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Individual Follow-up Committee

Look at the Follow-up Committee guide


If you are in the 1st year of your thesis in 2023-24 and are applying for re-registration in the 2nd year in 2024-25

The decree of the 07/08/2016, ruling French doctoral studies, requires an Individual Follow-up Committee (Comité de Suivi Individuel, referred to as CSI in the rest of the text) to be set up for every doctoral student enrolled since September 1st, 2016.

The CSI is an advisory body, established for the whole duration of the thesis, which includes the PhD student, his/her supervisor(s), a member of the doctoral school council, a student representative and two or three researchers or lecturer-researchers external to the institute and with no scientific collaboration with the thesis direction. At least one of these researchers or lecturer-researchers must not belong to the Université Côte d'Azur, and at least one must hold the Habilitation à Diriger les Recherches (HDR). The composition of the CSI is established in consultation between the thesis director and the PhD student. For obvious reasons of conflict of interest, CSI members may be examiners as part of the defence jury, but not rapporteurs. The CSI meets annually at least for the first two years of the PhD student's thesis.

The meeting date for the 1st year can be set between 6 to 10 months after the start of the thesis, and then at the end of subsequent years, but always before university registration in September (usually between February 1st and September 11th). Videoconferencing is possible for members who are far away.

The CSI is an opportunity for doctoral students to take stock of their activities, and for the committee to ensure compliance with the doctoral charter and training agreement. It provides an opportunity to present and discuss the work that has been completed, the plans for the following year(s) (experiments, training courses, etc.) and to put forward any difficulties (scientific, material, relational, etc.) and/or conflicts.

The doctoral school SVS strongly recommends a one-on-one meeting between the PhD student and external committee members, in the absence of their supervisors, and a one-on-one meeting between supervisors and external committee members, in the absence of the doctoral student.

A report with a view and decision from this committee is required for registration for the following year. The CSI meeting must take place before the end of registration and the report must submitted on ADUM at the same time as the application for renewal of registration.

The CSI’s reasoned favourable opinion is mandatory for a derogatory application to register for a 4th or 5th year.

The document Livret de CSI must be filled in to help the committee run smoothly:

It consists of an 18-page booklet to be used for the 3 years of the thesis, guiding the committee in drawing up its report. The afore mentioned report must be signed by all committee members and by the PhD student. It must be submitted to ADUM along with the application for re-registration.

If you are in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th year or more of your thesis in 2023-24 and are applying for re-registration in 2024-25

The decree of 07/08/2016 governing doctoral studies imposes the setting up of a Individual Follow-up Committee (IFC) for each doctoral student enrolled since 1 September 2016. The IFC is a permanent advisory board for the duration of each thesis, which includes the doctoral student, his / her supervisor (s) and at least two researchers or lecturers outside the laboratory, at least one of whom is not at University of Côte d'Azur. The composition of the IFC is established in consultation between the thesis supervisor and the doctoral student. For obvious reasons of conflict of interest, the members of the IFC may be examiners of the jury of defence but not referees. The IFC meets annually for at least the first two years of the doctoral thesis.

For the first year, the meeting date can be between 6 and 10 months after the start of the thesis and then at the end of the following years. Videoconferencing is possible for remote members. The IFC is an opportunity for the PhD student to critically assess his activities. It is an opportunity to expose and discuss the work carried out, the projects for the following year (experiments, training, etc.) and to present any difficulties encountered: scientific, material, relational, etc. A special interview between the doctoral student and the external members of the committee in the absence of his supervisors, and a special interview between the supervisors and the external members of the committee in the absence of the doctoral student, are strongly recommended by the ED SVS.

A report with the advice of this committee is required for re-registration the following year. It must take place before the date of re-registration in thesis and filed on ADUM at the same time as the re-enrolment request.

The reasoned favourable opinion of the IFC is compulsory for a request for derogation of registration in the 4th or 5th year.

The document Individual Follow-up Committee report (Word) should assist in the smooth running of this committee: It is a two-page sheet that guides the committee in its report. This report must be signed by all members of the committee and by the doctoral student. It will be submitted to ADUM with the application for re-registration.