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Thesis project themes - Doctoral contract applications

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Thesis project themes - Doctoral contract applications

The Université de Haute-Alsace is launching a competition for 12 doctoral research contracts for the recruitment of:

  • 9 PhD in Exact Sciences (ES)
  • 3 PhD in Humanities and Social Sciences (SHS).

The doctoral research contract is a three-year contract offered by the Université de Haute-Alsace. It is awarded by the jury of the UHA doctoral Schools-Antenna, taking into account the following four criteria:

  • merit of the candidates,
  • supervision by a thesis director qualified to supervise research,
  • scientific quality of the thesis projects,
  • policy of allocating a limited number of subjects to the doctoral school.

Students who fulfil the following conditions are eligible to apply:

  • first registration for a thesis in 2026-2027,
  • not be registered in a doctoral programme in another French or foreign higher education institution,
  • application supported by a thesis director who is empowered to supervise research in one of the UHA laboratories,
  • hold a master's degree or an equivalent diploma (the average of semesters 1-2-3 of the master's program must be greater than or equal to 12/20).

Applications in Humanities and Social Sciences (SHS) must be submitted by e-mail to ed.shs@uha.fr by 5pm on Monday 20 April 2026. Candidates will be auditioned on 27 May 2026, and contracts awarded to the winners in mid-June.

Applications in Exact Sciences (SE) must be submitted by e-mail to ed.sciences@uha.fr by 5pm on Monday 20 April 2026. Candidates will be auditioned on 28 May 2026, with contracts awarded to the successful candidates in mid-June.

The selection of candidates takes into account their motivation, their academic background, and their ranking in the theoretical and practical tests (research internships, if any) of their master's degree. It is systematically preceded by an interview with the future thesis director with whom the candidate will be in contact.

The pre-selection of candidates is based on a competition on the basis of their application. The final list of candidates likely to benefit from a doctoral contract in the doctoral school is drawn up by the UHA doctoral Schools-Antenna jury after examining the application files and hearing the shortlisted candidates.

This examination takes into account the opinion given by the future thesis director of the host Research Unit.

Finally, the doctoral Schools-Antenna examines the supervision capacity of the laboratories and applies the general rules adopted by the scientific council of the doctoral school and the institution concerning the rate of supervision of doctoral students by a thesis director.

 

Subjects for the recruitment :

Exact sciences

9 UHA doctoral contracts are proposed in exact sciences in 2026.

Doctoral School 182 - Physics et Chemistry-Physics (IS2M laboratories) :

For PhD subjects proposed in Doctoral School n°182 at the UHA, by the IS2M laboratory, it is necessary to apply directly to the doctoral school n°182. Please note that the calendar is different!

  • Subject - Topic title: Thermal polymerisation for thermoplasmonic temperature mapping
    PhD director: Dominique Berling
  • Subject - Topic title: Development of magnetosomes for medical diagnostics and therapy
    PhD director: Lionel Maurizi
  • Subject - Topic title: Growth of mxene by vapour deposition
    PhD director: Tristan Petit
  • Subject - Topic title: Laser carbonisation-induced porous carbon electrodes: a platform for sensors, energy storage and catalysis
    PhD director: Julien Parmentier
  • Subject - Topic title: Zeolites and hydrophobic metal-organic frameworks for mechanical energy storage and ion separation in aqueous phase
    PhD directors: Andrey Ryzhikov, Gérald Chaplais
  • Subject - Topic title: Systematic machine-learning (ML) supported investigation of the design space for nanoparticle syntheses with the aim of creating organic-inorganic hybrid systems
    PhD director: Michael Schmitt
  • Subject - Topic title: Elucidating the mechanisms of photo-degradation in perovskite halides for photovoltaics
    PhD director: Laurent Simon
  • Subject - Topic title: Two-dimensional tin on different substrates: numerical simulations at the atomic scale
    PhD director: Philippe Sonnet
  • Subject - Topic title: Modelling of liquid interfaces using chemical contrasts and responsive microtextures
    PhD director: Laurent Vonna

Doctoral School 222 - Chemical Sciences (laboratories: LIMA, LGRE, LPIM, LVBE) :

Doctoral School 269 - Mathematics, Information and Engineering Sciences (laboratories: IRIMAS, LPMT) :

Step 1: Candidates choose the subject they wish to apply for.

