Nicolas Baudin Internships in France Initiative

The Nicolas Baudin Internships in France Initiative offers students from participating Australian universities the opportunity to undertake a research internship at a French host university in collaboration with an industry partner.

Students can apply for these internships while enrolled in university and receive the Baudin Grant money to fund their internship. Some universities allow students to count this internship toward course credits, so contact your university today to find out how.

Objectives of the Internships in France initiative :

• Increase student mobility from Australia to France
• Contribute to the attractiveness and promotion of the French higher education and research systems
• Strengthen student mobility within French-Australian scientific collaborations; initiate longer-term collaborations (cotutelle theses, CIFRE theses) through student stays
• Contribute to the reconciling of the Australian university sector with the industry sector and promote the quality of interactions between universities and industry in France

Funding

• The Embassy of France in Australia provides a grant to finance return travel to France for all students, of AUD$2500.
• The host institution in France provides the Australian student intern with a mandatory internship stipend (minimum of 600€ per month according to current internship laws in effect).
• The participating home university in Australia provides the Laureate with an additional grant to help cover their daily costs during their stay in France (AUD$2500).

Calendar

French universities and laboratories propose 3-6 month internship projects for Australian students. Universities may collaborate on a topic with their industrial partners and their Australian university partners.

• Applications open for students on 1 April 2024
• 31 May 2024: Deadline for applications to be submitted online. Late applications will not be accepted, some documents can be sent later to complete an application.
• The Embassy will make the final selection of Laureates along with the participating French and Australian universities with respect to their financial capacities.
• The selected Laureates will be announced in July.
• Internships commence any time between 1 September and 31 December, and last up to 6 months.
   

Eligibility

Australian Students:

• Australian citizens and international students enrolled in Australia are eligible to apply. French citizens are not eligible. Binational citizens will be accepted at the discretion of the Embassy.
• Applicants must be living in Australia.
• Bachelor, Honours, Masters and PhD students are eligible.
• Participants must retain their student status for the entire duration of the internship.
• Students enrolled in one of the following participating universities can submit their candidature for one of the French internships on offer:
  • Group of Eight universities (ANU, Monash, UofA, UniMelb, UNSW, UQ, UniSydney, UWA),
  • Australian Technology Network of Universities (Curtin, RMIT, UniSA, UTS, Deakin),
  • Innovative Research Universities (James Cook, Griffith, La Trobe, Flinders, Murdoch, Western Sydney, UCanberra),
  • Queensland University of Technology, Macquarie University, University of Wollongong, University of Tasmania

Other eligibility requirements may be specified in the individual internship offers.

Application

Applications for Australian university students are open now, until 17 May 2023! The application form can be found here

Required documents to apply:

1. The application form, filled out correctly and sent in PDF form. This form asks for your details, and a letter of motivation. This is your chance to explain why you are the best candidate for the internship, and how you will be a great intern and benefit both the French institution as well as gain professional experience.
2. An up-to-date Curriculum Vitae. This resume should be no longer than 2 pages, explaining your professional or academic experience, skills, languages, and awards that show you are the best candidate for the internship.
3. Copies of your academic transcripts and/or qualifications. You do not have to pay for an official academic transcript, most universities offer a free statement of results which is acceptable. However, screenshots of the website are not accepted. It must be a document validated by the university. Examples of accepted documents are attached at the bottom of this page.
4. Referee Appraisal supporting your application for the Baudin Grant (Academic or Professional referee required) This must be a letter written by your referee, attesting to your academic or professional qualities. Ideally it should be written specifically for the internship. This should be less than 1 page, and it must be signed by the referee.
5. Copy of Passport. This must be a legible image or PDF scan.
6. A letter of support on behalf of your university for your application. This letter is an official statement by your university acknowledging your application for the internship, and accepting to co-finance the succesful applicants with a matching grant of $2500 AUD. The support letter is essential to your application. There is a template for the support letter attached at the bottom of the page. The list of contacts to ask for the letter is at the bottom of the application page.

All documents should be in PDF form, labelled "LAST NAME_FIRST NAME_Application Form", "LAST NAME_FIRST NAME_CV", "LAST NAME_FIRST NAME_Support letter", etc.

For further information or questions, please consult the FAQ before contacting education.canberra-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr

New internship proposals for 2024 should be submitted in February. If you are a French or Australian institution with a partnership who wants to propose a new internship, please email education.canberra-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr 

 The following internships are proposed by French institutions within the framework of the Nicolas Baudin program. All internships are remunerated with the legal minimum stipend in France of 600€ a month. The dates and the levels of the internships are all different, please read the description carefully. The detailed Internship documents are at the bottom of this page.

Are you an Australian university partner looking for more information on the program? Please consult the dedicated article here.

Are you a French university partner or industry looking to host an Australian intern? Please consult the dedicated article here.

French Institutions: All French higher education establishments are eligible to propose internship topics. In doing so, they agree to fund the mandatory stipend provided to the Laureates. The source of the monthly stipend may be the host university, the lab or the partner company. The call for internship proposals has closed for 2023. Next year, a proposal form will be sent out to French institutions, and if you are a partner or French university interested in joining, please email education.canberra-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr