On the occasion of European Doctoral Day 2026, celebrated on May 13, the ENS de Lyon is highlighting its PhD studies and the support systems available to doctoral candidates throughout their academic journey at the School.
A webinar on the mentoring program for female doctoral candidates, in partnership with the Femmes & Sciences association, will be held on May 11 at 11:00 a.m (in French). Register now!
At ENS de Lyon, doctoral training often continues the path of the “Normalien” academic program, which includes research-based training in an academically excellent environment. ENS de Lyon is recognized as the 7th best small research university in the world (Times Higher Education 2024). It offers a structured, human-scale setting that is conducive both to the development of high-level scientific research and to the academic and personal growth of doctoral candidates. The School also welcomes international PhD students to complete all or part of their doctorate at ENS de Lyon, with opportunities for joint supervision and co-supervision of theses.
Pursuing a PhD at ENS de Lyon: funding, application procedures, and doctoral schools
After applying to a doctoral school and receiving an admission offer, candidates must complete both their academic and administrative enrollment.
On May 11, 2026 at 11:00 a.m., join an online webinar to learn more about the mentoring program for female PhD candidates led by the Femmes & Sciences association
ENS de Lyon is the pilot institution for the rollout of this national mentoring program in the Rhône-Alpes region. The initiative, created by Femmes & Sciences, provides one-on-one mentoring to help doctoral candidates develop their professional and career plans. It is not focused on thesis supervision, but instead offers a space for discussion and experience-sharing, aimed at building confidence and supporting integration into academic life.
Launched in October 2025, the program currently includes 11 mentor–mentee pairs, matched in December 2025 and formally confirmed in January 2026 with the signing of a charter. The first group meeting took place on February 3 and covered topics such as the Karpman Drama Triangle, along with talks from female researchers. Additional sessions will be held throughout the academic year, focusing on themes like self-confidence, imposter syndrome, work–life balance, and postdoctoral opportunities abroad.
The webinar on May 11 will give participants a closer look at the program. It will be hosted by Maëva Luxey and Armelle Corpet and will include a live Q&A. The webinar will be held in French.
Our PhD students stand out for their talent and potential
Léa Chazot Franguiadakis, a PhD graduate from the ENS de Lyon Physics Laboratory, received the Grand Prize in the 2024–2025 French State Innovation Competition for her project “Viro-ID,” an innovative technology for real-time virus tracking aimed at addressing major public health challenges.
Romain Bourneuf, a PhD student at the LIP (ENS de Lyon) and LaBRI (Bordeaux), has had his work selected for presentation at the FOCS (Foundations of Computer Science) conference, one of the most prestigious venues in theoretical computer science.
Norbert Danysz, a PhD student in Chinese studies at the IAO (Institute of East Asian Studies), is one of the 2025 recipients of the Fondation des Treilles Young Researchers Prize. Each year, the award recognizes doctoral candidates in the final stage of their dissertation for the originality and quality of their research conducted in France.
Kshama Sharma, a postdoctoral researcher at the Very High Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center (CRMN), is one of the 2025 recipients of the L’Oréal-UNESCO Young Talent France Award for Women in Science. She is recognized for her research aimed at improving vaccine effectiveness and tolerability through the development of a method to observe interactions between proteins and vaccine adjuvants.
Margot Giacintiis is a co-recipient of the 2024 Institute for Gender PhD Thesis Prize for her dissertation in political science on the socio-historical study of femicide in France (1791–1976). She defended her thesis at ENS de Lyon under the supervision of Anne Verjus and shares the award with Sarah Jean-Jacques.
At the 2023 French State Innovation Competition, Guillaume Simon, a PhD student at ENS de Lyon, received recognition in the i-PhD category for DECOTEX, an innovative solution for the complete recycling of textile waste within a circular economy approach.
Also honored in the i-Nov category, Alice & Bob, a startup originating from the ENS de Lyon Physics Laboratory and co-founded by former PhD student Théau Perronin, was awarded for its CloudCat project, which seeks to broaden access to fault-tolerant quantum computers.
Spotlight on Junior Labs
The Junior Labs are a unique initiative at ENS de Lyon that allows students and PhD candidates to lead collaborative, interdisciplinary research projects. The program gives early-career researchers the opportunity to design and carry out their own scientific projects, build project management skills, and present their work within the academic community at the School.
This initiative was showcased during the “Spotlight on Junior Labs” event in March 2026, which highlighted ongoing projects such as AINIGMA, EMPREINTES, GenIES, NEED, and PenSex. The event provided an opportunity for participants to present their work, exchange ideas with peers, and help spark new research interests and vocations.
Focus on International Partnerships
Partnership with the IISER (Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research)
Watch a video testimonial from Deevitha Balasubramanian, an Indian PhD student hosted at the Institute of Functional Genomics of Lyon (IGFL), where she is conducting her research as part of the partnership between ENS de Lyon and IISER.