You are here : ED CANBIOS > EN > PhD student's journey > Doctoral enrolment/re-enrolment

PhD Registration / Re-Registration

Re-enrolment and thesis defence


The re-enrolment and thesis defence application procedures may be carried out in parallel.

However, the application for a thesis defence should only be initiated once the date of the defence has been definitively agreed upon by all stakeholders.
In order to initiate the procedure on ADUM, a provisional document (a blank, unnamed page) may be submitted initially. This document must be replaced by the final version of the manuscript no later than eight weeks before the defence.: justify;">

To Understand Clearly

Doctoral registration is twofold. The PhD student must register both with the doctoral school and with their affiliated university. A doctoral year starts in September and ends in August of the following year. Annual re-registration is then required.

For the 2026/2027 academic year, registrations and project submissions are open.

IMPORTANT: Doctoral registration must be renewed at the beginning of each academic year until the defense.

2026–2027 Re-enrolment Campaign:

  • Special opening: 7 to 23 July 2026 for PhD students who need a re-enrolment certificate urgently (for visa, residence permit, etc.).
  • Re-enrolment for all PhD students: 17 August to 4 December 2026.

From the 2026/2027 academic year onwards, and for all subsequent academic years, in accordance with Decree No. 057-2026-ORG-005 signed by the President of Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University:

  • For students authorized to enroll or re-enroll in a doctoral programme, the deadline for administrative registration at Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University is set at the end of the second week of December of the relevant academic year.
  • This deadline applies to:
    • first-year PhD candidates whose employment contract starts before 31 December and second-year;
    • higher-year PhD candidates who have been authorized to re-enroll.
  • An extended registration period is granted to first-year PhD candidates whose employment contract starts after 31 December.
  • Before applying for re-enrollment in their second year or beyond, PhD candidates must ensure that their Individual Monitoring Committee (CSI – Comité de Suivi Individuel) meeting is held sufficiently early to allow the Doctoral School to review their file and authorize their re-enrollment within the required timeframe.
  • Failure to complete administrative registration before the specified deadline will result in the loss of the registration authorization previously granted. No postponement or additional extension will be granted.
Registration procedure: find all the information on the Lyon 1 University website

Registration Pathway

Registration procedure:

HDR researchers from the doctoral school will submit PhD project proposals on ADUM.

Prospective PhD students can apply to the projects of their choice or confirm the project they have been assigned on ADUM.

Once funding for the 3-year PhD is secured, the file moves to the registration section of ADUM, which takes place in 4 steps:
  1. The PhD student registers on ADUM and uploads all the required supporting documents.
  2. The CanBioS administration verifies that the documents are complete and correct and approves the first step.
  3. The research laboratory checks the scientific aspects of the thesis and approves the second step.
  4. The doctoral school’s administration fully validates the educational registration in the third step, which automatically forwards the file to the university. Once the university has checked the entire file and the PhD student has paid the registration fees, the fourth step is completed, and the PhD student is officially registered for their first year of the thesis.
As part of doctoral monitoring, the Individual Monitoring Committee (CSI) now includes an observation form for doctoral students. This form is separate from the CSI report and remains confidential. It allows students to report to the Doctoral School any useful information regarding the progress of their thesis, including personal aspects. This form is not shared with the supervisor.

The CSI is compulsory for all re-enrolments, including in the fourth year and beyond. An exemption is only possible if the date of the thesis defence has been definitively set at the time of the re-enrolment application.

Entering the First Year of the PhD from October of the Current Year

After confirmation from the doctoral school that I can register on ADUM, I follow the procedure.
  • If I have passed the doctoral school’s selection process, I can find the individual training agreement to complete here.
  • All documents can be downloaded from my ADUM account or from the institutions’ websites (see below – institutional procedures).
  • Regarding the IT charter, please only submit the annexe (for UCBL).
  • At registration, it is also now required to complete a communication charter between the doctoral student and their supervisor. This charter defines from the start of the thesis the modes of communication and exchange to be used throughout the doctorate (meeting schedules, frequency of communication, communication channels, etc.). Its purpose is to streamline interactions between the student and the supervisor and to prevent misunderstandings or conflicts.
  • Doctoral registration is twofold and includes both: the educational registration by the doctoral school and the administrative registration by the institution.
  • Once the administrative registration is validated, you will be added to the doctoral school’s mailing list (professional email only).
Reminder: Starting from October of the following year, you will move to the next year regardless of your contract start date or registration date.

