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France Postdoctoral Fully Funded

MOPGA 2027 Visiting Fellowship Program for Early Career Researchers

The MOPGA 2027 Visiting Fellowship offers early career researchers €30,000 over 12 months to conduct environmental and climate research at French institutions. Open to all nationalities except French, with applications due 15 December 2026.

September 25, 2026 ⏰ Deadline: Dec 15, 2026

Quick Overview

Host CountryFrance
Degree LevelPostdoctoral
Funding TypeFully Funded
Fields of StudyClimate change and sustainability sciences, Earth system sciences, Energy transition, One Health (human, animal and environmental health), Societal challenges related to environmental issues
DeadlineDecember 15, 2026

Scholarship Overview

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Overview

The Make Our Planet Great Again (MOPGA) 2027 Visiting Fellowship Program is a flagship initiative of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE), designed to attract talented international researchers to address critical environmental and climate challenges. Since its launch in 2018, MOPGA has become one of France’s leading postdoctoral mobility programs, widely recognized by French research laboratories and institutions.

This tenth edition strengthens France’s commitment to the Paris Agreement by enabling young researchers to contribute to scientific discussions at the Conferences of the Parties (COPs). For African researchers from Zimbabwe and the SADC region, this represents a significant opportunity to access world-class French research infrastructure while advancing climate solutions relevant to the continent.

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Research Themes

Applications must align with one of five broad research areas:

  • Earth system sciences
  • Climate change and sustainability sciences
  • Energy transition
  • Societal challenges related to environmental issues
  • Human, animal and environmental health (One Health approach only)

Important: Projects must adopt an integrated “One Health” approach—considering interactions between human health, animal health, and ecosystems. Projects focusing solely on medicine or human health without genuine environmental or animal health dimensions are ineligible. Innovative approaches using advanced technologies receive particular consideration.

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Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Hold a doctoral degree awarded between December 2021 and December 2026 inclusive (defended less than five years before the application deadline)
  • Be exclusively of foreign nationality—French nationals are ineligible
  • Apply for the purpose of undertaking international mobility to France
  • Not be residing and professionally active in France at the time of application
  • Not have previously received a MOPGA fellowship

Maternity leave exception: The eligibility period may be extended by 18 months per child (or actual maternity leave duration) with supporting documentation.

Fellowship Terms and Conditions

The fellowship provides:

  • Monthly allowance: €2,500 for 12 months (€30,000 total)
  • Settling-in allowance: €500 (first month only)
  • Health coverage: Health insurance, civil liability insurance, and repatriation assistance, followed by supplementary health insurance upon registration with French social security

Key conditions:

  • Fellowships are awarded for 12 months only and are not renewable
  • Fellows receive French Government Scholarship holder (BGF) status under the French Research Programming Law 2021–2030
  • The fellowship is paid directly by Campus France
  • A research stay agreement must be signed between the host institution and the researcher
  • Cannot be combined with French employment contracts or other French government funding
  • Travel costs to France are not covered

Host laboratories do not receive program funding; they must provide appropriate scientific environments using their own resources.

Required Application Documents

Prepare the following documents:

  • CV with publications list (4 pages maximum)
  • Doctoral degree certificate or official proof of degree
  • CV of scientific supervisor at host laboratory (2 pages maximum)
  • Letter of support from scientific supervisor, co-signed by laboratory director or accompanied by laboratory director’s letter of commitment
  • Letters of recommendation (minimum 1, maximum 3)
  • Copy of passport or national identity document

Research Project Description

The online application requires detailed project information with strict character limits:

  • Project title and 6 keywords
  • Research project summary (2,000 characters maximum)
  • Background and motivation (2,000 characters maximum)
  • Scientific objectives (2,000 characters maximum)
  • Methodology and timeline (4,500 characters maximum)
  • Relevance to MOPGA initiative (2,000 characters maximum)
  • International collaboration and expected impact for home country (2,000 characters maximum)

Applications may be submitted in English or French.

