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Doctoral studies

As an indicator, more than 20 funded PhD contracts are proposed each year to the graduating students through our network of laboratories in plant sciences.

Doctoral Schools

• Plant Sciences: from Genes to Ecosystems (SEVE)

SEVE is an important doctoral school considering the quality and number of PhD defended each year. There are about 100 PhD students with an average of 30 defenses per year. The high number of granted PhD scholarships attests of the Ministry's recognition of this excellent program. The SEVE doctoral school is in close relation with several European doctoral programs such as Wageningen, Norwich and Cologne.

• Agriculture Food Biology Environment Health (ABIES)
• Structure and Dynamics of Living Systems (SDSV)
• etc.

A PhD, and then what?

Post-doctoral contract

At the end of their PhD thesis, more than 50% of the doctors decide to pursue their career with a fixed-term research contract (post-doctoral experiment) generally abroad, mainly in Europe in the best plant biology research centres (e.g. VIB in Ghent, Max Planck Institute in Germany, Umea University in Sweden, Imperial College of London, etc....), but also in France. This early stage of their academic career allows them to develop their CVs in view of competitions to become a researcher, assistant-professor, or research engineer in Universities, CNRS, INRAE, IRD or others.

Research and Development in the private sector

About 30% of the doctors work directly in the R&D sectors in private companies in France or abroad (crop protection, varietal selection). Some of them create start-ups thanks to the training they received during their thesis.

And many other opportunities

The doctorate is recognised as a diploma of excellence providing high level skills useful in many sectors. Some PhDs go into business consulting, others into science popularisation and journalism or into the booming bioinformatics sectors.