The Habilitation à Diriger les Recherches (HDR) is the highest qualification in the French university system and allows holders to supervise doctoral students and young researchers. The HDR is required to apply for a position as a university professor.
Step 1 : Make an appointment with Ms Nedjma BENDIAB, Director of the ED PHYS and Chair of the HDR Committee, and submit a detailed CV no later 15 days before the meeting date (see the meeting schedule on the HDR Committee page). The CV will be reviewed at the next HDR Committee meeting.
Obtain authorisation to enrol in the HDR Diploma from the HDR Committee of the ED PHYS (which meets three times a year; see the meeting schedule on the HDR Committee page).
Step 2 : Once authorisation has been obtained (valid for 2 years): preparation of the thesis.
When the HDR manuscript is nearing completion and the date of the defence has been set : declare the defence on ADUM, complete the requested information, then notify the ED PHYS.
Step 3 : Administrative registration at the UGA (no later than 3 months before the defence) : you must be registered for the current academic year (from 1 September to 31 August) in order to defend your thesis. Administrative registration at UGA is possible from the beginning of July to the end of April ((check with USMB managers for USMB dates).
The registration fee for 2025-2026 is €363. By registering for 2025-2026, you commit to supporting the program before August 31, 2026.
Step 4 : Once registration has been confirmed by the UGA Registrar's Office, ED PHYS will send the candidate the document to be completed for the defense, including the composition of the future jury (for USMB, contact USMB administrators). The document must then be returned to ED PHYS no later than 10 weeks before the defense, accompanied by the CVs of the non-UGA/USMB members of the jury and a copy of the manuscript.
Review and approval of the defense jury by the chair of the HDR Committee. The ED PHYS then sends the appointment emails to the rapporteurs and notifies the candidate that their jury has been approved.
Step 5 : The candidate must send the manuscript and a CV to the rapporteurs at least two months before the defense.
The reviewers must review the thesis and submit their report to the ED PHYS at least one month before the defense.
Step 6 : Authorisation to defend the thesis following favourable opinions from the examiners and defence of the thesis.
Composition of the HDR jury
The candidate proposes to the chair of the HDR Committee a jury comprising three authorised referees from outside Grenoble, Annecy and Chambéry, preferably professors or equivalent (list of professors and equivalent).
The referees have not co-authored any articles with the candidate.
The jury must have at least five members (6 recommended), all of whom must hold an HDR, at least half of whom must be professors or equivalent (list of professors and equivalent), and at least half of whom must be from outside Grenoble, Annecy and Chambéry. The jury must include at least one teacher-researcher from UGA.
The composition of the jury must ensure a balanced representation of women and men. As this balance is difficult to achieve in certain disciplines, the rule is that there must be at least one woman and one man on each jury.
Some members of the jury may participate in the defense via videoconference, but at least the candidate and the President of the HDR jury must be present in the defense room.
The President of the HDR jury must be a professor or equivalent (list of professors and equivalents) and be working at a university or joint research unit (UMR), or be a member of a public scientific and technical establishment (EPST).
To make an appointment with the chair of the HDR Committee or for any further information, please contact the doctoral school manager : ed-phys@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr
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