Recommendations for applications

A guide for candidates is provided by the CNRS on the competition website. Below, we provide additional information more specific to the CID 55 competition.

The evaluation criteria given on this site can only be taken into account on the basis of the application file, which must therefore be completed accordingly. The application is read by at least two members of the CID, from different disciplinary fields. A didactic introduction and contextualization are therefore necessary for both the activity report and the research project. The research project should be specific to the competition. The reports must be concise; whatever the professional background, activity and research projects of more than 10 pages do not meet this requirement for conciseness.

It is desirable that the application file include the publications that the candidate considers to be the most important and the most representative of his/her interdisciplinarity. These publications are often consulted by the referees, so it is on their content that the selection should be made. An indication of the nature of the candidates’ contribution to collaborative work is desirable. Similarly, a self-evaluation of data or software production, or a quantitative estimate of the workload for collective responsibilities are important elements of the application.

The application should include a brief review of successive positions held and a list of publications and achievements. If other headings are deemed relevant (outreach, collaborations, collective responsibilities, transfer and mediation, teaching, etc.), they should also be included. If applicable, prizes and awards can be mentioned, giving information that will allow the jury to evaluate their importance. Finally, it is advisable to inform the jury of any career interruptions.

The reports describing the work carried out and the research programme must be concise, 20 pages in total being the absolute maximum. These reports may include technical aspects, but they must highlight the scientific issues at stake, which must be comprehensible to a scientist outside the discipline. In addition, they must explain how the interdisciplinary approach contributes to advancing the state of the art in the field.

The thesis/habilitation and defense reports can be included in the application. For applicants who have been actively involved in large collaborations, a letter from a member of the team responsible, detailing the nature of their contribution and its impact, may facilitate the evaluation of their application. Candidates may request letters of support from scientific personalities, but these letters have little impact on the evaluation. On the other hand, letters from host teams or laboratories can be very useful in assessing the potential for integration for recruitment and mobility.

For DR2 candidates, the evaluation takes into account the entire career. It is therefore necessary to put into perspective all the work and the professional career. However, the activity since recruitment or since the last promotion plays a more important role.