France
4 Fulbright/Ecole Normale Superieure (ENS) Paris-Saclay Award
Accepted Degree Levels
|
Grant PeriodSeptember StartGrant Length6-10 Months |
Award Type
Fulbright Graduate Degree Grants
- Yes
Award Profile
Two to four awards of 6 to 12 months each are offered to pursue a master's degree or research at the Ecole normale supérieure (ENS) Paris-Saclay (previously ENS Cachan) in the fundamental sciences, engineering sciences, or social sciences humanities.
The ENS Paris-Saclay is a prestigious school for research and higher education careers. Its rigorously selected students follow advanced courses in fundamental sciences, humanities and social sciences, and engineering sciences.
The École also offers a number of original research study programs on topics such as quantum technology, artificial intelligence, creative and immersion research, and in science for environmental transitions in famous international laboratories.
Situated on the plateau de Saclay since 2020, ENS Paris-Saclay, a component institution of Université Paris-Saclay, coordinates the Graduate School of research and higher education careers. Since its creation, Université Paris-Saclay is among the top-ranked universities (15th in the world, 1st in Mathematics and 9th in Physics - ARWU 2023).
The École’s new building, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, brings to life the pedagogy of the École normale supérieure, by blending the areas allocated to research and classrooms and promoting interdisciplinarity.
Along with 3 other French ENS (Lyon, Paris, and Rennes), its public service mission aims to prepare the best students for academic careers, as all these careers in both the public and private sectors require great scientific expertise.
Grant Length
Grant Period
Grants are awarded for 6-10 months for doctoral candidates, and 10 months for Master's students.
Grants will generally begin on September 1 through June 30 for university attendance.
Orientation
Grantees will be required to attend a mandatory 1- to 2-day in-country orientation in late September, and a 2-day mid-year conference in February (organized by the Fulbright Commission in France).
Grantees will also be required to attend the general meeting for new international students at ENS Paris-Saclay at the beginning of September.
Candidate Profile
Graduating college seniors, recent graduates, master's, and Ph.D.-level candidates interested in pursuing studies and/or research at ENS Paris-Saclay in the following fields are eligible to apply: fundamental sciences, engineering sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
Applicants must either:
- Plan on applying to and enrolling in a Master's program offered at ENS Paris-Saclay, or;
- Have doctoral candidate status in the United States and propose a research project.
What is life like for Fulbrighters in the host country?
Applicants are expected to research their host country. Application materials should indicate a clear commitment to the host country community and a description of how you will engage with it.
Being a Fulbrighter in France is an unforgettable experience! When not engaged in their project, Fulbrighters enjoy the benefits of the French lifestyle: wonderful food, excellent life-work balance, and enthusiasm for lively debate and discussion. We encourage Fulbrighters to travel the country (and discover its many amazing heritage sites, museums, landscapes, and varied society), and to get involved in community service or other local activities. They are thus able to build strong cross cultural ties between France and the United States.
It is important to note, however, that while the Fulbright Commission is dedicated to assisting Fulbrighters as much as possible to make their transition to France as smooth as possible, Fulbrighters are responsible for securing their own housing and making other administrative arrangements themselves. We recommend that Fulbrighters prepare their stay well ahead of time.
For more information on daily life in France, see: https://www.usa.campusfrance.org/daily-life
Eligibility
9 Months
Degree Level of Applicant
- Bachelor's
- Master's
- Doctoral
Special Application Instructions
In the Fulbright online application, please select ENS Paris-Saclay Grant from the Award Name drop-down menu.
Foreign Language Evaluation (FLE) Form
If required, submission of the Foreign Language Evaluation (FLE) form is mandatory, even if you have advanced skills or are a native speaker of the language. Failure to submit the required FLE form may impact your eligibility.
For Master’s programs taught in French, an intermediate level of French is required (B2 on the European scale).
For Master’s programs taught in English and research projects, a basic knowledge of French may be sufficient.
