PhD program at the CSI

What is a PhD at the CSI?

The Center for the Sociology of Innovation (CSI) at Mines Paris – PSL offers a PhD program in social sciences, specialized in STS (« Science  and  Technology  Studies »). The doctorate is prepared at  Mines  Paris – PSL,  delivered by  PSL Research  University, certified by the doctoral school SDOSE 543 (« Sciences de la Décision, des Organisations, de la Société et de l’Échange »), and carried out under the supervision of a member of the CSI.

PhD students participate in the scientific life of the CSI, are part of its research team, collaborate in teaching activities and in research projects, present communications in national and international conferences. They participate regularly in the CSI’s research workshop. They benefit from research funding (generally in the form of a scholarship) that allows them to work full time on their scientific activities. They are supervised by CSI researchers that help them with their research.

What is the PhD about?

The doctoral research project is in direct relation with the current research topics at the CSI and with the skills and activities of the CSI researchers. The topic of the project is defined in collaboration with the PhD supervisor and takes into account the different funding constraints (partnership contracts, targeted calls).

How to become a PhD student at the CSI?

The CSI publishes regularly calls for applications to its doctoral program, usually in connection with available scholarships (see “News”). The CSI is also open to spontaneous applications, also to be associated to perspectives of potential funding.

PhD candidates need to meet the necessary institutional requisites for the enrollment into a PhD program in France. They need to propose a pre-project adapted to the research and approaches elaborated within the CSI, and connected to the academic disciplines of reference at the CSI: science and technology studies, political sociology, cultural anthropology, management of innovation, communication studies, economic sociology, etc. They also need to prove academic excellence in their domain of specialization. They need to prove sufficient skill in spoken and written French (the default language of academic life at CSI).

Information and contact details

For further information, please contact Fabian Muniesa and David Pontille, directors of the PhD program at the CSI.

Thesis defended since 1991

CSI PhD Dissertations submitted since 1991

Thesis in progress

Thesis in progress at the CSI.