Mature your PhD

THE CHALLENGE THAT CARES ABOUT PHD STUDENTS FUTURE

SECOND- AND THIRD-YEAR PhD STUDENTS REGISTERED IN ALSATIAN UNIVERSITIES:
Do you believe your thesis project has economic potential? Do you think it could generate in the future a new product or service or process, that could be industrialized and marketed?
Then take part in the Mature your PhD challenge !

For you tomorrow :

More skills for you

During years 2 and 3 of your PhD, Conectus experts help you analyse the market for your thesis project. You benefit from personalised advice on intellectual property to protect your discoveries. In addition, you benefit from a 12-day Deeptech entrepreneurship training (under conditions).

Potential funding

After you have obtained your degree, Conectus can finance your project (under conditions). This will allow you to develop your project to market, disseminate your discoveries within the society and cover your salary for 18 to 24 months after your PhD!

A step towards the corporate world

So, in addition to great new skills for you, your thesis project will be of interest to companies or investors = a wonderful opportunity to get a salaried job in the private sector or to create your startup!

An access to the national i-PhD contest

If you are a laureate, you can participate directly in the Bpifrance i-PhD National competition! The prize is great training, tools and mentoring to help you create your future startup more efficiently! And your thesis project becomes the project of your life!

Watch the video

Watch our challenge video!

Are you a second- or third-year PhD student registered in University of Strasbourg or in University of Haute Alsace? Is your thesis project promising in terms of innovation? Could your project eventually generates a new product or service or process that can be industrialized and commercialized in the future? Then this brand-new challenge is for you!

Try your luck, it’s easy: complete the simple application pack, get your thesis director’s approval, and prepare a 15-minute pitch.

A doubt about the potential of your thesis project? Contact Conectus!

WHAT KIND OF BENEFITS FOR YOU, AS A PHD STUDENT, AND YOUR PROJECT TEAM:

An access to business and market insights and intellectual property advices focused on your thesis research topic
Potential funding after your PhD (see the rules). Your laboratory could get funding from Conectus to pursue your project thesis up to the market and to cover your salary for 18 to 24 months.
Valuable new skills for you (market, economy, entrepreneurship)
A concrete step towards the world of entrepreneurship and why not the creation of a startup
A chance to showcase your promising research and put it in the spotlight.
An access to the national i-PhD contest organized by Bpifrance, dedicated to Deeptech startups creation

This challenge is organised by Conectus and backed by Alsatian universities, public research players and Conectus shareholders (CNRS, Inserm, Insa, Engees, etc.), with support from ADDAL.

Download the rules Apply

The process in five steps

FAST-TRACK APPLICATION

Read the challenge rules and download the application pack (see Apply section). Seven pages is all it takes to convince us, and the deadline is 17 March 2023. Remember – you must get consent from your PhD supervisor before applying!

SHORTLIST OF APPLICATIONS

Our eagle-eyed, well-meaning experts will examine all applications in April 2023. If it is selected, you’ll go straight to pitching your project!

FINAL SELECTION

In June 2023, you’ll have 15 minutes to pitch your thesis project to a panel of socio-economic and academic experts, followed by a 15-minute Q&A session. The panel will select the most innovative projects with the highest economic potential.

LAUREATES ANNOUNCED

The winners will be announced in June 2023. For each of them: a nice diploma and a nice spotlight on social networks!

TAKEOFF WITH CONECTUS

Your project is selected? Let’s get started for coaching!

HOW TO APPLY

Important: this challenge is open to second- and third-year PhD students only, registered in Alsatian universities. PhD students on the CIFRE programme cannot take part.

Read the rules
Download the rules
Get your thesis director’s approval
Read and complete the application pack, then submit it before 17 March 2023 (see article 4 of the rules). Complete the short form below to receive your application pack:

Fill download form

Last name

First name

Email address

Phone

Faculty

Stream

Attached laboratory

Year of study

You agree that SATT Conectus may collect and use the personal data provided by you in this form in order to send you the application form for the Mature your PhD contest and that it may contact you later on, in accordance with our data protection policy [see our confidentiality policy] . En cochant la case ci-dessous, vous reconnaissez accepter l’utilisation de vos données (nom, prénom, adresse email, numéro de téléphone, laboratoire de rattachement, établissement et année de thèse) par la SATT Conectus dans le cadre du challenge Mature your PhD, et à cette seule fin.

I have a question

Conectus wishes you good luck!

