Checklist for supervisors of international NeuroSchool PhD students

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1	Checklist for supervisors of international NeuroSchool PhD students					Updated November 22, 2024
2	This checklist aims at helping supervisors welcoming international PhD students paid by NeuroSchool. Please let us know if there are improvements to be made : neuroschool@univ-amu.fr
3	Most important/difficult steps are in red.
4	Warning: never assume that university/administrative services are well coordinated, so check regularly that someone is taking care of your student's file.
5	For up-to-date information about French formalities (including income tax), check the Euraxess website : https://euraxess.univ-amu.fr/en
6	Link to student's checklist
7	Done ?	Category	When ?	Priority	Task	Comment
8		General information
9			Before arrival	High	Confirm supervisor's name, lab and location (including building) to NeuroSchool (NS)	Use DRH-1016 to know building number, indicate if there are several locations and if there is a co-supervisor
10			Before arrival	High	Inform lab head and lab Human Resources agent of future arrival
11			Before arrival	High	Confirm contract dates with NS and student
12			Before arrival	Low	Check arrival date
13			Before arrival	Low	Find buddy and/or help student at arrival
14		International affairs (DRI)			If student is from outside the European Union (EU), then follow closely the convention d'accueil and visa, help student if needed. Information : https://euraxess.univ-amu.fr/en/administrative-formalities/visa-entry-requirements For excellent French-English translation : https://www.deepl.com/translator	The host lab must fill out a form to ask DRV for a convention d'accueil (Cerfa n° 16079*03). Once this convention signed by AMU authorities, it will be sent to your lab. The lab must send it BY EXPRESS COURIER to the student, who will then ask for a Passeport Talent visa. Last validation steps are online.
15		Convention d'accueil	Before arrival	High	If needed, help the lab administrator fill out the "FORMULAIRE DE DEMANDE D’UNE CONVENTION D’ACCUEIL D’UN CHERCHEUR OU D’UN ENSEIGNANT ETRANGER", which will have to be signed by the lab head. This form is to ask for a convention d'accueil.	They'll need to know the students' citizenship(s), postal address and date of birth.
16		Convention d'accueil	Before arrival	High	Receive the signed (paper) convention from AMU DRV through internal mail and send it by express courier to the student	Usually the longest step, it may delay everything.
17		Resident permit	After arrival	Medium	Help student apply for the resident permit ("Titre de séjour" )	Can now be done online, see Passeport Talent - Chercheur : https://euraxess.univ-amu.fr/en/administrative-formalities
18		Human Resources (HR), work contract			HR is in the process of translating the documents into English The following information only applies to students paid on NeuroSchool funds. It may not apply to your situation. Check with your lab HR agent first and adapt this document to your situation.
19		Paperwork	Before arrival	High	Help NS fill out "profil de candidature" about required compences
20		Bank account	Upon arrival	High	Help opening a bank account and getting a French Relevé d'identité bancaire (RIB)	This is THE most urgent task when the student arrives. The salary payment depends on it. Salaries from French administration can only be paid into a bank account in France. European banks may be accepted for the first months. AMU has contacts with some banks but you may check bank comparators or ask other incoming students on your campus to find the most suitable one. A signed contract or promise to hire ("promesse d'embauche") is generally necessary. Information here : https://euraxess.univ-amu.fr/en/practical-information/banks https://www.univ-amu.fr/en/public/opening-bank-account
21		Contacts	Before arrival	High	If needed, find name of HR agent in charge of the lab, that person will directly contact the student and the lab HR agent	https://drh.univ-amu.fr/contact --> Bureau des contractuels recherche
22		Paperwork	Before arrival	High	If needed, help student fill out the Fiche de renseignements INSTALLATION D’UN DOCTORANT CONTRACTUEL sent by HR to the student	It will probably look like this but make sure there is not a newer version : https://amubox.univ-amu.fr/s/mGPmeAocyjNBQSD https://procedures.univ-amu.fr/drh/fo-drh-25-dossier-dinstallation-doctorants-contractuels
23		Paperwork	Before arrival	High	If needed, help filling out the demande d'extrait de casier judiciaire	It will look like this : https://procedures.univ-amu.fr/drh/fo-drh-25-dossier-dinstallation-doctorants-contractuels
24		Paperwork	Before arrival	High	If needed, help student with contract
25		Paperwork	Upon arrival	High	If needed, help student with Procès verbal d'installation	Must be signed on the day the student arrives in the lab
26		Holidays	After arrival	Low	Have lab HR agent explain time off ("congés") to the students and tell student about French bank holidays	See : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_France Note : In Marseille, on Labour Day (May 1), EVERYTHING WILL BE CLOSED even buses/metro
27		Work hours	Upon arrival	Low	Tell student about expected work hours
28		If 2 co-supervisors in different universities (“Co-direction” or "co-tutelle")	Before arrival	High	If the PhD salary is in part paid by the partner institution, make sure you get a decent income for the entire PhD. Check hiring process and registration with partner university.
