Atlas: South Mediterranean > France

This research stay is designed to enable researchers to conduct research studies in France: field enquiries, library and archives work. 

This call is part of the Atlas Programme offered by the FMSH and its partners.

Financial details

Laureates will receive a financial support of €1 800 per month. This financial contribution is intended to cover expenditure such as transport and accommodation costs. Besides, FMSH provides scientific and logistical assistance (working space, help for finding accommodation, letters to libraries…).

Eligibility criteria

• Nationality: this programme is open to researchers originating from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Marocco, Palestine, Tunisia and Syria and affiliated to one of the 184 Universities member of UNIMED.
• Educational Degree: applicants must have obtained their PhD doctorate and presented their thesis from 2020. There is no age limit.
• Theme: applicants must be involved in research in social sciences and humanities (SSH) or at the frontier between SSH and other sciences.
• Language : French or English depending on the project.
• French host institution: before submitting their application, applicants will have to find a French research institution to host them for the time of their stay. Applicants will have to provide a letter from the hosting institution addressed to the FMSH and the UNIMED expressing the institution’s willingness to host the applicant during the time of fellowship and explaining the work conditions offered. 

You don’t have French scientific contact yet or you haven’t found a research center to host you in France? Visit ScanR where all French research centers are listed.

Researcher’s obligations

At the end of their stay, laureates will have to provide the FMSH and the UNIMED with a report from 10 000 to 20 000 characters (spaces and notes included) presenting the work done during their stay and the benefits for their research project.

Application procedure

Applicants will be required to submit an online application form and a scientific dossier (research project + appendices). The online application form will be available on the FMSH website as of October 06, 2025. Completed proposals can be uploaded to the application portal at any time before the application deadline of February 06, 2026, 17:00 (Paris time).

Online application and scientific dossier must be submitted in French or in English.

Content of scientific dossier

The research proposal:

The research project consists of a presentation of between 10,000 and 20,000 characters (including spaces and notes), which must include :

• The objective of the research project, the specific issues, the state of the art, the type of data to be collected, the methodology and the expected results.)
• A detailed work programme setting out the activities that will be carried out during the stay, including the places and institutions to be visited, the contacts, the type of data collected and the work plan (this work plan must be well detailed and proportionate to the duration of the stay in France).
• A clear explanation of the reasons for choosing the host institution in France and, in particular, how this institution would help the applicant to enrich his/her project. The selection committee must be convinced that this choice is sound and well-founded.
• A bibliography relevant to the project presented

Appendices:

• A Curriculum vitae (2 pages maximum)
• A list of publications
• A copy of the PhD diploma
• A letter from the director of the research institution in the country of origin
• A letter of invitation from the director of the host research institution in France expressing the institution’s willingness to host the applicant during the time of fellowship and explaining the work conditions they can offer

How to apply?

1. Reach the online application form and enter "Researcher Workspace".
2. You have to be registered on the online platform in order to use it. If you haven’t created an account yet, you will be asked to.
3. Create your profile by filling all your personal information and then enter "create a new application".
4. Select "Programme Atlas incoming 2025" and then the specific call "FMSH-UNIMED 2026: South Mediterranean > France".
5. Fill all the information tabs
6. In the "Documents" final tab, you will need to upload your research proposal and the appendices into one single PDF document:

• Research proposal
• Curriculum vitae (2 pages maximum)
• List of publications
• Copy of the PhD diploma
• Letter from the director of the research institution
• Letter of invitation from the director of the host research institution in France

You can save your application and complete it later several times if you wish, until the closure of the call for applications. Once you have submitted your application, you will no longer have the possibility to amend it. Once submitted, you will receive an automatic email confirming the submission. Applications not submitted, incomplete application forms or applications that do not match the above description will not be taken into account.

For any technical information on the platform or in case of you meet difficulties to use it, please contact fadili@msh-paris.fr.

Evaluation process and criteria

A selection committee composed with members of FMSH, UNIMED and independent experts will analyse and proceed to final selection of applications regarding the following criteria:

• The quality of the scientific dossier and the methodology developed
• The relevance of a research stay in France regarding the scientific project and the candidate curricula
• The ability to identify scientific contacts in France

Candidates that have never benefited from the programme will be prioritized.