MuSkLE PhD Scholarships 2026 in France: Choose the Project, Then Apply
- Country
- France
- Level
- PhD, Research
- Funding
- Fully funded
The MuSkLE PhD Excellence Scholarships offer something specific: fully funded, salaried doctoral positions in France for a narrow, interdisciplinary field, the musculoskeletal system, locomotion, and exercise. What trips people up is treating it like a general scholarship you apply to with a broad statement. It isn't. It is built around a fixed set of research projects, and your success starts with picking the right one. This guide is organised around that reality.
A salaried PhD built around specific projects
MuSkLE (Musculo-Skeletal system, Locomotion, Exercise) is a doctoral initiative at University Lyon 1 (Claude Bernard), delivered through the Graduate+ framework, with associated institutions including ENS and University Jean Monnet, based in Villeurbanne. It funds a small number of scholarships (around three) drawn from a defined list of PhD projects (around 13) offered by different research teams across doctoral schools such as BMIC and EDISS. Because the scholarships attach to projects, the program is as much about matching you to a project as it is about judging you in the abstract.
Step one: choose your project, not just the program
This is the move that matters most. Before you write anything, read through the available PhD projects and identify the ones that genuinely fit your background and interests. Then:
- Shortlist the projects where your master's work and skills are a real match.
- Read around each project's research team so you understand what they do and why.
- Shape your application to a specific project, making your fit concrete rather than general.
Applicants who apply to "MuSkLE" in the abstract lose to those who clearly belong to a particular project. Choosing well is half the application.
The funding and what three years looks like
The scholarship provides a gross salary of around 2,100 euros per month for three years (for the 2026 cohort, June 2026 to May 2029). As a salaried doctoral researcher in France, you also benefit from the French social and healthcare system that comes with employment, and there is no tuition barrier to the doctorate itself. In practice you are paid to do your PhD, with a defined three-year window to complete your project, so planning your research timeline from the start matters.
Is your field a fit?
MuSkLE is deliberately focused on the musculoskeletal system, locomotion, and exercise, approached across disciplines. The available projects span this theme through different teams, touching areas connected to musculoskeletal science, physiology, biomechanics, and related fields. If your master's and interests sit in or near these areas, you are in scope. If your field is far from this theme, this particular scholarship is unlikely to fit, and that is useful to know before you invest time.
Who can apply
- International (foreign) students, with dual citizenship accepted.
- Applicants who hold a master's degree in a related field before the PhD start date.
- Applicants whose background fits one of the available projects.
- Applicants able to provide the required documents, including an English certification.
The documents, including the one people leave late
You will typically need a CV, academic transcripts, a motivation letter, academic recommendations, an English certification, and an identity document. The one applicants most often leave too late is the English certification, so arrange it early if you do not already have it. Your motivation letter is where you make your project fit vivid, so give it real time rather than reusing a generic draft.
The selection timeline, including the oral presentation
For the 2026 cycle, applications open around late January and close around the end of March, with oral presentations in mid-May and final decisions in late May, for a June start. The oral presentation is a distinctive and decisive stage: being shortlisted means you will present yourself, your background, and your fit with the project. Many candidates prepare only the written application and are caught off guard here, so plan to rehearse a clear, confident presentation of why you and why this project.
Living in Lyon on the salary
Lyon is France's second-largest urban area, a major student and research city that is more affordable than Paris while still vibrant and well connected. A single researcher typically needs roughly 1,100 to 1,600 euros per month for rent, food, transport, insurance, and personal expenses, with rent the main variable. On the MuSkLE salary, a funded position comfortably supports living there, especially with shared accommodation, and Lyon's transport and food culture are real pluses.
Preparing to stand out among few places
With only a handful of scholarships, standing out is essential:
- Pick the right project and prove the fit. Specificity beats ambition here.
- Write a focused motivation letter tied to that project and team.
- Line up strong academic references who know your research potential.
- Prepare for the oral presentation early, since it is where final decisions are shaped.
After the doctorate
A funded PhD through MuSkLE is salaried research experience at a strong French university, building your publications, network, and credentials in musculoskeletal science. France and the wider EU offer routes for researchers to continue in academia or industry after a doctorate, subject to current immigration rules, and Lyon's research ecosystem supports collaboration across Europe. Many graduates move on to postdoctoral posts or research careers from here.
Apply and confirm the details
Check the current projects, eligibility, and deadlines, and apply, on the official MuSkLE / Graduate+ page: MuSkLE PhD Excellence Scholarships, official site.
Keep exploring: browse all our scholarships, get ready with our free IELTS and English prep, or read how we verify every listing.
Disclaimer: FoundScholar is an independent information platform and is not affiliated with or endorsed by University Lyon 1 or the Graduate+ initiative. Details change each cycle, so always confirm on the official source before applying.
Frequently asked questions
What makes the MuSkLE scholarship different from a general PhD fund?
It is tied to specific, pre-defined PhD projects. MuSkLE (Musculo-Skeletal system, Locomotion, Exercise) offers a set of projects (around 13) from different research teams at University Lyon 1, and awards a small number of scholarships (around 3) to candidates who fit those projects. So your first task is not writing a generic application, it is choosing the project that fits you, because that choice shapes everything else.
What does it pay, and for how long?
It provides a gross salary of around 2,100 euros per month for three years (for the 2026 cohort, June 2026 to May 2029). It is a salaried doctoral position in France, so you are paid to do your research and benefit from the French social and healthcare system, with no tuition barrier to the doctorate itself.
Who can apply?
International (foreign) students, with dual citizenship accepted, who hold a master's degree in a related field before the PhD start date. Your background needs to fit one of the available projects, and you will need to provide documents including an English certification, so prepare that in advance.
What is the selection process and timeline?
For the 2026 cycle, applications open around late January and close around the end of March, with oral presentations in mid-May and final decisions in late May. Being shortlisted means presenting yourself and your fit orally, so strong candidates prepare for that stage, not just the written application.