External competitions for researchers (M/F)

Our vacancies are open to candidates with a doctorate (or equivalent degree), regardless of age or nationality. Our vacancies, located throughout France and abroad, cover a wide range of scientific disciplines: Biology, Chemistry, Ecology and Environment, Man and Society, Engineering and Systems, Mathematics, Nuclear and Particles, Physics, Information Sciences, Earth and Universe. Mobility is a major component of our HR policy. The management guidelines set out the general orientations of CNRS's mobility policy over several years.

Job offers and candidate area

L’inscription aux concours est close depuis le 12 janvier 2026

Got questions? Check out our FAQ!

The FAQ answers the most frequently asked questions about the competition. Before contacting us, we invite you to take a look - you may already find the answer you're looking for.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

If this is not the case, you can use the "contact us" form to get in touch with us.

Application procedure

Competition organization

Competitions are organized by scientific discipline or group of disciplines, some with specific themes. They may be associated with one or more CNRS scientific institutes, depending on the nature of the theme. There is no limit to the number of applications, and you can apply to several competitions. However, it is advisable to choose competitions according to your qualifications, work and research project. Unlike most competitive examinations, those for male and female researchers are open without nationality requirements, and around a third of those recruited each year are of foreign nationality (nearly 90 different nationalities).

Competition conditions

There is no age limit for applicants, provided they have not reached the age limit for employment. There is no limit to the number of applications.

La date et les heures de clôture sont fixées règlementairement, leur respect est impératif. Les modifications à apporter à votre dossier de candidature et les envois postaux de pièces complémentaires (publications, thèses) sont à réaliser impérativement avant la clôture des inscriptions. 

Après la clôture des inscriptions :

  • no modification of the application file is possible,
  • no applications accepted,
  • no additional parts are taken into account.

Vous trouverez dans le guide candidat tous les précisions et conseils utiles pour la bonne préparation de votre concours.

Calendars and juries

Competitive examinations take place in two phases: the eligibility phase and the admission phase. Each phase is characterized by separate juries and specific organizational rules.

Calendrier des concours chercheurs
Eligibility

Eligible to compete

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Admitted to continue

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During this phase, juries examine and shortlist the applications of candidates admitted to the competition, and hold interviews with candidates whose applications have been shortlisted.

They then draw up a list of eligible candidates for each competition. For research director competitions, juries examine the scientific merit of candidates on the basis of their application files.
This examination may also include an interview with the candidates. In this case, the juries make a pre-selection of the candidates' files, which will then be auditioned. Eligibility juries then draw up a list of eligible candidates.

Admission

The admission phase consists of an examination of the files of eligible candidates by the admission juries. At the end of this phase, the admissions juries draw up the lists of admitted candidates, and any supplementary lists.

Calendrier de la campagne 2026
  • Dates des inscriptions au concours : 12 décembre 2025 au 12 Janvier 2026
  • Jurys d’admissibilité : Février 2026 – Mars 2026
  • Auditions : Mars 2026 – Mai 2026
  • Jurys d’admission : Juin 2026 – Juillet 2026
Setting up eligibility juries

For each competition, an eligibility jury is set up, made up of members of the relevant section or interdisciplinary commission of the national committee. For each competition, the eligibility jury may be supplemented by one or two members from another section of the national committee, where this is justified by the need for scientific expertise.
For auditions, juries may be divided into "jury sections", depending on the number of candidates and the number of scientific disciplines involved.

Setting up admission juries

For competitions for research fellows, an admissions jury is set up by one of the institutes whose activities concern the section responsible for the discipline(s) of the post(s) to be filled. Each jury comprises :

  • Institute Director or representative, Chairman ;
  • five members appointed by the Minister for Research, on the proposal of the Chairman;
  • five members appointed by the Minister for Research, after consultation with the Institute's Scientific Council, from among the members of the sections of the Comité National de la Recherche Scientifique with a rank at least equal to that of the positions to be filled.

Of these ten members, at least five must be CNRS researchers, at least two of whom must be elected members of the Comité National de la Recherche Scientifique.

A single admissions jury is set up for competitions for chargés de recherche and chargés de recherche in interdisciplinary commissions. It comprises :

  • CNRS President and CEO, Chairman ;
  • ten members appointed by the Minister for Research, on the proposal of the Chairman;
  • ten members appointed by the Minister for Research, after consultation with the scientific councils of the institutes, from among the members of the sections of the Comité National de la Recherche Scientifique with a rank at least equal to that of the posts to be filled; of these, at least five must be CNRS researchers, at least two of them chosen from among the elected members of the Comité National de la Recherche Scientifique.

For research director competitions, the admissions jury is common to all CNRS institutes. It is chaired by the President of the CNRS. It includes institute directors and leading scientists.

Results

Notification of results

Results are notified individually to all candidates. You can consult the following results below as the competition progresses:

  • Admis à concourir (suite à la vérification des dossiers d’inscription) : A suivre..
  • Admis à poursuivre (suite à l’évaluation des dossiers pour les concours dont l’admissibilité inclut une audition) : A suivre..

 

  • Admissibles (suite à l’audition ou directement après l’évaluation des dossiers en l’absence d’audition) : A suivre..

 

  • Winners (after the admissions jury)

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You can search for your competition by using the "Ctrl + F" function and entering the competition number in the search field (for example: 27/01).

Admission list

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Contact

If you have any further questions, please contact support via the online form.

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