2023-2024 Graduate Research
Projects Scheme between
The University of Melbourne (UoM)
andThe Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Structure of Program
Following sought after calls in 2019 and 2021, the CNRS and UoM are calling for proposals toestablish joint PhD projects. The Graduate Research Projects scheme established the Melbourne –CNRS Network, with recruited joint PhD candidates undertaking research across a range ofmultidisciplinary projects. Candidates participating in the program are jointly supervised by UoM
and CNRS Principal Investigators (PIs) and jointly enrolled at UoM and the CNRS affiliated Frenchuniversity.
Up to ten (10) joint PhD projects will be funded across five separate pairs of PIs, comprising one PIfrom UoM and one from CNRS. Each of these five pairs will receive one PhD scholarship from UoM(allocated to the UoM PI) and one PhD fellowship from CNRS (allocated to the CNRS PI). These awards
will also include travel and establishment support.
Joint PhD candidates are enrolled at both institutions under joint supervision, with one primarysupervisor from UoM and one from the CNRS affiliated French university; providing opportunities
for PIs to expand their collaborative activities. The work will be judged according to the academic
standards of both institutions. Upon successful completion, each candidate will be eligible to receive
a PhD, recognized by two testamurs, one from UoM and one from the CNRS affiliated French
university. Both testamurs will state the joint nature of the award and the name of the partner
institution.
Those PhD candidates participating in the awarded Graduate Research Projects must meet the entry
requirements and enrolment criteria to jointly enroll at both the UoM PI’s Faculty as well as that ofthe CNRS PI’s affiliated French university: France: PhD candidates seeking to undertake a joint research project funded by theCNRS PI must commence the first year of their PhD at a host French University by
December 2024.
 Melbourne: PhD candidates seeking to undertake a joint research project funded by
UoM must commence the first year of their PhD at UoM by December 2024.
This call is open to proposals from all areas of research.
Eligibility
The supervisory team must comprise of at least two Principal Investigators (PIs), one from UoM andone from CNRS. The PIs must have capacity to serve as primary supervisors for two jointly enrolled
PhD candidates.
The University of Melbourne
Melbourne academics must be registered to supervise as per the Supervisor Eligibility andRegistration Policy. Primary supervisors should be employed at UoM beyond the envisaged
submission date of their PhD candidates (2028). If their employment contract does not extend beyond
the submission date, then alternative arrangements must be in place, by either having:a) A named co-supervisor employed at Melbourne beyond the envisaged submission date of1their PhD candidates (2028); orb) A letter of support from the respective Head of Department/Head of School detailing thearrangements in place to ensure continuity of supervision.
For more information, including forms for supervisor registration, please consult the information forsupervisors section on the Graduate Research Hub.
Honorary employees whose primary academic affiliation is the University of Melbourne are eligible
to lead an application as a PI if they are a registered Principal Supervisor at Melbourne, and either:a) Their primary employer has entered into a written agreement for this call, using theprovided approval form to fund the Melbourne cash component of the collaborativeactivity; orb) They participate at their own expense if they are otherwise unaffiliated (for example,
they hold an emeritus position).
Melbourne academics must not have outstanding Progress Reports or Final Reports from any other
University of Melbourne Researcher Development Scheme.
CNRS academics
CNRS-based PIs (all researchers affiliated to a CNRS laboratory are eligible, whether employed byCNRS or by another institution) must hold accreditation to supervise PhD candidates. The PI’saffiliated university must also be able to support the negotiation of an agreement to facilitate theenrolment of joint PhD candidates.
Additional notes for all applicantsPrevious recipients may not currently reapply to this scheme but may participate in joint PhD projects
as co-supervisors.