How to Apply

  1. Identify a host laboratory in France aligned with your research interests. Use the Campus France Research in France Portal, laboratory directories, or professional networks.
  2. Develop your research project in consultation with your prospective French supervisor.
  3. Obtain required documentation from your host laboratory, including the supervisor’s CV and commitment letter.
  4. Complete the online application at: https://campusfrance.smapply.io/prog/mopga_2027/
  5. Submit before the deadline: 15 December 2026

Important: Email applications are not accepted. Use only the SMApply platform during the official application period.

Selection Process

Selection occurs in two stages:

  1. Scientific expert review: Experts appointed by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space assess applications in relevant fields
  2. Scientific committee final selection: The committee selects MOPGA 2027 fellows based on expert evaluations

Results are notified May–June 2027. Successful applicants arrive in France and begin research between September and December 2027.

Practical Considerations for African Applicants

Finding a host laboratory: Start early. French-African research partnerships exist in climate science, agriculture, and health. Contact your current supervisors about existing collaborations, or explore the Research in France Portal for laboratories with African project experience.

Travel costs: Budget approximately €800–1,500 for flights from Southern Africa to France. Some host laboratories may assist with these costs—discuss this during your laboratory search.

Visa requirements: As a BGF scholarship holder, you will receive support for the long-stay visa process. Campus France provides guidance on required documentation.

Research relevance: Frame your proposal to address challenges relevant to both your home country and global climate goals. Projects connecting African environmental issues with international climate frameworks are particularly compelling.

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Official scholarship page: https://www.campusfrance.org/en/mopga-2027

Apply on the official site →

You apply directly with the provider. We never charge for applications or ask for payment details. How we verify scholarships

Funding Coverage

€2,500 monthly allowance for 12 months (€30,000 total), €500 settling-in allowance, health insurance, civil liability insurance, repatriation assistance, and supplementary health insurance upon social security registration

Eligibility Criteria

Foreign nationals only (no French nationality); PhD defended between December 2021 and December 2026; not residing or professionally active in France at application; no previous MOPGA fellowship; applying for international mobility to France

Required Documents

CV with publications (4 pages max), doctoral degree certificate or proof, supervisor CV (2 pages max), letter of support from supervisor with laboratory director commitment, 1-3 recommendation letters, passport or ID copy

Application Process

1) Identify French host laboratory, 2) Develop project with supervisor, 3) Obtain host institution documentation, 4) Complete online application at campusfrance.smapply.io/prog/mopga_2027/, 5) Submit by 15 December 2026 deadline
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Frequently Asked Questions

No. Your thesis must be defended between December 2021 and December 2026 inclusive. If your certificate is not yet issued, you may submit official proof of defense, thesis submission confirmation, or institutional documentation confirming the defense has occurred.
No. International travel costs are not covered by MOPGA. You must budget for your own travel from Zimbabwe or your SADC country of residence. However, your host laboratory may be able to provide support—discuss this possibility when establishing your collaboration.
MOPGA has attracted strong international interest since 2018 and is widely recognized as a flagship French postdoctoral program. While specific selection rates are not published, the two-stage review process (expert evaluation followed by scientific committee selection) emphasizes project quality, alignment with MOPGA themes, and innovative approaches. Strong letters of support from established French laboratories significantly improve your prospects.
No. The MOPGA fellowship cannot be combined with any French employment contract, including research or postdoctoral contracts, or with other individual funding from French government entities. It is designed exclusively as a mobility fellowship for invited researchers.
Use the Campus France Research in France Portal to identify laboratories working in your field. Consult your current PhD supervisors about existing institutional partnerships. Contact French researchers whose work you cite in your publications. Your project must be well-defined before approaching laboratories—unsolicited generic requests are unlikely to succeed.
No. Only projects adopting an integrated 'One Health' approach—explicitly addressing interactions between human health, animal health, and ecosystems—are eligible under the health theme. Projects focusing solely on medicine or human health without genuine environmental or animal health dimensions will be rejected.

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