How does the cofunding system work?
Enhanced Eurotalents is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND programme, which covers 40% of the researcher's salary. Keep in mind that the CEA host laboratory has to support the remaining 60%.
- Do I need to know French to apply for an Enhanced Eurotalents fellowship?
No, you don’t need to know French to apply for an
Enhanced Eurotalents fellowship.
CEA is a French institution, but a lot of researchers come from abroad and work in English in their lab.
I received an e-mail stating that I am eligible – why can't I submit my research project?
Once you have been found eligible for the programme, you need to find a CEA laboratory, willing and able to host you and to provide you with the necessary means to carry out your research project. Once you have found a potential CEA host laboratory, please send its contact details to the following address: eurotalents@cea.fr (or mention it directly in your cover letter).
Will I receive a list of potential CEA host laboratories?
Once you have been found eligible, your records may be sent to scientific counsellors, who may help you identify potential host laboratories depending on your profile. If successful, these labs contact details will be sent to you by e-mail. In the meantime, you are strongly advised to initiate contacts on your own with potential laboratories after browsing through CEA laboratories online. To help you get started with your research, please consult the "How can I find a lab?" section containing a non-exhaustive list of some CEA laboratories.
How long will it take for me to get the results after the cut-off date? How will I be informed?
It generally takes two to three months for the results to be announced. You will be sent an email informing you of the outcome of the evaluation process. In addition, the results will be published in the "Fellows" section on the website. Use your project number to find it.
What salary will I earn and what will my status be?
Enhanced Eurotalents incoming fellows usually have a specific fixed-term contract for international mobility of researchers, whose contractual conditions are compatible with the rules defined by the European Commission and the French employment law.
Enhanced Eurotalents incoming fellows mostly have the same rights and duties than permanent workers at CEA. The researcher's salary ranges from about €3,450/month to about €5,350/month depending on experience. This amount includes a mobility allowance (around €600/month) of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie programmes. "Gross" salary means that due to the French legislation, you will be paid about 80% of the amount. The remaining 20% will go to the Health Insurance Plan (Sécurité sociale), your pension fund, and your top-up insurance. The French National Health Insurance Plan and your top-up insurance cover almost all your medical expenses.
What are the working hours at CEA?
Working hours at CEA are 8:30am to 5:10pm.
CEA employees benefit from 24 days of compensatory time and 28 days of paid holidays.