Why join INRIA?
Links to enterprise

	Summary training-through-research
	Salaries and benefits for doctoral students		Training-through-research

With its sights fixed firmly on the world of business, INRIA provides young PhD students and post-docs with bridges to enterprise, during and after their thesis studies.

Businesses are the natural and special partners of the research community. At INRIA, a variety of opportunities are available for students and industrialists to network and cross-fertilise each other’s research projects.

This openness to industry is promoted from the moment a student applies to do research at INRIA. If students have experience of mobility in industry since taking their Masters, this is a distinct advantage in their favour in being accepted by the Institute.

Awareness of the realities of the business world

While studying for his or her thesis or PhD at INRIA, the student enjoys the advantage of links with enterprise and industry thanks to events and seminars organised to raise awareness of the realities of the business world.

At some of INRIA’s research centres, internships and work placement opportunities are provided with companies, during or after completing a thesis.

PhD research in a company

It is also possible to carry out PhD research in partnership with a company, for example, within the framework of an industrial training-through-research agreement (CIFRE).

A CIFRE is a way for companies to recruit postgraduate students whose research and development work will ultimately be written up as a PhD thesis. Such agreements are managed by the Association nationale de la recherche technique (national technical research association) on behalf of the Ministry of Research. More than 12,000 doctoral students have benefited from this programme since 1981.

For more information: CIFRE grants

Technology transfer to enterprise

INRIA promotes research as a profession in a sector where jobs in industry are highly attractive. Jobs in industry are indeed one of the major career openings for newly-qualified PhDs.

After completing their theses, they may go on to work in research and development departments at private sector companies. INRIA has particularly close contacts in the industrial world and encourages the emergence of start-ups founded by researchers. Eighty new start-ups have thus been set up in the last twenty years.

Industrial post-doc

To speed up the transfer to industry of the results of a thesis, INRIA has, over the last several years, developed the concept of the “industrial post-doc”, jointly funded by the Institute and the company involved.

Upon completing his or her thesis, this solution allows the young PhD doctor to develop or validate a research study prior to transfer, and also to gain a better understanding of the technology needs of industrial companies and to forge relations with them.