Additional Information: French as an exchange language courses are offered for free at ENS Paris-Saclay throughout the academic year according to students’ proficiency.
In the Fulbright online application, applicants should include the Language Self-Evaluation and a Foreign Language Evaluation by a professional language instructor in relation to their language proficiency.
Foreign Language Proficiency Level by Grant Start
If a Foreign Language Evaluation (FLE) form is Required, applicants must have the following proficiency level by the start of the grant period. If a Foreign Language Evaluation (FLE) form is Recommended, applicants are encouraged but not required to have the following level by the start of the grant period.
For candidates applying to degree programs taught in English or who will be conducting research in an English-speaking lab (for example), no particular level of French is expected (although we welcome a commitment to taking language courses prior to departure and/or in country). For candidates applying to degree programs taught in French or who will be conducting research in a French-speaking environment, they should demonstrate at least an intermediate level of French.
Fulbright Proposal Types
Yes
Yes
Affiliation
It is the applicant's responsibility to secure affiliation with ENS Paris-Saclay.
Applicants are required to first contact the ENS Paris-Saclay International Office (ri-incoming@ens-paris-saclay.fr) who will put the applicants in touch with the appropriate department and/or laboratory. Each proposed project has to be submitted for verification to the ENS Paris-Saclay International Office (ri-incoming@ens-paris-saclay.fr) (cc cgoodwin@fulbright-france.org) before applying.
A letter of affiliation signed by the relevant supervisor at ENS Paris-Saclay should be submitted with the application for applicants pursuing both degree-seeking and research projects. Applicants enrolling in a degree seeking program must apply to ENS Paris-Saclay as well, once they have been confirmed as Fulbright grantees.
Please note that ENS Paris-Saclay is not the same institution as ENS in Paris itself (often referred to as “ENS Ulm”). In addition, while ENS Paris-Saclay is a member institution of the Université Paris-Saclay, not all Université Paris-Saclay programs are affiliated with ENS Paris-Saclay. Candidates need to be sure that the study and/or research projects they propose are indeed through ENS Paris-Saclay. Please reach out to the International Relations Office for complete and accurate information on programs of interest before beginning the application.
Affiliation Fees/Tuition
A full tuition waiver is granted.
Please note that, according to French law, all students are required to pay administrative fees ("contribution de vie étudiante et de campus" or CVEC) as part of enrollment. In 2024-2025, these fees were 103 euros.
Award Benefits
- A stipend broadly based on the cost of living in the host country. These funds may be used by the grantee to support housing, meals, and incidental costs during the grant period.
- International travel benefits
- Accident & sickness health benefits
- 24/7 mental health support line for urgent and non-urgent situations
- 12 months of non-competitive eligibility (NCE) hiring status within the federal government
Stipend Amount
This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.
Degree-seeking students receive 1550 Euros per month.
Doctoral candidates receive 1800 Euros per month.
One-Time Allowances
This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.
All Fulbright grantees receive 1200 Euros in travel allowance.
Additional Grant Benefits
- Mid-year seminar
Estimated Cost of Living
Consider using cost of living comparison websites to gain a better understanding of the potential costs in your host country.
The Université Paris-Saclay (of which ENS Paris-Saclay is a member) provides detailed information on cost of living as a student here.
Dependents
Housing Arrangements
The Fulbright Commission provides grantees with a guide to life in France that includes resources and links on finding housing. Grantees may also seek assistance from the international students office to secure student housing opportunties through ENS Paris-Saclay.
Portrait of an alumna
Fulbright Program Management Contact
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Website
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Contact
Additional Online Resources
Directory of Laboratories at ENS Paris-Saclay:: https://ens-paris-saclay.fr/en/entites/laboratoires
More Information About ENS Paris-Saclay: : https://ens-paris-saclay.fr/en/school/ens-paris-saclay
Video presentation of ENS Paris-Saclay: https://youtu.be/j_tPq4PRt5M