Aquitaine Science Transfert (AST), a company dedicated to promoting the transfer of inventions from academic research to innovations in the socio-economic world, has developed a program called Mature your PhD to encourage PhD students to innovate. Recognizing that students often lack time to develop their innovations during the thesis writing process, the University of Bordeaux's Innovation Department, the Doctoral Schools' College, and AST collaborated to enhance the program with the Mature your PhD+ competition. This initiative aims to valorize the research work of PhD students during and immediately after their thesis. It is an annual competition with a brief pre-submission dossier and a presentation before a jury.
Who are the three winners of the competition?
The first edition of the Mature your PhD+ competition took place during the PhD Welcome Ceremony on December 15, 2023, and honored three laureates:
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Louis Cornet, Doctoral School of Chemical Sciences, PhD student at the Institute of Condensed Matter Chemistry of Bordeaux (ICMCB - Bordeaux INP, CNRS, and the University of Bordeaux)
Thesis Topic: Rare earth ceramics for optical applications
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Rémi Kinet, Doctoral School of Health & Life Sciences, PhD student at the Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases (IMN - CNRS and the University of Bordeaux)
Thesis Topic: Drug delivery devices for neurodegenerative diseases
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Simon Dubuis, Doctoral School of Chemical Sciences, PhD student at the Institute of Molecular Sciences (ISM - Bordeaux INP, CNRS, and the University of Bordeaux)
Thesis Topic: Non-destructive testing of flat surfaces
A 3-month Fixed-Term Contract (CDD) as a Reward
The winners of the competition are granted a three-month fixed-term contract to dedicate themselves to their innovation while simultaneously continuing their thesis. They also receive financial support of up to €14,000 to materialize their project.
Thanks to the Mature your PhD+ initiative, PhD students can transform their theses into new products or applications as early as their second year of doctoral studies. They benefit from specific training and guidance on various topics, including intellectual property and market analysis.
The next competition will take place in 2024
Next competition in 2024
PhD students in their second and third years can apply for the next competition, regardless of their field of study, until April 2024. However, students whose work already involves innovation with an identified partner company (CIFRE agreement, ANR project, PRCE, etc.) are excluded from the competition.