Step 2: Each application is unique within the SE doctoral Schools-Antenna of the UHA, and it is only possible to apply to one doctoral project.

Step 3: Candidates must contact the thesis director who proposes the subject.

Step 4: Candidates must prepare their application file, which must include:

  • the applicant file:
    • the application form : download application form
    • a cover letter addressed to the head of the SE doctoral Schools-Antenna
    • a curriculum vitae
    • a copy of the Bachelor's degree (licence, Bac+3...)
    • all the transcripts of marks of the first session of semesters 1, 2 and 3 of the master. These transcripts of marks must bear the institution's stamp. In the absence of master grades (and only in this case), you will have to provide the transcript of the grades for the Bac+4 year and the first semester of the Bac+5 year. These transcripts should indicate the courses taken, the grades obtained, the average for the semester, the candidate's ranking and the number of successful candidates
    • an opinion from the M2 internship supervisor
  • the dossier of the PhD management team, i.e. for each director and co-director of the PhD:
    • the date on which the HDR was obtained,
    • the name and address of the laboratory, for non-UHA directors,
    • the name of their currently supervised doctoral students (current academic year),
    • the expected date of defense of each of these PhD students (specify the exact day).

The thesis director will make sure that the file is complete.

The electronic format in the form of a single PDF document should also be sent to the head of the SE doctoral Schools-Antenna, Prof. Jean-Luc Bubendorff by email at ed.sciences@uha.fr. The file should be named "Nom_nr.pdf" where "Nom" is the name of the thesis supervisor and "nr" is the number of the priority subject that has been assigned to the subject you are applying for (see list of subjects).

Step 5: Deadline for receipt of applications: Monday 20 April 2026 at 5pm

Important reminder: any incomplete or late application will be considered as ineligible.

Step 6: Monday 4 May 2026: examination of the application files by the UHA SE competition jury.

Step 7: Monday 11 May 2026: convocation of selected candidates (only candidates with M1, M2 grades above or equal to 12/20 will be auditioned) retained for their audition by the SE doctoral jury. The latter must submit a document describing their master's internship as a PDF file (2 pages) before Monday 18 May 2026 4 PM (deadline).

Step 8: Thursday 28 May 2026: audition of candidates authorised to continue the competition. The auditions will take place at the Université de Haute-Alsace. On the day of the audition, candidates must have a national identity card or passport. Candidates will make a presentation of their master's internship results (maximum 10 minutes) and answer questions from the jury.

Step 9: Monday 1 June 2026: Successful candidates of a UHA doctoral contract are contacted by e-mail at the address they have indicated.

Step 10: Friday 5 June 2026: Deadline for informing the UHA SE doctoral Schools-Antenna if the successful candidate accepts - or does not accept - the doctoral contract. After this deadline, the absence of a reply will be considered as a renunciation and the contract will be awarded to the next candidate on the complementary list.

Step 11: The signature of the contract is conditional on administrative registration for a doctoral programme at the UHA.

 

Humanities and Social Sciences

3 UHA doctoral contracts are proposed in humanities and social sciences in 2026.

Doctoral school 101 - Law, political sciences and history (CERDACC laboratory) :

  • Subject n°CERDACC-1
    Thesis project - Subject / Field: Governance and public health
  • Subject n°CERDACC-2
    Thesis project - Subject / Field: Prevention of systemic risks and safeguarding of freedoms and pluralism in the digital public sphere
  • Subject n°CERDACC-3
    Thesis project - Subject / Field: The contribution of forestry law to climate risk

Doctoral school 221 - Augustin Cournot (CREGO laboratory) :

  • Subject n°CREGO-1
    Thesis project - Subject / Field: Statutory signals and brand identity
    This thesis topic is part of the laboratory's priority research area "Branding and consumer behavior" in connection with the annual WOREMAC conferences (Workshop on Brande Relations in a Connected World).

