Once a year CNES awards about a hundred research grants in the domain of engineering sciences (orbital and space transport systems), and those sciences which make use of space equipment (sciences of the cosmos, Earth, and microgravity) to young French and foreign scientists who have an interest in space :

• thesis contracts with a view to preparing a university doctoral thesis in a research laboratory in France.
• post-doctoral contracts allocated for research work at CNES or in a laboratory in France.

• For thesis contracts, university candidates or graduates of a Grande Ecole or engineering school must hold a Master 2 degree awarded by a university, or a suitable degree enabling them to enrol for their thesis at the relevant doctoral school.
• For post-doctoral contracts, candidates should hold a doctorate or equivalent by the start of the contract. Applications from researchers who have already benefited from a thesis contract co-sponsored by CNES will not be considered.

• For thesis contracts: The duration of these contracts is one year, renewable twice. Gross monthly remuneration for doctoral students is 1767 € in the first year, 1843 € in the second year, and 1919 € in the third year.
• For post-doctoral contracts: The duration of the contract is one year, renewable once. Gross monthly remuneration is 2172 € .

• Thesis contracts must be co-sponsored by a partner (public body, manufacturer, regional body, etc.) by means of a co-sponsorship type of agreement (see the model example below).
  Post doctoral contracts may possibly be co-financed.
• The placing of co-sponsored contracts is dependent on the prior signing of a co-financing agreement with the partner and host laboratory.
• Contracts start, at the latest, in the December of the year in progress.

The topics pre selected for 2010 are not all available in English. To have a look of the entire pre selection (available only in French), please click here.

Only the applicants for a post-doctoral grant will be invited for an interview in April/May 2010 (to be confirmed).

Juries selection will meet in May 2010.

Dissemination of results will be done individually after the grant committee at the end of June 2010.