Discover the laureates

PhD candidate in 3rd year of doctoral studies

>Sector : Molecular biology, Biotechnology

>Thesis project: Development of new fluorogenic RNA aptamers for the design of imaging tools

>Thesis director: Michaël Ryckelynck

>Lab :
IBMC
Architecture and Reactivity of RNA
CNRS UPR 9002
University of Strasbourg

Watch the video

Doctoral student in her 2nd year as a doctoral student

>Sector: The physicochemical properties of materials

>Thesis project: Control of the structure and properties of polydopamine in suspension and in film form

>Thesis director: Vincent Ball

>Lab:
Biomaterials and Bioengineering Laboratory
INSERM (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale)
UMR 1121
University of Strasbourg

Watch the video

Doctoral student in 2nd year of doctoral studies

>Sector:Life and Health Sciences

>Thesis project:Identification and tracking of cytosolic EGFR aptamers

>Thesis director:Laurence Choulier and Maxime Lehmann

>Lab:
Bioimaging and Pathology
CNRS UMR 7021
University of Strasbourg

Watch the video

Doctoral student in his 3rd year of doctoral studies

>Sector: Geography

>Thesis project:Data processing in the study of territorial metabolism

>Thesis director: Dominique Badariotti and René Kahn

>Lab:
Image Ville Environnement
CNRS UMR 7362
University of Strasbourg

Watch the video

In partnership with

Testimonies

Lionel Meyer, R&D Project Manager at Anagenesis

What drew me to the private sector was the clear framework and research targets, and also the human, physical and financial resources. My tip for PhD students? Grab all the opportunities that come along, such as the Mature your PhD challenge, and take time to study everything without preconceived notions, particularly since going back to public research is always conceivable.

Rémi Perrin, Director of the main R&D centre of Soprema

I strongly encourage PhD students who are interested in industry to open their minds to the outside world and make the most of their thesis years to build a network. Taking part in the Mature you PhD challenge is a good way to get out of the lab to enthusiastically share your subject and popularise your research subject.

Jean-François Rax, Cap Innov’Est Investment Director

From the investors’ viewpoint, scientific quality is crucial when it comes to assessing the potential of a start-up. The doctoral students and fresh degree holders that we have supported were assisted by managers and experts for the proper development of their company. While our assessment of a company relies on technology and intellectual property, the personality of the project initiators is essential, and we are looking for people who are energetic and audacious.

Sasha Koniev, PhD and start-up director

After my PhD in Chemistry, I co-founded my start-up Syndivia in 2014 with my thesis supervisor, Alain Wagner, and four other founding members. The financial support we received from the SATT enabled us to mature our technology, so that next year, we will start the preclinical phase. In future, we hope to identify targeted and effective treatment for breast and pancreatic cancer, which is still difficult to treat. While the start-up route is not the easiest, it certainly is the most exciting!

Justine Fritz, Project manager Adaptherapy

I have always been interested in healthcare innovations, and focused my thesis on the personalization of treatment to each patient. The new method developed during the project has been patented with the help of SATT Conectus and has generated the founding of the start-up Adaptherapy, where I have been a project manager for two years. We are developing a medical device associated with the project.

Vincent Marichez, Researcher and entrepreneur

By taking part in a contest for researchers-entrepreneurs, I raised the profile of my project and received signs of interest from professionals; that reassured me and enabled me to build a network for future collaboration. What is more, the exercise was ideal for writing up my business plan and finding the funding and support I would need to create my start-up!

Testimonies

Lionel Meyer, R&D Project Manager at Anagenesis

Rémi Perrin, Director of the main R&D centre of Soprema

Jean-François Rax, Cap Innov’Est Investment Director

Sasha Koniev, PhD and start-up director

Justine Fritz, Project manager Adaptherapy

Vincent Marichez, Researcher and entrepreneur

An initiative of

Conectus is a bridge between Alsatian public research laboratories and private companies, helping to bring innovations to market. It protects inventions by researchers, funds and supports promising projects until their adoption by industrial companies, and shoulders the technological and financial risk. Conectus also fosters public-private collaboration in all its forms.

If you're a PhD student or researcher, you can find us at :

www.conectus.fr/en/

Since 2012:

36 M€

invested by Conectus
in innovative projects

132

innovative research
projects funded

142

technology
transfers
completed

30+254M€

start-ups founded
+ funding raised

1810

partnership agreements between
laboratories and businesses

An initiative of

Any questions? Write to us at:

Mature your PhD

THE CHALLENGE THAT CARES ABOUT PHD STUDENTS FUTURE

More skills for you

Potential funding

A step towards the corporate world

An access to the national i-PhD contest

Watch our challenge video!

WHAT KIND OF BENEFITS FOR YOU, AS A PHD STUDENT, AND YOUR PROJECT TEAM:

The process in five steps

FAST-TRACK APPLICATION

SHORTLIST OF APPLICATIONS

FINAL SELECTION

LAUREATES ANNOUNCED

TAKEOFF WITH CONECTUS

HOW TO APPLY

Important: this challenge is open to second- and third-year PhD students only, registered in Alsatian universities. PhD students on the CIFRE programme cannot take part.

Discover the laureates

FARAH BOUHEDDA

SALIMA EL YAKHLIFI

ELISABETE CRUZ DA SILVA

BENOIT RIBON

EYA ALOUI

EZEDDINE HARMOUCH

YINGDONG LIU

ETIENNE PIANTANIDA

SEBASTIAN SAMPAYO

MARYAME SY

CHARLOTTE BUSSIENNE

NIZAMI ISRAFILOV

MIGUEL LEONARDO MARTINEZ MENDEZ

AGATHE BOOS

JULIEN MOST

ADRIEN ROUSSELLE

JAVID ABDURAHIM

NICOLAS MAGUIN

In partnership with

Testimonies

Testimonies

Since 2012: