QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Before you call the coordinator of the Chateaubriand fellowships, please check all the questions below. Any information given by the coordinator of the Chateaubriand fellowships is prevailing on whatever is written on this website.

Terms and conditions
Communication
Selection procedure
Documents required
Duration, dates and vacation
Health insurance
Visa

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Terms and Conditions

1. Who can candidate to the Chateaubriand fellowships?

The Chateaubriand fellowships of the French Embassy include the following fields of research : Exact and life Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences (medical and specialization internships in French hospitals and clinics are not included in this program).They aim to support Israeli Ph.D. students and researchers for a period of 4 to 6 months in France. The fellowships laureates will have to start their stay in France no earlier than 1 May 2024 and return to Israel by December 31, 2024. 

2. I would like to do a Master in France. Can I apply to the Chateaubriand fellowships?

No, Masters students are not eligible to apply.

3. By the end of the academic year, I will get my BA degree and would like to apply for a Master Chateaubriand fellowship. Am I eligible?

No

By the end of the academic year, I will get my Master degree and would like to apply for a Ph.D Chateaubriand fellowship. Am I eligible?

Yes.

4. I applied last year for a Chateaubriand fellowship but was not selected. Can I apply to your program again?

Yes, however you are required to provide all the documents updated, including an invitation letter with the date of today.

5. I am not an Israeli citizen but live in Israel. Can I apply to your program ? 

No. 

6. Is there an age limit to apply to the fellowships?

• For PhD. students, candidates should be born after March , 1st 1989.
• For Researchers, candidates should be born after March, 1st 1984.

7. I am married and I have children. Can I apply to your program?

Yes, however if you are selected, only you will get the rights, benefits and health insurance by Campus France. Your family is not eligible for any of these advantages.

8. I have a French-Israeli dual citizenship. Am I allowed to apply for the Chateaubriand fellowships?

No. You are not eligible to apply if you have a French-Israeli dual citizenship.

9. I don’t speak French. Will it be a barrier to my application?

No, the ability to speak French is not a selection criterion. Nevertheless, it is preferable to learn French before your departure. Learning French saves time and is an excellent way to get prepared for your stay in France.

More information about French courses at the French Institute in Tel-Aviv here https://tsarfatit.co.il/

10. I am currently doing my PhD studies in France. Can I apply for the Chateaubriand fellowships? 

No.

11. I've already started my Phd studies in an Israeli university last year/2 years ago. Can I apply?

Yes.

12. I've started my Post-doctorate in a French laboratory last year. Can I apply to fund my 2nd year?

No, you can apply only if you have a valid employment contract in Israel or if you've got a Post-doc fellowship in Israel.  

13. I've started my PhD in a French university last year. Can I apply to fund my 2nd year?

No, you can apply only if you have a valid employment contract in Israel or if you've got a PhD fellowship in Israel. 

14. Who needs to write the invitation letter?

The invitation letter has to be written by the French institution that is willing to host you.

15. Can I get another fellowship together with the Chateaubriand fellowships?

Only if the other grant you get is from an Israeli source (like your university in Israel). Otherwise, you are not eligible to get another French source financial support.

 

 

Communication

16. Who can I contact if I still have questions regarding the application procedure or specific questions regarding the Chateaubriand fellowships?

We strongly recommend you, first of all, to read carefully the FAQ (where you could find 45 questions on diverse subjects) and then if you still have questions, you are welcomed to send an e-mail to contact@ambfr-il.org. You are also welcomed to follow us on our Facebook page in order to get updated information about the Chateaubriand fellowships and other opportunities that may suit you: https://www.facebook.com/campus.france.israel

 

Selection procedure

17. What are the selection criteria?

  - Excellent academic background of the candidate,
  - Scientific quality of the project,
  - Scientific quality of the host team,
  - Interest of the project for the French-Israeli scientific cooperation over the long term.

18. Who sits in the selection jury committee?

The selection jury committee is composed of Israeli and /or French university Professors under the chairman of the Scientific and Academic Attaché. The selection jury committee is made up of different reviewers each year, depending on the main scientific fields of the applications.

