In the framework of the Chemistry Biology Health Graduate School (CBH-EUR-GS) of Université Grenoble Alpes, the Grenoble Alliance for Integrated Structural & Cell Biology (GRAL) funds operating costs for PhD projects conducted in GRAL labs: BioSanté, IBS, LCBM, and LPCV within the field of integrated structural & cell biology.
Preselection
- Lab directors (DU) will preselect 10 projects: 2 projects from BioSanté, 5 from IBS, 1 from LCBM, and 2 from LPCV, based on lab priorities, ensuring that projects meet a real financial need in the labs. Preselection will be organized by DUs, who may request a justification / letter of intent from the PhD supervisor(s).
- Out of these 10 projects, GRAL directors will preselect up to 6 projects for evaluation by GRAL’s Scientific Advisory Board.
- Pre-selected projects will not be ranked.
Application
PI of preselected projects will submit a 3-page description of the PhD project by 5 October 2021 using the available template.
Evaluation
GRAL’s Scientific Advisory Board will evaluate projects on the following criteria:
- Ambition and scientific quality of the project
- Relevance to GRAL’s objectives
- Track-record of PI
- Eventual additional points such as fruitful cooperation between teams or labs from the GRAL perimeter and/or for early-career scientists involved in the supervision of the PhD project
Eligibility
- Salary for PhD student must be secured for at least 2 more years at the time of the call
- PhD project must be supervised by a researcher of one of the GRAL laboratories
- PhD project must contribute to GRAL’s objective of integrated structural & cell biology (https://www.labex-gral.fr/research/research-directions/)
- PhD projects funded by ANR, ERC, any PhD funding associated with operating costs, including GRAL PhD scholarships, are not eligible.
- Students who received 10k€ funding from GRAL for PhD Operating Costs during last year call (2020) are eligible, providing they are funded for at least one more year and meet the other criteria. The maximum budget from GRAL per PhD will be 20k€, including the 10k€ awarded in 2020.
Funding
- 20k€ per PhD project
- Up to 60k€ can be awarded for each call (call will open every year between 2021 and 2025 for funding of PhD operating costs until 2027)
Use of funds
The funding can cover up to 20k€ expenses during the PhD project, including research consumables, equipment, training, publication costs, travel, accommodation, and subsistence associated with research and scientific services, to be used during the doctoral contract. It can also be used for ‘gratification de stage’, provided the PhD student participates in the supervision of the student. The funding cannot be used for salaries.
Schedule
- PI to send notification or letter of intent to DU > Beginning of September 2021, date to be confirmed by each DU
- Preselection of 10 PhD projects by lab directors > by 15 September 2021
- Preselection of 6 PhD projects by GRAL directors > by 20 September 2021
- PI to send application to GRAL’s Project Manager anne-mathilde.thierry@ibs.fr or @cea.fr > by Tuesday 5 October 2021 13:00
- Evaluation by GRAL’s Scientific Advisory Board > October-November 2021
- Notification of decision : by end of November 2021
- Start of expenses : January 2022