With the help of Tanguy Medevielle, we have gathered a bunch of relevant information concerning the management of a PhD thesis for individuals with disabilities. Of course, not all contacts listed here are exclusive and are generally accessible to all lab members (except for those specific to the doctoral school).
If you need more specific information or do not know who to contact, do not hesitate to reach out to us—Tanguy and myself—or to the relevant contacts listed below.
First of all, each employer institution (University, INRIA, etc.) must have a disability advisor. This person is the main point of contact for staff members with disabilities, including PhD students. Generally, this advisor works within the institution’s HR department, and their contact details can be found on the institution’s intranet.
Contact with the disability advisor usually occurs in two situations:
To declare one’s disability through a RQTH (Recognition of the Status of Disabled Worker). If this declaration is made during recruitment (before the start of the PhD), the disability advisor may initiate contact to identify necessary workplace accommodations with the host institution and the applicant.
To report a work-related issue due to difficulties arising from the disability (poor workstation setup, conflicts with lab or thesis supervisors, etc.). The disability advisor is the appropriate person to contact to help resolve such issues. Depending on the situation, they may propose solutions to improve the PhD student’s experience.
In general, it is important not to be discouraged from contacting the disability advisor. Any pressure to avoid external contacts should be reported.
After declaring their disability to the institution’s disability advisor, PhD students with disabilities must undergo an evaluation by the occupational health service. It is the advisor’s responsibility to notify occupational health about the presence of a new staff member with a disability. The service will then schedule an initial medical visit (called a hiring visit).
Occupational health doctors play a key role in supporting PhD students with disabilities (and any other staff member), as they are responsible for identifying necessary workplace accommodations. They also provide regular medical follow-up in case of difficulties. French law (Article 24 – Decree No. 82-453 of May 28, 1982) mandates regular follow-up even in the absence of issues. Like the disability advisor, the occupational health doctor is a crucial contact and should be consulted without hesitation.
Generally, it is important not to be discouraged from contacting occupational health, whether as a person with a disability or any other staff member. Adjustments can and must be made by the lab if necessary. Any pressure to avoid external contacts should be reported.
Occupational health services also include occupational health nurses and occupational psychologists. Nurses provide quick access to health services and can refer to a doctor if needed. Since occupational health doctors are few in number, it’s not uncommon to wait 3–4 weeks for an appointment. Nurses are available to respond more quickly when required.
Occupational psychologists support mental health issues that arise from work (burnout, stress, anxiety, etc.). They often work in coordination with the occupational doctor but can also be consulted independently.
All PhD students facing psychological or medical difficulties—not just those with disabilities—can contact occupational health services. Unlike university health services that focus on treatment, occupational health focuses on prevention. Their mission is to defuse or ease problematic work situations through various actions (e.g., mediation with thesis or lab supervisors, discussions with doctoral schools, etc.).
The CNRS also has its own disability advisors. Although they are not usually the first point of contact for PhD students, CNRS employees are encouraged to reach out to them when needed.
The CNRS organizes its disability advisors as follows: one national advisor and one regional advisor in each of the 17 administrative regions. Their contact details can be found on the CNRS intranet.
CNRS advisors can be contacted if:
These contacts should not be overlooked by any person with a disability experiencing work difficulties.
It is also important to inform the doctoral school of your situation. Do not hesitate to notify your doctoral school if you encounter difficulties that require accommodations (for example: a gap year or thesis suspension). The legal framework allows for a possible extension of the thesis duration for individuals with disabilities if the person concerned makes the request (Article 14 of the decree of May 25, 2016).
Various types of leave are also available to everyone: maternity/paternity leave, medical leave of over 4 months, etc.
Individuals with disabilities are eligible for Disability Doctoral Contracts (CDH), which fund several PhD positions each year. Recruitment typically occurs from March to May and is listed on the ESR and CNRS websites. These arrangements are not restricted to individuals of French nationality.
The primary available scholarship is the ministerial CDH grant (Disability Doctoral Contract). Any PhD student with a CDH grant can join an informal discussion network (“CDH Network”) to share practical information, receive support, and help one another. These exchanges are confidential.
The CNRS also offers such grants: CNRS Disability Doctoral Contract.
Other organizations—local, regional, or national—may also offer scholarships for students with disabilities. Regarding CIFRE theses, we currently have no information on whether such funding is available.