MOPGA Visiting Fellowship 2026 in France | Fully Funded
The MOPGA Visiting Fellowship closed applications on December 12, 2025. It’s a fully funded, 12-month research fellowship in France for early-career researchers working on climate change, sustainability, or environmental health, paying a €2,500 monthly allowance plus a settlement grant and full health coverage. Forty fellows are selected each year, and one requirement catches applicants off guard: you needed a French host laboratory and supervisor lined up before you could even submit.
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Every funded project has to fall under one of five priority areas: Earth system sciences, climate change and sustainability, energy transition, societal challenges tied to environmental issues, or the “One Health” approach, which treats human, animal, and environmental health as interconnected rather than separate fields. Fellows don’t work independently — they’re placed directly under a French scientific advisor inside an established lab, and the programme is explicit that its goal extends beyond the 12 months itself: it’s meant to build long-term scientific ties between France and each fellow’s home country, plus a lasting alumni network.
Fellowship Summary
| Scholarship Name ⇒ | MOPGA (Make Our Planet Great Again) Visiting Fellowship |
| Host Country ⇒ | France |
| Study Level ⇒ | Fellowships |
| Benefits ⇒ | Fully Funded — €2,500 monthly allowance, €500 installation grant, and full health coverage, for 12 months |
| Funded By ⇒ | French Government, via Campus France |
| Eligible Countries ⇒ | All countries, except France — French nationals are not eligible |
| Application Deadline ⇒ | Closed December 12, 2025, 11:59 PM CET |
MOPGA Visiting Fellowship Eligibility Criteria
You needed to:
- Hold a PhD, with your thesis defence completed within the last five years
- Genuinely qualify as an early-career researcher, not an established senior academic
- Be a non-French national — French citizens were explicitly excluded from this fellowship
- Have a research proposal that fell clearly under one of the five priority themes
- Secure a French host laboratory and a scientific advisor willing to support and supervise your project before applying
That last point is the real gatekeeper. Unlike fellowships where you’re matched with a supervisor after acceptance, MOPGA required you to arrive with that relationship already in place.
The Financial Package
- A monthly allowance of €2,500
- A one-time €500 installation grant
- Comprehensive health coverage
- French Government Scholarship (BGF) status, unlocking additional administrative and academic benefits
- A fully funded research placement in a French laboratory, under your named scientific advisor
- Direct collaboration with leading French researchers and institutions
- Ongoing access to a global MOPGA alumni network after the fellowship ends
Documents Required for the MOPGA Visiting Fellowship
- Your PhD diploma, or a certificate confirming completion
- A CV including your publication list, no more than 4 pages, in English
- A CV for your French host research supervisor, no more than 2 pages
- A signed letter of support from your French host institution, from your supervisor and/or lab director
- Up to 3 letters of recommendation
- A copy of your passport or other proof of identity
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How to Apply for the MOPGA Visiting Fellowship
- Write a research proposal that clearly fits one of the five programme themes.
- Secure your French host lab and supervisor first — this needed to be locked in before you could submit a complete application, not arranged afterward.
- Collect every required document, keeping your CV and your supervisor’s CV within their respective page limits.
- Submit everything online through Campus France, with all documents uploaded as PDFs — compress large files before uploading to avoid submission issues.
- Reach out to [email protected] directly if you ran into questions during the process.
Application Deadline
Applications opened September 12, 2025 and closed December 12, 2025 at 11:59 PM CET, with results announced in May or June 2026. Given MOPGA selects 40 fellows annually rather than running as a one-time award, a similarly structured cycle is a reasonable expectation for a future year — but confirm exact dates directly with Campus France once a new round is announced, since securing a host lab and supervisor ahead of the deadline takes real lead time you’d want to start early.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still apply for this fellowship cycle?
No. Applications closed December 12, 2025, and the process described doesn’t include a late submission option.
Do I need to already know a researcher in France before I can apply?
Yes, effectively. You needed a confirmed French host laboratory and scientific advisor willing to support your project as part of a complete application — this wasn’t something arranged after selection, so start building that connection well before any future deadline.
Is this fellowship open to researchers of any nationality?
Yes, with one exception: French nationals were not eligible. Every other nationality could apply, provided all other eligibility criteria, including the PhD and five-year thesis defence window, were met.
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What happens if my thesis defence was more than five years ago?
You wouldn’t have qualified under this fellowship’s early-career researcher requirement, which specifically capped eligibility at five years post-defence.
Does the fellowship fund research in any field, or only environmental topics?
Only environmental and sustainability-related topics. Your proposal had to fall under one of five specific themes — earth system sciences, climate and sustainability, energy transition, environmental societal challenges, or One Health — research outside these areas wasn’t eligible regardless of its quality.
Disclaimer: All fellowship details, deadlines, award values, and eligibility criteria in this post were verified from official sources as of August 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on the official Campus France website before submitting your application. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with the French Government or Campus France.
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