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Post-thesis: professional integration
General Framework
Doctoral schools are responsible for training doctoral students for employment.
They are responsible for defining a support system for the professional integration of PhD graduates, both in public institutions and in the private sector, in accordance with the decree of August 7, 2006.
Doctoral students must therefore familiarize themselves with the research environment in these sectors and their specific requirements.
The school therefore encourages doctoral students to participate in all meetings organized in institutions on these topics.
They are responsible for defining a support system for the professional integration of PhD graduates, both in public institutions and in the private sector, in accordance with the decree of August 7, 2006.
Doctoral students must therefore familiarize themselves with the research environment in these sectors and their specific requirements.
The school therefore encourages doctoral students to participate in all meetings organized in institutions on these topics.
Developing your career plan
From the outset of their thesis, doctoral students must develop their career plan after discussing it with their thesis supervisor.
The supervisor must do everything possible to help the doctoral student achieve their goals. The plan must be consistent with the doctoral student's course of study as well as their personal aspirations.
Developing your career plan:
The supervisor must do everything possible to help the doctoral student achieve their goals. The plan must be consistent with the doctoral student's course of study as well as their personal aspirations.
Developing your career plan:
- University of Lyon training courses
- ED scientific days (Décryp'thèse and Les Gens du Jardin): these take place every year and allow doctoral students to present their thesis work in the form of oral presentations or posters
- The UCBL's career guidance and placement service (SOIE)
- Doctoral Student Job Fair (JED): organized each year by the University of Lyon, this event allows doctoral students to meet with doctors in the private sector and companies that are hiring, and to participate in mock job interview workshops. There is one JED dedicated to doctoral students in the exact sciences and another for doctoral students in the humanities and social sciences (SHS).
- PhD Talent Carreer Fair
Skills assessment
Job hunting must be planned in advance. This aspect must be addressed during monitoring committee meetings, particularly at the end of the second year of the thesis. For doctoral students, thesis work is a real professional experience. Conducting a skills assessment is essential in order to better identify the match between the requirements of the job market and the skills acquired.
Skills are specific (technical, for example) and cross-disciplinary (knowledge, know-how). They are acquired through doctoral training, professional stages, but also through extra-professional or social experiences.
It is important to emphasize aspects that are often considered implicit in the work of a scientist (creativity, curiosity, organization) but also ancillary (relationships, cooperation, group responsibilities).
Several resources are available:
Skills are specific (technical, for example) and cross-disciplinary (knowledge, know-how). They are acquired through doctoral training, professional stages, but also through extra-professional or social experiences.
It is important to emphasize aspects that are often considered implicit in the work of a scientist (creativity, curiosity, organization) but also ancillary (relationships, cooperation, group responsibilities).
Several resources are available:
- The Docteur-Conseil program: funded by Greater Lyon and the Auvergne Rhône Alpes Region, it aims to contribute to the innovation process of companies in the region, promote doctoral degrees, and facilitate the professional integration of young PhD graduates.
- The University of Lyon's Career and Employment program
- The Agency for Executive Employment (APEC): offers young graduates a personalized and free job search support program.
- The Bernard Grégory Association: aims to facilitate the training and employment of young scientists in laboratories, public institutions, and companies in France and abroad.
The different careers of a doctor
- Postdoctoral studies: allow young doctors to carry out research work. Universities and research centers (both public and private) offer postdoctoral positions and publish their job offers on their websites.
- Teacher-researcher: universities and higher education institutions recruit young doctors into the teaching profession through competitive examinations (recruitment)
- Researchers or research engineers: in the public sector, organizations (such as UCBL, CNRS, INSERM, INRAE, etc.) recruit researchers and research engineers on the basis of competitive examinations
APEC events and resources
APEC offers several initiatives to support doctoral students and PhD graduates in their professional integration.
1.Cap Docteurs – Webinars and workshops
- Objective: to reflect on life after the thesis, promote the value of a doctorate, and discover a variety of careers.
- Format: webinars and online thematic workshops (networking, careers outside academia, promoting the value of a doctorate, etc.).
- Next edition: March 23-26, 2026
- Audience: doctoral students and PhD graduates
- Information and registration: Cap Docteur
2. Job Fair – Lyon Forum for PhD Graduates
- Objective: meetings with companies, advice workshops, and networking
- Audience: doctoral students nearing the end of their thesis and PhD graduates
- Information and registration: ABG – Lyon Job Fair
3. World APEC Connect
- Purpose: explore professional opportunities and make contacts in the business world.
- Information: Club Vie – World APEC Connect Lyon
4. Start’in Job – APEC Forum
- Recruitment fair and forum for PhD graduates and recent graduates.
- Information: Event: Start’in Job | Apec
Calls for projects
1. TOURRE Foundation: postdoctoral fellowship and prize
The TOURRE Foundation is launching two calls for applications for 2026 to support fundamental cancer research in public laboratories in France.
1.1. TOURRE Foundation Fellowship – Paris Descartes 2026
- Amount: €60,000
- Target audience: Postdoctoral researchers
- Objective: To fund the postdoctoral researcher's salary via the host laboratory
- Deadline: Monday, November 9, 2026, at midnight
- Doctorate (medicine, science, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, or engineering)
- Under 35 years of age
- Working in a public laboratory in France
- Application: CV, publications, cancer research project, letter of recommendation
1.2. TOURRE Foundation – Necker Institute Award 2026
- Amount: €20,000
- Target audience: Researchers and postdoctoral researchers
- Objective: To reward a career and research work in cancerology
- Deadline: Monday, November 9, 2026, at midnight
- Under 40 years of age
- Fundamental research work that has resulted in high-level publications
- Working in a public laboratory in France
- Applications: PDF files to be sent to info@fondation-tourre.org
Find all the information directly on their official website
2. Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships
The Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships program will open its call for applications in spring.
These fellowships enable a young researcher to host a postdoctoral researcher of any nationality for a research project as part of an international mobility program.
Main requirements:
- Hold a PhD
- Have less than 8 years of research experience after obtaining a PhD
- Comply with mobility requirements: not have resided or worked in the host country for more than 12 months in the last 3 years
- All research topics are eligible. The position is 100% funded, with a lump sum for operating and environmental costs.
- Submission deadline: September 9, 2026
- Preliminary information is available online, and the MSCA National Contact
- Point will soon be offering information and support events for applicants
3. L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science
The L'Oréal Foundation, in partnership with the French National Commission for UNESCO and the Academy of Sciences, is opening applications for the 2026 edition of the France L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science program.
This program aims to support and recognize young talented female researchers by funding their research projects:
This program aims to support and recognize young talented female researchers by funding their research projects:
- PhD candidates: €15,000
- Postdoctoral researchers: €20,000
At least 5 awards will be dedicated to researchers from overseas regions
- Application deadline: end of March
- More information and application submission: consult their website
- For any questions, please contact: Selay.Diakite@academie-sciences.fr
National Survey on the Professional Integration of Doctoral Graduates (IP Doc)
Are you a doctoral student or postdoc wondering what happens after your doctorate? The IP Doc survey, conducted by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, follows doctoral graduates 1, 3, and 5 years after their thesis to better understand their career paths.
What does the survey measure?
What does the survey measure?
- How the thesis was completed (joint supervision, mobility, funding, etc.)
- Current professional situation (employment, sector, position)
- Type of employment and job satisfaction
Why is this important for you?
- The results help to better structure postdoctoral careers.
- They allow you to compare your experiences with those of other PhD graduates.
- The data is freely available via Open Data ESR, ideal for analysis or publication.
