General Questions
What are research clusters?
Research at UGA is organized around six research clusters (CBS / MSTIC / PAGE / PEM / PSS / SHS). The research clusters bring together all of the campus’s research units. They are responsible for coordinating, providing expertise, and fostering research. They are led by a governing body (cluster management) and various committees.
Visit the webpage detailing the scope of each cluster.
Where can I find information about new calls for research proposals?
A page was recently created to list all current and upcoming calls for research proposals on the website.
View calls for proposalsIs there a template for submitting the application on Deposibus?
All the documents required for a submission are available on
the dedicated webpage. Click on the relevant call for proposals to access the specifications, the application form to be completed, and the various attachments to be filled out. These documents must then be submitted via Deposibus.
Call for Proposals: Grenoble Alpes Research Initiative (IRGA)
I am a doctoral student in a research unit at UGA. Can I submit a project proposal in response to this call for proposals?
In accordance with the guidelines, the IRGA call for proposals is open only to active tenured faculty members (researchers, faculty members engaged in research, and research engineers holding a Ph.D.) at a UGA research unit. Therefore, Ph.D. students are not eligible to submit a project proposal.
Will projects be evaluated outside of funding rounds?
The IRGA call for proposals is an ongoing call: project leaders may submit a proposal at any time once their project is ready, on any date. Evaluations are organized by the research clusters according to the published schedule. These evaluations follow a process that includes consulting experts, convening committees, and involving advisory and decision-making bodies. Projects are therefore evaluated during the periods specified in the schedule.
Will the BGES be used to decide between two projects?
No, that is not included in the call’s evaluation criteria. It is provided for informational purposes for the project leader and the decision-making bodies.
In the case of a funding application that includes two programs (within the same project), is it possible for only one of the two programs to receive funding?
If the project involves submitting an application under multiple funding programs, the project will be evaluated as a whole and based on the justification for the requested funds. If the project’s implementation depends on funding from both programs, this should be mentioned in the proposal and justified. The funding ultimately awarded to the application will depend on the evaluation of the proposal.
Apart from the principal investigator, are there any requirements or recommendations regarding the number of members or partners from other universities for an exploratory and emerging project?
The “Exploratory and Emerging Projects” component of the IRGA call for proposals includes specific guidelines for each research cluster regarding the involvement of multiple laboratories or teams (see the specific guidelines for each cluster in the terms of reference). Furthermore, projects involving national or international academic partners outside the scope of UGA’s research clusters or actors from the socio-economic or cultural sectors are eligible; however, only the activities of laboratories within UGA’s research clusters will be funded.
Can I submit a funding application under the “Exploratory and Emerging Projects” program (Operating/Investment package) for a research project that has already received funding through a previous call for proposals?
The IRGA call aims to support and foster emerging and exploratory scientific initiatives. Projects may fall into two categories: those that propose new disciplinary or interdisciplinary approaches, methods, or developments; and those that take the form of a pilot or preliminary study aimed at exploring a research topic, which will serve as a springboard for submitting a larger-scale project proposal (ANR, ERC, etc.). In the case cited, the PEE project could fail to meet the criteria for being exploratory and emerging, since it has already been developed under previously obtained funding.
How are the selection committees for the winners composed?
The selection of projects for the IRGA call goes through several stages:
- a committee composed of members of the research cluster councils. This committee will evaluate the projects and prepare a selection proposal for the advisory body.
- Two advisory bodies are planned: an initial level of approval will be carried out by the research cluster councils, which will approve the proposed projects selected for funding and may issue recommendations; a second level will be conducted by a steering committee composed of members of the expanded Research Office. This committee will ensure the smooth operation of the steering committee’s work and will take into account, in its approval process, the institution’s policy and strategic considerations.
- A decision-making body composed of members of the UGA Executive Board or the restricted councils of the academic units for requests to host visiting scholars.
Regarding the funding of scientific events, what does “The grant awarded may not exceed 50% of the total revenue” mean?
Under the IRGA call for proposals, for the “Financial Support Program for the Organization of Scientific Events,” the funding awarded may not exceed half of the event’s total funding (with a cap of €2,000). All sources of funding must be listed in the proposed budget.
Is an HDR degree required to apply for a postdoc position under the IRGA call for proposals?
In the case of a postdoctoral application under the “Exploratory and Emerging Projects” category of the IRGA call for proposals, the principal investigator and/or co-principal investigators are not required to hold an HDR.
I have previously received funding through a previous IRGA call for proposals. Can I still submit an application for one of the three programs in this new call?
Receiving funding under a previous IRGA call does not make an applicant ineligible to submit an application under this new call. The sentence in the terms of reference stating, “A project leader who has already received funding under this call may not submit a new project until the funds received have been fully utilized,” applies to this new version of the IRGA call and is not retroactive. However, any funding received must be disclosed in the application form.
Applications for funding to organize scientific events are now included in the IRGA call for proposals. Does this mean that grant applications to Grenoble Alpes Métropole must be submitted through a different call for proposals?
Funding requests for a scientific event in Grenoble Alpes Métropole are included in the “Support for the Organization of a Scientific Event” program under the IRGA call for proposals. No separate application needs to be submitted to Grenoble Alpes Métropole.
