Post-doctoral fellowship program

The “Interdisciplinary School for the Blue Planet” (ISblue) launches an international post-doctoral fellowship program. This call continues the International postdoctoral program offered by ISblue since 2019 and LabexMER before. ISblue offers creative young scientists the opportunity to develop their own research project in one of the ISblue laboratories. As part of the strong multidisciplinary ISblue community, post-doctoral fellows gain a valuable experience and new opportunities for career development in marine science and technology.

The eligible themes and laboratories are those described in the ISblue research strategy presentation.

The postdoctoral appointment is for a period of two years. Recipients of the awards will receive a gross annual salary of €37 200. In addition, support is available for travel expenses, equipment and supplies (€5,000 per year). Work contract will include national health and dental insurance, as well as retirement and unemployment benefits.

Applicant profile​

In order to be eligible, applicants must:

– have obtained their doctoral degree within the last four years at the closing date of the call or defend their thesis before the end of the current calendar year.

This condition of 4 years maximum after the thesis is considered either from the defence date or from the graduation date (most advantageous case) and can be extended in special cases (maternity, illness…). Applicants submitting more than 4 years after the thesis (maximum 4 years + 6 months) will be considered if they can provide a letter of support from one of theme representative.

– have spent a minimum of 18 months abroad (outside France) from 1 May 2021 until the start of the project.

This program being targeted at international young scientists, applicants holding a French doctoral degree are eligible only if they demonstrate extensive international research experience acquired during or after their PhD.

Application form

The applicants will submit an original research project relevant to one of the ISblue research priorities, and propose collaboration with a local host. The local host(s) should be affiliated to one of the ISblue laboratories and be responsible for providing adequate office and laboratory space for the duration of the postdoctoral position. Communication with one or several potential ISblue hosts prior to submitting an application is strongly encouraged.

In addition to the formal application form, the following are required

– transcripts of the applicant’s complete undergraduate and graduate records (including up to date transcripts from the applicant’s current university for those who have not yet completed their Ph.D.)

– a current CV or resume that shows educational background and work experiences

– a brief synopsis of the applicant’s doctoral dissertation (one page abstract);

– a research project (no longer than three pages, including references) describing research interests, in particular those that the applicant would  like to pursue within the ISblue themes, as well as more general career plans and how a postdoctoral position within any of the ISblue laboratories would complement their existing experience and preparation.

– A minimum of three recommendation letters.

Reference sheets (download the template here) have to be e-mailed by the referees directly (not from the applicants) to contact.isblue@univ-brest.fr with following subject : ISblue – Post-doc 2024 – Name of applicant before 30th April 2024.

The applicants should contact directly their referees to inform them with the template attached. As a reminder, 3 references minimum are necessary for the application to be elegible, which is why we advise the candidates to maximize their chances by contacting a wide number of persons.

How to apply?

Keywords: sea, ocean, climate, geology, marine biology, geophysics, marine environment, coastal management, marine chemistry

Number of positions available: 4

Application deadline:  Sunday 30th April, 2024 at 11:59 PM (French time)

Themes contacts:

Theme 1: Ocean and climate regulation

Theme 2: Ocean-Earth interactions

Theme 3: Sustainable coastal systems

Theme 4: The living ocean and ecosystem services

Theme 5: Long-term observing systems for ocean knowledge​

Additional information :

Selection procedure

From May to mid-June 2024

Fellowship starting date

From September 2024 to the end of February 2025

More information

​​For any technical questions during the application process, a « Frequently Asked Questions » document is available for consultation by clicking here.

For any question or information regarding the call: contact.isblue@univ-brest.fr