projects?

In the second call, we will offer new projects and we will also offer the selected topics which have not found a doctoral candidate in the first call.

Where and how the interviews go during the selection process?

The best eligible candidates will have online 45 min interview. Interviews will exclusively be conducted in the English language.

ELIGIBILITY

Does the doctoral candidate have to be born or to live in a European Union country to be eligible to apply for the Breath doctoral programme?

No, candidates of any nationality are welcome but they have to make sure they fulfill the eligibility criteria (mobility rule, diplomas, etc.).

Can the doctoral candidate submit its application via email ?

No, all applications for the Breath programme have to go through the online platform Amethis, the official platform to apply, already used jointly by the 3 universities.

All links are available by clicking on the PhD’s topics : PhD Opportunities - University of Angers

What type of Master degree is required for eligibility?

On the date of application, the candidate should justify a Master’s degree (or international equivalence) with connection and relevance to the chosen Breath PhD topic, particularly SSH/Health. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of BREATH, no specific Master’ field will be expected.

Does the doctoral candidate need to offer supporting documents for mobility rule ?

On the date of online application, only the declaration of honour on mobility rule will be required. Then, only selected doctoral candidates will be ask to povide hard evidence that they fulfil the mobility rule: copies of previous employments, rent, utility bills, entry/exit stamps in passport, etc

Is there an age limit to apply?

No, there is no age limit.

APPLICATION MATERIAL 

Can I use my usual CV to apply on the Amethis plateform ?

No, in order to standardize CV’s and facilitate the evaluation process, you must use the Europass template available on : How to apply - University of Angers

What are the requirements for the Motivation Letter?

Doctoral candidates have to use motivation letter template available in the How to apply - University of Angers. This template includes key information that will be considered during the evaluation process.

What are the requirements for the recommendation letters ?

There are no templates for the recommendation letters. Please ask your supervisor to prepare it for you and submit it through the online application form.

What is the duration of validity for the requested English certificate ?

Tests scores provided should not be older than 2 years (except for Cambridge certificates).