29		Practical information
30		Housing	Before arrival	Medium	Circulate an ad in the lab ; if possible help with appartment rental	Check information on campus billboards. Some information here : https://euraxess.univ-amu.fr/en/practical-information/accommodation#tab-2514
31		Home insurance	Upon arrival	Medium	If needed, help student with home insurance ("assurance habitation")	For instance through your bank. A previous student suggests LUKO (easy + a fast way to get an "attestation d'hébergement")
32		Health insurance (Social Security)	Upon arrival	High	Help with Social security registration Information : https://euraxess.univ-amu.fr/en/practical-information/healthcare	General rule for PhD students paid by NeuroSchool : - from EU country : then register through MGEN (contact list) - from outside the EU : then register through CPAM Paris through the Passeport Talent procedure
33		Complementary health insurance ("mutuelle")	Upon arrival	High	Help with registration	https://euraxess.univ-amu.fr/en/practical-information/healthcare#section-2849 ; https://procedures.univ-amu.fr/drh/gu-drh-1101-guide-synthese-prise-charge-partielle-frais-mutuelle
34		Learning French	After arrival	Low	Relay information about Frech courses : https://neuro-marseille.org/en/blog/learning-french/	https://euraxess.univ-amu.fr/en/language-culture-leisure/learning-french#tab-2957
35		Registration to the university and to NeuroSchool PhD Program
36		Registration to the university	Upon arrival	High	Help student with registering to the university / Ecole doctorale (through the ADUM platform). Although it is counterintuitive, there is a distinction between the Doctoral School and NeuroSchool.	https://ecole-doctorale-62.univ-amu.fr/fr/futur-doctorant/inscription-1ere-annee-these In September 2024, ED62 is splitting in 2 new Doctoral schools : ED Sciences du vivant, ED: Recherches biomédicales : ask your supervisors which is theirs.
37		Master's exemption	Before arrival	High	If the student has a master's degree but it's not recognized, help with master's exemption (Dispense de master)	https://ecole-doctorale-62.univ-amu.fr/fr/international/dispense-master
38		Validation des acquis professionnels (VAP)	Before arrival	High	If the student does not have a master's degree at all, but has work experience, then help with VAP procedure	https://www.univ-amu.fr/node/101 Note that there are fees associated with this procedure.
39		Fees	After arrival	Medium	Help student pay for his registration fees	https://www.univ-amu.fr/en/public/registration-fees-cvec-financial-aid In 2024-25 : CVEC = 103 € per year fees = 380 € per year
40		“Co-direction”: the PhD student paid by AMU must be registered at AMU for the totality of his/her PhD studies.	Upon arrival	High	For a simple co-direction, the Ecole Doctorale will ask for some documents at the time of registering to the university. See process and documents here : https://guide-recherche.univ-amu.fr/formation-doctorale/organiser-une-codirection-de-these
41		“Co-tutelle”: students’ tuition fees must be paid only at one of the two institutions for a given year, but they must be paid at least once at each institution. The student gets a degree from both universities.	After arrival	Medium	Co-tutelle : Check this website and follow instructions : https://guide-recherche.univ-amu.fr/formation-doctorale/mettre-en-place-une-cotutelle-internationale-de-doctorat	To be sorted out at the latest in April in the first year of the PhD. Warning, registration fees are sometimes quite expensive abroad. Also keep in mind that in North American universities, a pre-doctoral exam is often mandatory to start the PhD. It’s done early, usually after taking classes at that university.
42		Student card	After arrival	Medium	After fees are paid, help student get student card	Note : there is also a staff card for PhD students whose salary is paid by the university. New (2024) : You get both cards by asking for it through your ENT.
43		Email	After arrival	Low	If they're paid by AMU, your student will have 2 email addresses : 1) one as staff : firstname.lastname@univ-amu.fr You'll see it in AMU directory : https://annuaire.univ-amu.fr/personnels The HR agent in your lab or at the campus HR office should be able to help to activate it (and to get an AMU staff card). 2) one as a student (...@etu.univ-amu.fr), once the fees are paid at the scolarité. Make sure the student checks both (or transfers one onto the other), as one doesn't get the same information as staff and as a student.	Information here for staff: https://dud.univ-amu.fr/fr/activation-votre-compte-amu-personnels And for your student email account : https://dud.univ-amu.fr/fr/public/votre-compte-etudiant-amu-questions-frequentes
44		NeuroSchool PhD program and training plan	After arrival	Low	Remind student to register to the NeuroSchool PhD program, prepare training plan, meet the PhD program committe Important : 4th-year and mobility funding depends on students' participation in our program actions	https://neuro-marseille.org/en/training/phd-program/ Training done abroad during a co-directed/co-supervised PhD can be validated by the Doctoral School in Marseille. It is therefore not necessary to complete the full 100 hours of training in Marseille.
45		NeuroSchool PhD program	After arrival	Low	Encourage student to read NeuroMarseille monthly newsletter	https://neuro-marseille.org/en/blog/?news_category=831
46		Animal experimentation	Before arrival	High	If student will be working on animals, register ASAP to upcoming training session (at least "operator" level). A NeuroSchool session (in French with English documents) is planned for the weeks of December 16, 2024, and January 6, 2025.	Check these lists : https://sites.google.com/view/dgrezel-las/bdd-formations or https://formations.bea.cnrs.fr/listForm.php Sessions in English are quite rare. Ask when the next NeuroSchool training is (usually January, in French). Contact the head of the animal facility or the lab's training manager to register for a CNRS or INSERM course.
47		Good student-supervisor relationship	Upon arrival	Low	Welcome your PhD student to your lab	Check out this poster made by previous PhD students and supervisors : Good student-supervisor relationship : https://neuro-marseille.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/good-mentoring05-12-17-a0.pdf
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