PhD Program Mathematics - Graduate School Mathematics
The doctoral studies at Université Paris-Saclay encompass the full mathematical spectrum, from most fundamental aspects (algebra, analysis, geometry, probability) to applications in various sciences (physics, biology) and industry motivated problems (Artificial Intelligence, scientific computing, finance..).
Fundamental Mathematics / Applied Mathematics / Mathematics at the interfaces with other sciences
Program content
For this program, you will be attached to the Doctoral School of Mathematics Hadamard.
The objective of the Doctoral School of Mathematics Hadamard (EDMH) is to group together all the doctoral training in mathematics within the perimeter of the University of Paris-Saclay and the Polytechnic Institute of Paris, from the most fundamental mathematics to the most applied mathematics, including mathematics at the interfaces (in particular with economics, computer science, mechanics, physics, engineering sciences, life sciences).
Laboratories within the perimeter of the Université Paris-Saclay
- IPhT : Institut de Physique Théorique, UMR 3681 (CEA-Saclay)
- LAG : Laboratoire Alexandre Grothendieck, ERL 9216 (IHES)
- LMO : Laboratoire de Mathématiques d'Orsay, UMR 8628 (UPSaclay)
- LMV: Laboratoire de Mathématiques de Versailles, UMR 8100 (UVSQ)
- LaMME: Laboratoire de Mathématiques et de Modélisation d'Evry, UMR 8071 (UEVE)
- MIA-Paris: Mathématiques et Informatique Appliquées, UMR 0518 (AgroParisTech)
- MaIAGE: Mathématiques et Informatique Appliquées du Génome à l'Environnement, UR 1404 (INRAE)
Laboratories outside the perimeter of the Université Paris-Saclay
- Département de Mathématiques et Applications, UMR 8553 (ENS Ulm).
PhD students admitted to the Phd program will have a public law doctoral contract. The duration of the contract is 3 years. The contractual Phd students are full-time employees with the sole or main mission of carrying out their doctoral project. They may also be entrusted with complementary missions of teaching, scientific mediation, valorization or expertise.
Possible employers* for Phd students under contract to the program are :
- Université Paris-Saclay (Faculties of sciences of Orsay)
- INRAE
The EDMH oversees the PhD preparation, from the 1st registration until the PhD defense. Every year it organizes a welcome day, with a presentation of the doctoral studies and scientific talks by local researchers. Beside his/her research work, the graduate student is supposed to attend a certain number of "trainings" during the PhD preparation. These trainings are of two types:
- scientific trainings: summer schools, workshops, conferences on the research topic of the student
- transverse trainings: very diverse, these are rather oriented towards the professional development of the student, both in academia or in the private sector. They include a compulsory training on the Ethics of Science. Teaching duties can be counted as trainings as well.
Each graduate student has a large choice of trainings, he can propose new ones, which should be validated by the EDMH. The only constraint is on the total number of hours of training of each type.
EDMH is overlooking each PhD preparation, through annual individual meetings between each student and one or several representatives of EDMH. Each student is asked to present his research around the end of the second year of preparation.
The trainings proposed to the graduate students during their PhD preparation aim at preparing their professional development. The main career tracks, in France or abroad, are the following:
- Academic research: associate professor at University, permanent researcher in a national public research institute (CNRS, CEA, INRAE, INRIA..). Such academic positions are usually preceded by one or several temporary positions (postdoc, ATER)
- Teaching in high school
- Jobs in the private sector, in particular in Research & Development service, in small or large companies, especially in the high-tech sector.
EDMH follows the career advancement of its doctors during at least 5 years after their PhD defense. The employment rate is excellent.
How to be admitted to the doctoral program in Mathematics ?
Find below the different steps to apply for the Mathematics Program
Prerequisite
Applicants to a PhD must have obtained (at the time of registration) a Master in Sciences (or an equivalent diploma), preferably with a large component in mathematics, especially if their PhD project is in fundamental mathematics. The applicants should either directly contact a PhD advisor to discuss about a PhD project in common (« candidature spontanée »), or they can apply to a PhD project advertised on the ADUM website ; in this latter case, it is strongly advised to contact the PhD advisor before applying.
Applications
A PhD candidate coming with his/her own funding will undergo the « procédure hors concours EDMH ». He/she will have an interview with a deputy director of EDMH.
A PhD candidate who applies to a PhD fellowship from EDMH will need to go through a first preselection (in view of his/her application file), and then through an interview in front of a jury. The admission jury of EDMH will then select the candidates to whom a fellowship should be offered.
Jury Evaluation Criteria
The main selection criteria for are the following :
- quality of the academic record of the applicant (records of the Master diploma, research capacities in view of internships, Master theses..)
- quality of PhD project and of the corresponding supervising team
- suitability of the candidate’s training, in view of the PhD topic
- quality of the candidate’s oral presentation, in particular of his understanding of the PhD project
- suitability of the funding (if external to EDMH)
Application process
The application process to EDMH (both for the « procédure hors concours EDMH » and « recrutement par concours » is described in detail on the doctoral school page
The steps
A PhD candidate can either apply online to a PhD project already advertised on the ADUM website, or directly contact potential PhD advisors, to discuss the possibility of a PhD project together.
In both cases, the applicant must prepare an application file, which will be uploaded on the relevant website (either the website with proposed PhD projects, or the website for « spontaneous PhD applications »).
The application file will consists in a single PDF file composed of the following documents :
- a detailed PhD project (usually written in collaboration with the PhD advisor)
- the candidate’s CV
- the candidate’s transcript of records for his Master (including temporary ones if the Master diploma is not yet obtained).
- a support letter from the PhD advisors. Another recommendation letter from teachers or internship advisors can be included in the application file, or uploaded on the application website.
The funding sources to which the candidate is applying should be indicated on the front page of the application file.
The jury
The interviews will be given in front of a committee of 3-4 deputy directors of EDMH. It will last ~15 minutes, during which the candidate will summarize his/her academic history and present the PhD project.
The selection committee is composed of the EDMH director and deputy directors, representatives of various institutes, representatives of the programs of Labex Mathématique Hadamard, and representatives of the Master of Mathematics of Université Paris-Saclay.
2024 Calendar – Candidates
- April 22, 2024: Application deadline on ADUM
- Wednesday May 15, 2024: Publication of eligibility results
- Thursday May 23 and Friday May 24, 2024: Candidate hearings
- Friday June 14: Confirmation of results