The Chateaubriand Fellowship in Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) targets outstanding Ph.D. students from American universities who seek to engage in research in France, in any discipline of the Humanities and Social Sciences. This fellowship is offered by the Cultural Services of the Embassy of France. HSS Chateaubriand fellows are selected through a merit-based competition, using a binational collaborative process involving expert evaluators from both countries.
Eligibility & Guidelines - HSS
ELIGIBILITY
Candidates must be currently working on their Ph.D.
Candidates do not have to be U.S. citizens, but they must be enrolled in an American university. However, French citizens are not eligible to apply.
Candidates must obtain a letter of agreement from their advisor(s) in the U.S., as well as a letter of invitation from a professor affiliated with a French university or research institution. Please be in touch with your supervisor in France as early as possible. The history of the research relationship will be taken into account in the review process.
There are three types of fellowships:
- Fall Fellowship: 4 months, starts October 1st.
- Spring Fellowship: 4 months, starts February 1st.
- Year-long Fellowship: 8 months, starts October 1st.
Applicants’ preference will be taken into account but not necessarily accommodated.
BENEFITS
HSS Chateaubriand fellows receive:
- A monthly stipend of 1500 €
- Health insurance for the entire duration of the fellowship
- A round-trip ticket to France
SELECTION PROCESS
Each application receives two evaluations: one from a French scholar, the other from an American scholar.
The candidates’ applications and their scholars’ recommendations are then reviewed by a final selection committee.
The criteria taken into account include:
- Academic Relevance of the Research Project
- Beneficial Effects of a Research Trip to France
- Student’s command of the subject
- Contribution of the Project to the Global France/US Academic Exchange Context
CALENDAR
- October 29, 2018: Opening of the 2019-2020 Chateaubriand Call for applications
- January 8, 2019: Deadline for application (12:00 pm EST)
- February to April : Bilateral selection process
- June 2019 : Communication of results via email.
APPLICATION PROCESS
In order to access and complete the electronic application, please follow the steps below.
Create an account
Read the guidelines
Sign in with the user name and password sent to you via email.
Complete the application and upload the necessary attachments (Note that you can save your application as you go and return to complete it at a later time).
Submit your completed application. You will not be able to change your data after final submission.
Make sure that you receive an email confirming that your application has been submitted.
REQUESTED DOCUMENTS
In addition to the online application form, applicant must provide some documents. Letters can be provided either in French or English. French proficiency is not requested, but a short summary of the research project in French shall be included in the online application.
Mandatory documents
- Description of the research project: this document should present shortly your research project. Maximum 10,000 characters (including spaces). The bibliography is not requested.
- Letter of Agreement from your US Thesis Advisor: the agreement letter should include that your PhD advisor in the US is agreeing that part of your thesis research will be performed in France under the supervision of your French Advisor. This letter should also highlight your work, explain how a stay in France would be useful to both the lab and your project and how it will strengthen the existing or planned collaboration between your home and host laboratories.
- Letter of Invitation from your French supervisor: this letter should mention how the Chateaubriand applicant will be hosted and included in the French laboratory or research team. It could mention works, papers or research the applicant intends to do with the French part and how the support to the Chateaubriand applicant will strengthen existing or future collaborations between French and American higher education institutions, (i.e. the applicant is welcomed as part of a joint thesis, in the framework of an exchange program or a cooperation agreement). The letter must mention the history of the research relationship.
- One letter of recommendation from a reference who knows your work but who is not your US or French advisor.
- Transcript(s) from all colleges, universities or higher education institutions. Unofficial transcripts are accepted. If necessary, transcripts must be translated into either English or French.
Optional documents
- Second letter of recommendation: the applicant can request an optional letter of recommendation from a reference who knows your work but who is not your US or French advisor.
- Joint supervision Agreeement (co-tutelle): if your PhD is being carried out under a joint agreement between a US and a French university (co-tutelle), please provide the official agreement between your PhD advisor and your host professor for a joint supervision.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
https://www.chateaubriand-fellowship.org/