Additional colleagues (including other partners in Australia, from non-CNRS affiliated institutions
in France, or internationally) are not eligible to apply as primary supervisors, although they canparticipate in the co-supervision of joint PhD candidates. However, involvement of shared external
partners that benefit the project, for example through translation support or providing internshipopportunities, is encouraged. PIs cannot submit more than one proposal (for two joint PhDcandidates) as part of this call but can co-supervise other projects.
Adherence to respective equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policies are a core feature of thisscheme to ensure that all participants can do their best work, thrive and succeed. Applicant teams
should consider how they can take meaningful steps in their future collaborations to foster anenvironment that values, supports and respects a diverse range of views, knowledge and experiences.
Applicants should consider EDI as it applies to gender, indigenous peoples, disabilities, career stages
and sectors.
Applications that do not satisfy these criteria will not be eligible.
Conditions
Up to a total of five proposals will be funded, with each proposal supporting two joint PhD
candidates. One of these candidates will have UoM as their Home Institution, and the other will havethe French university affiliated with the CNRS PI as their Home Institution.
The Home Institution is where the candidate spends most of their research time and is likely tocommence and conclude their degree. The Host Institution is where the candidate spends theremainder of their candidature as part of a research stay. Candidates should submit their thesis within2three years of commencement and spend at least 12 months at each institution.
Funding
An overall summary of the funding provided per joint PhD project is included in the list below. It isup to the supervisors involved in the individual projects to cover any consumable costs.
From UoM:
Tax-free scholarship, including a stipend, for each Melbourne-based candidate. Refer to the Graduate
Research Scholarship page for full details.
Access to a lump sum of up to $20,000* to support Melbourne-based candidates and UoM PIs forrelevant activities, including: Candidate travel
 PI travel Workshop costs or virtual collaboration expenses
 Graduate recruitment*The lump sum provided by Melbourne is pooled and allocated to the Academic Lead of the joint
PhD program. The Academic Lead is responsible for distributing the funds to the PIs andMelbourne-based candidates for the uses described.
**Please note that ineligible costs include: directly incurred staff (e.g. Research Assistants),
replacement research/teaching costs, directly allocated costs including applicants’ time, indirect
costs/estates costs, publication costs, equipment, consumable costs, additional scholarships,
conference attendance, tuition fees, and honoraria.
From CNRS:
Full PhD Grant for 3 years for each CNRS-based candidate.
5,000 EUR per year to support CNRS-based candidates and CNRS PIs for relevant activities,including: Candidate travel
 PI travel Workshop costs or virtual collaboration expenses
Reporting
Melbourne academics
UoM recipients will be required to provide regular updates on project progress during the candidatureof their joint PhD candidates. These updates will be requested quarterly by the International ResearchTraining Group (IRTG) Academic Lead. Recipients who fail to participate in regular reporting
mechanisms for this IRTG may be found ineligible for participation in future Researcher
Development Schemes.
CNRS academics
During or at the conclusion of the project, grant recipients may be asked to report on progress oroutcomes achieved to relevant stakeholder groups.
Awardees must submit a brief, plain language report (1-page) to their respective institutions withineighteen months of the award. This report should detail the outcomes of the collaboration and the3ways in which the grant has enhanced or will enhance their research activities and/or leverage larger
opportunities.
Evaluation
Proposals will be evaluated and ranked by a UoM-CNRS committee, according to thefollowing criteria:
Scientific quality & originality of the project – How clearly are the scientific objectives of theproject identified? What is the innovative nature of the project? Can the project lead to a significant
scientific breakthrough?



