France · Partially funded
University of Lille Eiffel Scholarship for PhD Students in France 2027
Updated 16 October 2026
The France Excellence Eiffel Scholarship is the French government's flagship scholarship for international students, run by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs through Campus France. The University of Lille uses it to host international PhD students for a research stay of up to 18 months.
Important: You cannot apply to Campus France yourself. You apply through the University of Lille, which pre-selects candidates and sends the best files to Campus France. Start by contacting a Lille supervisor now. Lille's internal selection takes place at the end of November.
What the scholarship covers
- €2,100 per month for doctorate students (2027 call)
- International travel
- Health insurance
- Some travel within France
- Help finding housing, plus cultural activities
Not covered: tuition fees. Ask the doctoral school how much registration costs.
What the Lille PhD track looks like
- A mobility of up to 18 months at the University of Lille
- Must be part of a joint thesis (cotutelle) or co-supervised thesis (codirection) between your home university and Lille
- Lille's page describes it as being for first-year PhD students
- Campus France's 2027 rules also mention a 36-month option. Ask Lille whether it offers it.
Who can apply
- International students of any nationality, including Nigerians and other Africans. French dual nationals are not eligible.
- Aged 35 or under at PhD level (born after 31 March 1991 for the 2027 call)
- Not already holding another French government scholarship
- Pre-admitted by a Lille laboratory or doctoral school
- If your work is in French, a B2 French certificate may be required
Eligible fields
- Biology and health
- Ecological transition
- Mathematics and digital
- Engineering sciences
- History, French language and civilisation
- Law and political science
- Economics and management
Documents (in one PDF)
- Thesis project and research progress presentation (1–5 pages)
- Overall financing plan
- Cotutelle agreement or co-supervision certificate signed by both universities
- Passport copy
- Language certificate, if required
How to apply
- Find a supervisor at Lille in your research area and email them your CV, research proposal and a short message about co-supervision.
- Get pre-admitted. If the supervisor supports you, the laboratory or doctoral school pre-selects your project.
- Complete the detailed file with your home and Lille supervisors.
- Lille selects the best files at the end of November and sends them to Campus France before the January deadline.
- Results are announced in April 2027.
Key dates (2027 call)
- Now (October–November 2026): contact a Lille supervisor
- End of November 2026: Lille internal selection committee
- 6 January 2027: deadline for Lille to send files to Campus France
- Week of 12 April 2027: results
Contact: [email protected], or the doctoral school or faculty international office.
Official pages:
- University of Lille: https://international.univ-lille.fr/en/bourses-dexcellence/eiffel
- Campus France: https://www.campusfrance.org/en/eiffel-scholarship-program-of-excellence