 

Required documents - All documents must be in English, documents in Hebrew (and in French) will not be accepted.

19. I will not be able to provide my Master/Ph.D. diploma before the deadline of the shorlarship. Can I enclose any other document proving that I will finish it in time?

Yes. You can upload a document attesting that you have finished all your studies duties for your Master/Ph.D diploma and indicating the approximate date you will get it. You will upload them in the Other documents section (up to 3 documents).

20. Can you help me to find a position in a French university?

You have to contact a French laboratory or a French university by yourself. Before applying for the Chateaubriand Call for Proposals, you must contact the French host institution to secure a position.

21. Do I need to upload the grade sheets of my M.A/PhD?

Only grades of the highest diploma are required.

• So, if you apply for a PhD research fellowships, you should upload your Master degree + its grades.
•  If you have already completed your doctorate, only your PhD diploma is required (no grade sheets required).

22. Is it mandatory to provide 2 recommendation letters?

No, however it is hightly recommended especially if you are only at the beginning of your academic path and don't have yet publications as 1st author.

23. Will you accept a recommendation letter from my host institution in France?

No, we need 2 recommendation letters but not from your hosting institution.

24. Who needs to upload the 2 recommendation letters?

Please pay attention that the recommendation/reference letters (in English only) should not come from your French hosting Institution (but can come from any country you like).

Either you upload the recommendation/reference letters by yourself in STEP 2, either you ask your referring teachers to e-mail them to contact@ambfr-il.org. 

25. What do you mean by an invitation letter from the French hosting institution?

A letter of agreement of about 1 page, explaining briefly their support for your application to carry out a research in their institution. The equipment/data access that will be provided at your disposal, the team support and the estimated dates of your stay need also to be mentioned in the letter. 

26. What should be in the cover letter? 

The cover letter should explain why your collaboration with France is important and how it will lead to future long-term collaboration between the two countries (French-Israeli publication, mobility of doctorates from the 2 countries, bi-national symposium, etc…). The cover letter needs also to emphasize the fact that your willingness to conduct research in France is not only an individual project but involves research institutions from France and Israel that already cooperated in the past or that are in the middle of launching a scientific and/or academic collaboration.

The cover letter should not enter too much into scientific details as the jury is composed by reviewers from diverse disciplines who are not always familiar with your research area. The cover letter should be between 1 to 2 page(s) maximum.

27. What are the requirements regarding the scientific project description?

There are no special recommendations about it; just be aware that it will be read by the jury reviewer who comes from your research area and therefore can understand all scientific terms, experiments, references, etc. and evaluates it.

For your information, the jury is composed of Israeli and /or French university Professors under the chairman of the Scientific and Academic Attaché. The selection jury committee is made up of different reviewers each year, depending on the main scientific fields of the applications.

 

Duration and dates

28. Can I apply for a shorter period?

No, the stay is of 4 months minimum to 6 months maximum and you need to indicate the exact period you would like to be in France on your application. The fellowships laureates will have to start their stay in France no earlier than 1 May 2024 and be back in Israel at the latest on December 31, 2024.

29. I would like to leave Israel, before May 1, 2024. Is it possible?

Yes, you can arrive in France before  May 1, 2024 if you have met all of your obligations towards the French Embassy and if you have got a long stay visa for France. However, you will not get your fellowships allowance before May 1, 2024 and you therefore will not be coverd by the health insurance of Campus France.

30. I would like to stay in France after the end of my Chateaubriand fellowships. Is is possible?

Yes, you can stay longer if your visa covers this extra-period. However, you will not get your fellowships allowance for more that the agreed lenght of your fellowships and you therefore will not be coverd by the health insurance of Campus France.

31. During my stay in France, am I allowed to travel to Israel for experimenting purposes or for short  vacations?

Yes, you can come back to Israel for carrying out experiments or for short vacations but only for short period of time and in agreement with your French hosting institution. The Chateaubriand Fellowships Program and Campus France will not provide any extra funding for these travel expenses. Furthermore, don't forget that the Chateaubriand fellowships are a short term fellowships (of only 4 to 6 months) and that you may loose precious time when you are away.