Doctoral school 519 - Humanities and social sciences - European perspectives (ARCHIMEDE, CRESAT, LISEC laboratories) :

  • Subject n°ARCHIMEDE-1
    Thesis project - Subject / Field: A History of the Institutions and Political Practices of the Roman Republic
  • Subject n°ARCHIMEDE-2
    Thesis project - Subject / Field: A History of Political Thought in Antiquity
  • Subject n°ARCHIMEDE-3
    Thesis project - Subject / Field: Digital humanities applied to the study of ancient sources
  • Subject n°CRESAT-1
    Thesis project - Subject / Field: Industrial history and heritage
  • Subject n°CRESAT-2
    Thesis project - Subject / Field: Territories and transitions
  • Subject n°CRESAT-3
    Thesis project - Subject / Field: Figures and mediations of transitions: innovations, media, environments
  • Subject n°CRESAT-4
    Thesis project - Subject / Field: Public spaces, collective identities and international movements
  • Subject n°LISEC-1
    Thesis project - Subject / Field: Developing psychosocial skills in schools: the contribution of non-violent communication

Doctoral school 520 - Humanities (ILLE laboratory)

  • Subject n°ILLE-1
    Thesis project - Subject / Field: Femininity, gender and writing
  • Subject n°ILLE-2
    Thesis project - Subject / Field: English-language edia in the 20th century
  • Subject n°ILLE-3
    Thesis project - Subject / Field: Translation and intermediality

Step 1: Candidates choose the subject they wish to apply for.

Step 2: Each application is unique within the SHS doctoral Schools-Antenna of the UHA, and it is only possible to apply to one doctoral project.

Step 3: Candidates must contact the thesis director who proposes the subject.

Step 4: Candidates must prepare their application file, which must include:

  • the applicant file:
    • the application form: download the application form
    • a handwritten letter of motivation addressed to the SHS Doctoral Training Commission, specifying in particular the place of the doctorate's professionnal project
    • a letter of support from the prospective thesis director contextualising the research in the discipline, in relation to his/her scientific interests and the priorities of the Research Unit
    • a curriculum vitae specifying the grades obtained in other diplomas
    • a copy of the identity card or passport
    • a transcript of marks (1st session of semesters 1, 2 and 3) of the Master's degree (or, failing that, of the year of Bac+4 and the 1st semester of the year of Bac+5). The transcript of marks for semester 4 will be provided as soon as it is available. N.B.: The transcripts must bear the stamp and/or the mention of the institution and indicate, if possible, the courses taken, the grades obtained, the average of the semester, the ranking of the candidate and the number of successful candidates
    • a 10-page summary of the thesis topic + a bibliography (the summary will include the development of the problematic, the indication of the state of the art, the expected innovation, the means of implementation, a chronogram of feasibility, the scientific production developed during the thesis (communications and publications), an estimation of the expected results.
  • the record of the thesis management team, i.e. for each director and co-director of the thesis:
    • the date of obtaining the HDR,
    • the names of their currently supervised PhD students (current academic year, source of funding),
    • the expected defence date of each of theses students (specify the exact day).

The thesis director will make sure that the file is complete.

The electronic format in the form of a single PDF document should also be sent to the head of SHS doctoral Schools-Antenna, Prof. Hervé Arbousset, by email at ed.shs@uha.fr. The file should be named as follows: "Nom_nr.pdf" where "Nom" is the name of the thesis supervisor and "nr" is the number of the priority subject that has been assigned to the subject you are applying for (see list of subjects).

Step 5: Deadline for receipt of applications: Monday 20 April 2026 at 5pm

Important reminder: any incomplete or late application will be considered as ineligible

Step 6: The hearing of the candidates selected by the Research Units will take place before the UHA Doctoral Training Commission on Wednesday 27 May 2026.

Step 7: Recruitment for these contracts will be decided at the Doctoral Traning Council on Wednesday 27 May 2026 and validated by the Council of the UHA doctoral pole.

Step 8: The results will be published on Tuesday 2 June 2026.

Step 9: The signature of the contract is conditional on administrative registration for a doctoral programme at the UHA.