The CSI is compulsory for all re-enrolments, including in the fourth year and beyond. An exemption is only possible if the date of the thesis defence has been definitively set at the time of the re-enrolment application.

Example: If I register between September and December 2025, I will need to register for D2 in October 2026; if I register between January 2026 and April 2026, I will still need to register for D2 in October 2026. 

Re-enrolment and thesis defence


The re-enrolment and thesis defence application procedures may be carried out in parallel.

However, the application for a thesis defence should only be initiated once the date of the defence has been definitively agreed upon by all stakeholders.

In order to initiate the procedure on ADUM, a provisional document (a blank, unnamed page) may be submitted initially. This document must be replaced by the final version of the manuscript no later than eight weeks before the defence.

Entering the First Year via VAE

I register only if I am defending my thesis in the current year. Once registered, I can proceed with the defense procedure.

The PhD at the CanBioS Doctoral School is accessible through the VAE (Validation of Acquired Experience) for candidates wishing to have their professional experience recognized as equivalent to a Master 2 degree.

Find all information online: VAE - FOCAL

Contact:
Roles:
  • The Doctoral School Council approves applications for PhD registration via VAE.
  • The Doctoral School Office assists the Direction in reviewing VAE applications for Master 2 equivalence or PhD registration.
Admission conditions:

To apply to the CanBioS Doctoral School, the candidate must hold a French degree granting the Master 2 level (or an engineering degree with an internship in a research unit), or a foreign degree of equivalent level including research training.

If this condition is not met, the head of the institution may, by exception and on the proposal of the Doctoral School Office, admit candidates who have completed studies of equivalent level or benefit from the Validation of Acquired Experience (VAE).

Entering the Second or Third Year in October

I request re-registration by submitting all the documents required for the CSI on ADUM.

Entering the Fourth Year (and beyond) in October without defense before the end of December

I request re-registration by submitting all the documents required for the CSI on ADUM.

The CSI is compulsory for all re-enrolments, including in the fourth year and beyond. An exemption is only possible if the date of the thesis defence has been definitively set at the time of the re-enrolment application.

Entering the Fourth Year (and beyond) in October with defense between October and December

I request re-registration and simultaneously follow the procedure outlined under the “Defense” tab. Without a validated defense file on ADUM, your registration request will not be approved.

The CSI is compulsory for all re-enrolments, including in the fourth year and beyond. An exemption is only possible if the date of the thesis defence has been definitively set at the time of the re-enrolment application.

Re-enrollment in 4th year without funding and planned thesis defense


In the case of a PhD candidate nearing completion, with a thesis defense scheduled during the academic year and no possibility of contract extension, the following rules apply:
  • The PhD candidate may re-enroll in the 4th year without funding, provided that the thesis defense takes place within the relevant academic year.
  • After the end of their funding, the candidate is no longer allowed to access research units to conduct research activities, except for meetings or specific events requiring their presence.
These measures do not apply to PhD candidates enrolled in doctoral schools where funding for the 4th year (and beyond) is mandatory for re-enrollment.

Contrary to some interpretations, there is no Lyon 1 scheme providing a 6-month writing period considered as an extension of the 3rd year.

Procedure
  • The PhD candidate must submit a request for re-enrollment in the 4th year via ADUM for the relevant academic year.
  • Re-enrollment is mandatory even in the absence of funding if the defense is planned.
  • The candidate must also submit the thesis defense request within the required deadlines.
  • The Individual Monitoring Committee (CSI) is not required in this situation if the defense is already scheduled.
After administrative registration:
  • The Doctoral Office (Pôle Doctorat & HDR – DRED) directly contacts the candidate.
  • A commitment letter regarding the funding waiver is sent by the DRED.
  • This letter must be completed and signed by the candidate.
From the end of the funding period (e.g. October 1st), the candidate must no longer be present in the laboratory to carry out research work.

Institutional Procedures

Depending on your institution of registration, you must follow the internal procedures provided by the doctoral studies office:
  • Université Lyon1 (Doctoral & HDR Division). Note: Before contacting the Doctoral & HDR Division, please check that your question is not already answered in the Lyon 1 Doctoral FAQ .
  • INSA Lyon (Registrar’s Office)
  • ENS Lyon (Graduate Studies Office)
  • VetAgro Sup
To register administratively, the Doctoral Studies Office of your affiliated institution (Lyon 1, INSA Lyon, ENS Lyon, or VetAgroSup) will request certain supporting documents and payment of registration fees.