What to Expect from This Blog Series (And What It’s Not About)

This blog post is just the beginning. Over the coming months, we will dive deeper into the specifics of the different application procedures (French: “concours”) for permanent positions in French academia. We will focus on the CNRS’ “Chargés de recherche” (CR) and CNAP “Astronome-adjoint” (English: Adjoint Astronomer) positions: what to expect for the concours and what do these particular career paths can look like. Future posts will provide:

• General information about the concours, in particular for the CNRS Section 17 - Astronomy and Astrophysics, and CNAP Section 34, Astronomy and Astrophysics, including links to official sources.
• Insights into the process of the concours, from time of their opening to the final announcement of successful candidates.
• Common conceptions and misconceptions as they are passed around in the astronomy community.
• Information about the available resources for preparing your applications, from guides and workshops to community forums and mentoring programs.

However, this blog series is not:

• A source for job postings or vacancy announcements for positions. You will need to refer to the official websites for the latest opportunities:
  • for CNRS: https://emploi.cnrs.fr/
  • and for CNAP: https://www.galaxie.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/ensup/cand_recrutement.htm
• A platform for detailed legal or contractual advice regarding employment. We are neither working for the CNRS\CNAP\CNU nor lawyers, so you should consult other sources, like their HR or legal departments or other official offices, for further any of this.
• A concrete guide to applying to the concours. Our goal is to provide a broad starting point before diving into the specifics of it. Your personal strategy will depend very much on your specific situation and goals. You should read our blog critically and prepare your application with your concrete support network.

By focusing on these core areas, this series aims to provide general information floating around the internet and our community, and summarize them for people who are interested to learn more about the different applications. Stay tuned for upcoming posts where we’ll guide you through some of the available but sometimes hard to find information!