PhD contracts: CJC?s analysis

The Young Researchers Confederation (CJC) in France has posted a comparative analysis of PhD contracts to the prior situation on its website. The contract institutes a legal framework enabling public institutions of higher education and/or research to recruits PhD candidates on a contractual basis.

The CJC views this new type of contract as representing “considerable progress with respect to the current situation,” since it offers a “common legal framework” for PhDs students employed by public institutions of higher education and/or research.

Three points remain “problematic,” according to this organization:

- the dismissal procedure is not sufficiently explicit for the CJC, which wants to avoid any “ambiguity in its interpretation."

- Same goes for the trial period which is deemed “too long.” The CJC urges the ministry to clarify the fact that three months is the maximum duration.

- The Confederation also would like to see PhD researcher-students more involved in defining their annual service activity, an element not mentioned in the legislation.