Is it possible to submit both an application to host a visiting scientist and an exploratory and emerging research project on the same topic?
You may indeed submit both an application to host a visiting scientist and an exploratory and emerging project: a single project may include multiple funding requests under the call’s three programs (the three programs being: Exploratory and Emerging Projects, Financial Support for the Organization of Scientific Events, and Hosting International Visiting Scientists for Short-Term Laboratory Stays).
Call for Proposals: Doctoral Contract—Support and Guidance for Emerging Exploratory Research Initiatives at the “Université Grenoble Alpes ” (2026)
Are there any criteria that would make projects submitted under the Doctoral Contract and IRGA calls ineligible if they are also submitted to LabEx?
Regarding the IRGA call for proposals, there is nothing preventing the submission of a project under this call as well as under the programs launched by the LabEx (which are not necessarily the same as those included in this call). The guidelines simply specify that UGA’s LabEx programs are encouraged to launch their own calls for funding for postdocs, operating expenses, or small equipment in coordination with the IRGA call. In such cases, the submission documents will be identical as much as possible. The selection process will be organized jointly by the relevant clusters and the LabEx office, according to the criteria of each call. Only the CBS cluster imposes an additional restriction: projects submitted under the “PEE” (Exploratory and Emerging Projects) program must not have received funding in the past two years from any other funding stream on the site (LabEx, CDP, EUR CBH).
Regarding the doctoral contract call, however, the terms of reference clearly state that a principal investigator (or co-principal investigators) may not simultaneously submit an identical project to other UGA doctoral contract funding programs (LabEx, EUR CBH, CDP, Gates@UGA PhD Call (Major Instruments), Gates Matching PhDs (MaCI), International Relations).
Are the projects evaluated at the international level?
The research clusters are responsible for evaluating submitted projects. To assess the projects, they consult internal or external experts in accordance with the applicable rules on conflicts of interest (see the Code of Conduct for the Implementation of a Call for Projects Initiated by the UGA) and within the disciplinary fields relevant to the project. In this context, external experts may include international evaluators.
How many doctoral fellowships are available for this call for applications?
The 2026 Doctoral Contract Call has a total of 20 doctoral contracts allocated by UGA for 2026.
Do you need an HDR to submit a project?
It is not mandatory to hold an HDR to propose and submit a project under the Doctoral Contract call for proposals. In this case, the project leader may co-supervise the dissertation and, at the time of submission, indicate the name of the person (who holds an HDR) who will supervise the dissertation. Doctoral contracts are awarded within a research unit overseen by UGA, and the thesis advisor must be affiliated with a UGA Doctoral School.
What is the deadline for recruiting a doctoral student?
Work on the dissertation must begin before October 1, 2026. Doctoral contracts for which no candidate has been recruited by October 1, 2026, will be converted into standard contracts awarded to the relevant doctoral schools.
Can we submit a draft doctoral contract of this type in addition to a scholarship application to the doctoral school under a different program?
The call for applications does not specify any restrictions regarding the submission of an application for standard doctoral contracts offered by doctoral schools (ED). Since each institution may set its own rules, it is also necessary to check with the doctoral school to see if any specific provisions may apply in this case.
Does the project have to involve two UGA laboratories?
The terms of reference include specific provisions for each cluster regarding the involvement of multiple laboratories or teams (see “Specific Provisions for Each Cluster” in the terms of reference).
How long does the ineligibility period last after the last time a thesis was funded by UGA institutions?
Doctoral candidates who received a project-based doctoral contract in 2024 or 2025 funded by a UGA program (IRGA, calls for funding for doctoral contracts from research clusters, LabEx, EUR CBH, CDP, Gates@UGA PhD call (Major Instruments), Gates matching PhDs (MaCI), International Relations) are not eligible for this call for applications. This restriction does not apply to dissertations awarded by doctoral schools (EDs).
Gates@UGA PhD 2026 Calls for Proposals
Does the “mirror thesis” program allow for the funding of two theses on the same research topic? Do the principal investigators have to be different?
The two mirror theses must be part of the same scientific project and carried out in a coordinated manner. Only one application may be submitted for funding a pair of mirror theses. Principal investigators wishing to submit a project for funding mirror theses must contact the management of the relevant major instrument to develop the project.
Will the evaluation be conducted by representatives from the UGA and the major institutions?
Scientific projects will be evaluated by the research clusters and the major instrument involved. These evaluations will be submitted to a specific ad hoc committee, composed of an equal number of representatives from UGA and the partner major instrument. Each committee will develop a proposal for project selection. The composition of these various committees will be announced by February 17, 2026.
Is the CEA eligible for co-funding with the ESRF?
This call for projects is open to the entire scientific and academic community (researchers, faculty members, and equivalents), with no restrictions on discipline or methodology. The project leader must be a permanent, active member (researcher, faculty researcher, or research engineer holding a Ph.D.) of a UGA research unit. Members of the executive boards of research clusters, the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, and emeritus researchers or faculty researchers may not serve as project leaders or co-leaders. Organizations such as federations or platforms are also not eligible to submit projects. Thus, an active permanent member of a CEA laboratory under UGA supervision may submit a project; however, an active permanent member of a CEA laboratory not under UGA supervision may not submit a project.
