Are you passionate about the ecological transition? Would you like to pursue a PhD directly connected to environmental and energy public policies? ADEME is launching its Doctoral Thesis Call for Projects – 2026 edition.
Warning: Submission deadline: 2 March 2026 at 4:00 pm (strict deadline). Projects must be submitted by the host laboratory via ADEME’s AGIR platform.
ADEME’s Doctoral Thesis Programme – 2026 edition
Practical information and contacts
ADEME (the French Agency for Ecological Transition) is a public industrial and commercial establishment that helps implement public policies in the fields of environment, energy and sustainable development. The research supported by the Agency aims in particular to:
A public body under the supervision of the ministries in charge of the Environment, Energy and Research, ADEME supports applied research projects that contribute to the ecological transition.
The Doctoral Thesis Programme is one of the key tools of ADEME’s Research Strategy 2021–2027.
Warning: this programme does not fund fundamental research PhD projects.
Since 1992, over 2,000 PhD candidates have benefited from this programme, going on to work in public institutions, companies and service sectors, or even to create their own businesses. Each year, ADEME selects between 40 and 50 new PhD projects, out of an average of 200 applications submitted.
Selected PhD candidates become ADEME employees for the duration of their PhD, while being hosted within their laboratory.
The expected PhD projects for the 2026 edition must fall within one of the four Thematic Research Priorities (PTR) of ADEME’s Research Strategy:
This last priority is dedicated to more cross-cutting issues and to PhD work in the social sciences and humanities across the thematic fields, as well as to questions related to evaluation, modelling and foresight.
For each priority, at least one ADEME contact person (“referent”) is identified. It is recommended to contact the relevant referent to ensure that the proposed topic fits ADEME’s priorities and expectations.
The email address of these referents follows the format firstname.lastname@ademe.fr (compound surname: firstname.lastnamelastname@ademe.fr; compound first name: firstnamefirstname.lastname@ademe.fr).
Warning: the project application must be submitted before the deadlines via the platform: https://agirpourlatransition.ademe.fr/
No submission by email or paper format will be accepted.
must be submitted before 2 March 2026 at 4:00 pm;
must include a case study in France if the work is conducted abroad.
Early December 2025: call opens;
2 March 2026 (4:00 pm): deadline for project submission by the laboratory;
30 April 2026 (11:59 pm): deadline for CV, cover letter and forms if the candidate was not identified by 2 March;
March–May 2026: internal and external evaluations;
Early June 2026: selection committee;
Late June 2026: results announced;
September 2026: contracting;
1 October 2026: start of the doctoral contract.
If the project is selected:
- €2,300 gross/month for the first two years,
- 1.5 × the French minimum wage (SMIC) in the third year.
Renewal for the third year is subject to approval by the Individual Monitoring Committee (CSI).
Support for the host laboratory
ADEME also provides a lump-sum allowance of €3,000 per year (€9,000 over 3 years) to the host laboratory for PhD-related costs (travel, conferences, ADEME doctoral days, etc.).
Co-funding is strongly encouraged.
Warning: for projects of equal scientific quality, the selection committee will give priority to co-funded projects.
The co-funder (a public or private organisation with legal personality) contributes around 50% of the total estimated cost over 3 years.
Doctoral Thesis Call – 2026 (PDF)
All documents related to the 2026 call
The ADEME Doctoral Thesis Unit is available to answer all administrative questions by email at aaptheses@ademe.fr.