The deadline for the French edition of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science (FWIS) programme has now been confirmed.

The L’Oréal-UNESCO Young Talents France Programme, operated by the L’Oréal Foundation in partnership with the French National Commission for UNESCO and the Academy of Sciences, is now open for 2026.

The programme, intended to promote the participation of young women in science, seeks to identify and support talented young female doctoral and postdoctoral researchers working in the physical sciences, life and environmental sciences, computer and information sciences and engineering and technological sciences in France and the French overseas territories.

There are two categories of award:

Doctoral students – scholarships of €15,000 are available:

• Candidates, of any nationality, who are enrolled in a French doctoral school and will complete their doctorate in a research laboratory in metropolitan France or in the DROM-COM (French overseas territories) are welcome to apply.
• Candidates should have started their thesis no later than December 2024 (ie must be at least in their second year of thesis).
• Candidates must be pursuing research in an eligible scientific field.

Postdoctoral researchers – grants of €20,000 are available:

• Candidates, of any nationality, who are carrying out postdoctoral research in a research laboratory in metropolitan France or in the DROM-COM are welcome to apply.
• Candidates should have defended their thesis after January 2021 (if the postdoctoral researcher has children, this deadline is brought forward by one year per child) and have commenced postdoctoral work by the application closing date at latest.
• Candidates must be pursuing research in an eligible field.
• Eligible candidates must not have a permanent position before the date of the award ceremony for the current competition.
• PhD candidates who successfully defend their thesis during the call for applications should apply in the postdoctoral category and propose a new research project that is different from their thesis project.

There are 35 scholarships available for the competition. Of these, at least five will be awarded to applicants from the DROM-COM. Eligible costs include: purchase of computer equipment or advanced equipment; traveling within France or abroad to meet experts or create collaborations attending conferences and congresses; and purchase of scientific articles.