Scientific merit of the teams – What is the added value of international cooperation (scientific,human, technological, infrastructure)? What are the anticipated benefits of involving two joint PhD
researchers in the collaboration? How well does the proposal plan to leverage external funding? To
what extent are future collaborations made possible as a result of the proposed activities?

Synergism between the teams - What is the evidence of an existing research relationship or added
value of a new collaboration? How does the collaboration combine mutual areas of interest andstrength?
Successful recipients will be formally notified of the award and informed of funding conditions.
Key dates
Call opens for proposal applications
Deadline for project proposal applications
Announcement of successful proposals
Joint interview and recruitment deadlines
Candidates to commence

Monday 18 September 2023
Monday 27 November 2023
January 2024
30 June 2024
September – December 2024 (CNRS)
December 2024 (UoM)

PIs must successfully recruit two candidates by 30 June 2024 (even if the Melbourne-based candidate
will not commence until December 2024). If the PIs do not meet this recruitment deadline, thescholarships, seed and mobility funding will be recalled for use in a future call.
Mode of application and submission
PIs from UoM and CNRS should submit one joint application, in English, via the dedicated CNRS
Web site: https://noa.cnrs.fr by Monday, 27 November 2023, 12:00. Applications should be written
in English and for an audience proficient, but not expert, in the field.
Melbourne PIs must also submit a copy of the joint application and endorsement to the UoM
SmartyGrant portal by Monday, 27 November 2023, 12:00.
Content of the proposal
The proposal, written in English, must consist of the following parts, in one single file (up to 5pages, not counting Parts F and G in the page count)
PART A: Title Page (template provided)
Please use the provided template to advise title of the proposal, names of the principal investigatorsand their laboratories (if relevant), their addresses, telephone, websites, e-mail addresses, and other4

required information. This will not count against the page limit.
PART B: Description of the scientific projects (2 pages)
Please include a plain-language abstract that describes the scientific project and domains of interest;
identifies the historical context of application (if applicable); and states the quality and originality ofthe project, its objectives, scientific methodology, expected results and their relevance, and future
perspectives. Explain the relation between each project and the research themes of both PIs.
Explain how each PhD candidate will be supervised and mentored by both the UoM and CNRS PIs,
and any other co-supervisors (if relevant), and how the joint supervision will enable and enhance eachcandidate’s project.
PART C: Added-value of the international cooperation
Describe the added-value of the international cooperation in fulfilling the aims of each PhD project (i.e.
explain why both projects cannot be carried out to the same level at a national level only). Describe
the expected benefits for the French and UoM teams. Describe the balance between the contributionsof the French and Melbourne teams. If any additional industrial, or governmental collaboration areinvolved in either of the proposed projects, please describe their role.
PART D: Planned activities
Identify which university will be the home institution for each project and provide a timetable for both.
Describe the planned activities in the framework of each project and explain how these activities will
help achieve the aims of each.
For proposals involving a PI from UoM’s Faculty of Arts only: You must provide a statement
addressing how the candidate/s will meet the Faculty’s PhD coursework requirements in yourapplication. Please refer to the Faculty’s guidelines for additional information, and contact theAssociate Dean (Graduate Research) for any further guidance.
PART E: Budget
Provide a proposed budget including a breakdown of the division of funds, separated into distinct
budgets for UoM and CNRS. The budget section regarding travel should contain explicit line items
for travel for each of the PhD candidate and, where appropriate, each of the Melbourne and FrenchPIs.
PART F: Perspectives & external funding
Outline any proposed plans for raising external competitive funding (e.g. EU collaborative grants, UScollaborative grants, national research agency grants, Australian and international funding agenciesetc.)
PART G: Scientific quality of the teams
Please attach in the Annex a list of up to ten detailed (complete) citations for publications related tothe project for each team. This list does not count against the page limit. Authors from the respective
laboratories must be clearly indicated in the author lists, with superscript or parenthesized letterscorresponding to the respective countries, for example Dupont JP (FR), or Smith FD (AUS).
PART H: Short (maximum two-page) curriculum vitae of all PIs.
This will not count against the page limit.
5PART I: Ethics
Does the project raise ethical questions? If yes, please describe them and how they will beaddressed.
PART J: Evidence of approval
The annex must include evidence of endorsement from the relevant UoM Head of School Department
and the Associate Dean (Graduate Research).
All Melbourne projects must ensure that the Head of Department/School and Associate Dean(Graduate Research) endorsement is attached to the application using the approval forms provided
on the Researcher Development Schemes website. Melbourne applicants who hold an Honorary
position must also complete the Honorary declaration form.
Contacts
Melbourne contact
The Researcher Development Schemes teamResearch, Innovation & Commercialisation
The University of Melbourne
res-devschemes@unimelb.edu.au
CNRS contact
European and International Affairs Department
Isabella Villavicencio
International Cooperation Officer
CNRS
isabella.villavicencio-alvergue@cnrs.fr

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