I-MEP² FAQ

FAQ table of contents

CIFRE Thesis Monitoring Committee (CSI) Supervision Manuscrit/Jury
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CIFRE

Is it possible to sign a fixed-term contract with the company concerned before starting the thesis while waiting for the letter from the ANRT?
Yes, and this is quite common when waiting for a CIFRE contract, as unfortunately the procedure with the ANRT is quite slow. 
The ED I-MEP² has no role to play in this fixed-term contract. Whether there is a fixed-term contract or not, the ED will only provide an educational opinion to support the application to the ANRT (after favorable review of the application). You will therefore not yet have doctoral student status during this fixed-term contract; only after receiving the letter of acceptance from the ANRT will you be authorized to enroll.

CSI

How is the "non-specialist" instruction in the thesis research field to be interpreted for the external member of the CSI?
This external member may know your field, but is not a specialist in the subject of your thesis. For example: you're doing a thesis on the electrochemistry of fuel cells. A researcher working on batteries is acceptable.

Can a doctor working for a company be a member of my CSI?
Yes, to the extent that this person is expected to have scientific expertise. But the second member must be an academic with an HDR.

Can a member of the CSI be emeritus?
An emeritus professor may participate in a supervisory committee if they are in their first term of emeritus status. This rule ensures that the entire doctoral thesis is supervised.

Can a CSI member be a rapporteur on the defense jury?
No, the Doctoral School does not authorize CSI members to act as rapporteurs, but they may act as examiners.

I'm in the 3rd year of my thesis. What are the conditions that require me to register for the 4th year of my thesis (and therefore do a 3rd CSI)?
If you defend your thesis before 12/31 of the year, you are not required to organize a CSI to re-register. You will need to provide us with your defense jury 3 months before the date set for your defense and your defense file 2 months before the date of your defense. If you defend your diploma after 12/31, you will have to re-enroll in 4th year. If in October you have a defense date for the beginning of the following year and a jury, you do a very light 3rd CSI. All you have to do is pass on this information to the CSI members and the Doctoral School.

Supervision

The team supervising my thesis is to be changed (% of supervision, new person, etc.). Do I need to notify the doctoral school?
Yes, you need to contact the Doctoral School so that it can validate this change in consultation with the thesis director.

Can I have co-supervisors in addition to my supervisor?
Only if the co-supervisors are not affiliated with I-MEP². If the supervising team is exclusively I-MEP²: there is a thesis director and possibly co-supervisors (HDR or not). They will have guest status at the time of defense.

Can someone without a PhD co-supervise my thesis?
Yes, if it belongs to the socio-economic world and is recognized for its expertise in the field. The supervisory team must be validated by the Doctoral School.

I'm having problems with my supervisory team. Should I wait until the next CSI to report them?
No. You can either request a meeting of the CSI, or contact the Doctoral School directly (which will, if requested, treat the information confidentially).

Manuscript/Jury

Can I write my thesis in English?
Yes, you just need to justify your request on the CSI form before registering for 3rd year.

When I declare my defense on ADUM (10 weeks before the big day), I have to submit a manuscript. Can I modify it afterwards, and until when?
Yes, you can modify it up to 8 weeks before the defense. Once the assignment letter has been sent to the rapporteurs, access is blocked.

When registering my thesis defense on ADUM, I have to specify a room and a time. I don't know these details yet. What should I enter?
You can enter “to be determined.” The ED will contact you to confirm these details once the reviewers' reports are back.

Can a research director from the CEA or CNRS (and who has the HDR) working on the Grenoble site be the UGA representative on my jury?
No. The UGA representative must be a UGA teacher-researcher (HDR). She may be from G-INP.

Why does the Doctoral School advise me to have 5 members on my jury?
Guest members are not counted in the ratios. On the day, if a jury of 4 is absent, there is a high risk of having to postpone the defense.

Can an emeritus professor who has retired or left to work in the private sector sit on my jury?
Yes, an emeritus member (PR, DR or MCF) can use his or her degree (HDR) to act as rapporteur. They can also be examiners. However, they cannot use their PR or PRA (Professeur Assimilé) rank. He/she cannot be president of the jury.

Why does the Doctoral School ask for the exact titles of my jury members?
The jury's compliance with the constitution rules will be checked at several stages before validation. If you have not correctly filled in the function, rank or address of a jury member, you risk wasting time (and precious time for the Doctoral School). You can ask the person or your director for the exact title.
Published on  October 13, 2023
Updated on January 8, 2026