32. I will like to stay in Israel and do all the research remotly, using digital means in order to communicate with my French hosting institution. Is it possible?

No, you have to live in France during your fellowships period and be present at your French hosting institution during all this period.

33. I would like to travel to France a number of times but not on a continuous work period. Can I apply to your program?
No, non-continuous work periods are not eligible.

34. Can fellows go on long vacation during their say in France (to Israel or to other destinations)?

We strongly suggest them to go on vacation before their departure to France. This limitation is motivated in order to allow researchers who get the Chateaubriand fellowships to take advantage of the opportunity they get and to conduct research in France at the full period of their fellowships.

 

Health insurance

35. Will I get a health insurance or do I have to subscribe by myself?

There is no need to subscribe as Campus France will take care of it and even manage it for you. You will be eligible to a health insurance equivalent to the Securité Sociale in France.

36. Will my family be covered by the health insurance provided by Campus France?
No, you will be the only one covered by this health insurance. Regarding your family, they should take care of it by themselves.

37. Who can I contact if I have specific questions regarding the health insurance?
Once you get the fellowship confirmation from Campus France, a detailed document will be provided with the insurance details. An email alias will be provided for specified/personalized questions.

38. Do I need to subscribe to a supplementary health insurance in France (mutuelle)?

It is up to you to decide according to your personnal situation.

 

Visa

39. Do I need a visa to stay in France?

YES, as you are going to spend more than 3 months in France, you do need a visa.

More details are available on the following sites :

The Consulat Général de France in Tel Aviv 

The Consulat Général à Jerusalem . Contact :02-6298529, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

40. Which kind of visa should I apply for?

Your host university needs to provide you a hosting agreement (in French, it is called a convention d'accueil) and then apply for a "researcher-talent passport" (visa for scientists and researchers) and otherwise for a "long-stay visa valid as a residence permit for students" .

All info about the "researcher-talent passport" visa here : https://www.campusfrance.org/en/talent-passport-long-visa

41. What will be my status?

You will have the status of Fellow of the French government (boursier du gouvernement français). 

42. How do I apply for a visa?

The Consulat Général de France in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem have full authority to deliver visa. You must submit a list of documents in original and 1 copy of each per applicant:
– 1 long stay visa application form duly filled out and signed
– 1 OFII form
– 1 recent passport photo
– valid passport (original and copy)
– 1 convention d’accueil, dully filled out, issued by a certified institution (your host institution) with the stamp of the préfecture
– The address of the place where you will be accommodated when you arrive to France
– If required, written proof of family ties (mariage certifcate, birth certificate)
Note: When you attend the appointment, you must bring all files and the application forms. Any incomplete application will not be eligible.

People residing in Israel, excepted in Jerusalem, must book online an appointment with the Consulat Général de France in Tel Aviv. For more information, call the visa office from Monday to Thursday between 11.30 and 12.30 : 03 520 85 08

People residing in Jerusalem can do directly to the Consulat général de France in Jerusalem to the visa office from Monday to Friday between 9.00 and 12.00: You can also call 02 629 85 00.

43. Do I have to pay for this visa?

No, a letter from the Scientific Department of the French Embassy will allow you to get the visa for free. However, all your family members who will be moving with you to France or even come for long visits have to pay for their own visas. For short visit, please enter the Consulate site or call them.

44. How long before I left for France should I apply for my visa?

Once you have met all of your obligations to the French Embassy and once you have received the convention d’accueil from your host institution (if you are eligible to get it), you may apply for your visa as soon as possible (two or three months prior to your departure).

45. Can I extend my stay in France after the visa expires?

If you want to extend your stay in France beyond the deadline of your visa, you must apply, before the end of validity of your visa, for a “visa extension” at the Préfecture, the institution that issues official documents for foreigners.

Obtaining a visa extension is not always guaranteed and you must respect the decision made by the prefectural authority.