Contrats doctoraux handicap : campagne nationale 2026

The 2026 Campaign

2026 Timeline

Application and Procedures

The 2026 National Campaign

The “Doctoral Contracts for Students with Disabilities” campaign is a key component of the inclusion policy led by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space, in partnership with higher education institutions. Its objective is to support doctoral studies for students with disabilities.

For 2026, the scheme provides funding for 30 doctoral contracts over a three-year period.

An additional 180 months of extension funding is also available. This allocation is exclusively reserved for contracts awarded during the 2021 campaign, in order to take into account specific professional and/or personal circumstances.

The mechanism encouraging institutions to fund one or more doctoral contracts specifically earmarked for disability support from their own resources is renewed. This recommendation aims to strengthen institutional inclusion policies.

Applications are reviewed by the “Doctorat Handicap” Scientific Committee, composed of scientific advisors appointed to the Directorate-General for Higher Education and Professional Integration. Requests for contract extensions are examined under the same procedures as initial applications.

2026 Timeline

• Monday, February 16, 2026 (2:30–4:00 p.m.): information webinar for doctoral schools and disability officers
• From Monday, March 16, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. to Monday, May 11, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.: submission of applications via the SIREDO platform
• From Monday, June 22, 2026 onwards: notification of results to institutions by email

Application and Procedures

Who can apply?

The administrative eligibility criteria are as follows:

• Be enrolled in a public higher education institution under the supervision of the Ministry. The institution acts as the employer and signs the doctoral contract;
• The doctoral contract must take effect within one year following the first doctoral enrolment. Otherwise, the Master’s degree must be validated at the time the contract is awarded;
• Provide official notification of recognition of disabled worker status (RQTH) issued by the MDPH, or a receipt confirming that the application is admissible and under review;
• The campaign does not concern doctoral candidates already enrolled in their second year of PhD.

Application procedure

Candidates must contact their doctoral school, which is responsible for preparing and submitting the application file.

Doctoral schools are responsible for:

• selecting applications;
• verifying administrative eligibility;
• ensuring compliance with all eligibility requirements.

The application file must be submitted via the SIREDO platform by the relevant institutional services between March 16, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. and May 11, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.. The institution will then validate the submitted applications.

2026 Application File – Required Documents

The application file must include:

• Official RQTH notification issued by the MDPH, or receipt confirming an admissible request under review;
• An application form;
• A curriculum vitae demonstrating alignment between academic background and doctoral project;
• A PhD research proposal (maximum 4 pages excluding bibliography), including a three-year timeline, scientific relevance, feasibility and motivation statement;
• A copy of the Master’s degree (or equivalent qualification);
• Official academic transcripts.

Evaluation process

The Scientific Committee evaluates the scientific quality of the project, the relevance of the supervisory framework, and the candidate’s preparation and motivation. Reasoned opinions from the doctoral school director, thesis supervisor(s), and host research unit constitute key assessment criteria.

Where scientific quality is equivalent, balance across disciplines and between contracts funded by the Ministry and those funded by institutions may also be considered.

Launch of the 2026 Doctoral Contracts for Students with Disabilities Campaign – PDF | 681.52 KB

Application template – 2026 Doctoral Contracts for Students with Disabilities – DOCX | 80.4 KB

Extension application template – 2026 Doctoral Contracts for Students with Disabilities – DOCX | 82.97 KB