Co-supervising a Ph.D. Thesis
A gradual entrance into the supervising function
INSA offers non-HDR researchers and associate professors (from the institution or a partner institution) a local procedure to make their participation in doctoral supervision official (Title II, Article 16 of the decree of 25 May 2016 setting the national training framework and the modalities leading to the award of the national doctoral degree). Applications for co-supervision must be submitted to the Consultative Committee on Doctoral Studies (CCED), which will examine the application.
This procedure aims at allowing a gradual entrance into the supervising function with the objective to prepare an Habilitation to Supervise Research (HDR), and considers in particular:
- The number of co-advised Ph.D. student carried
- The number of co-supervisions already obtained (typically within the limit of 3 before the registration to HDR)
- The year of registration of the doctoral student. It is strongly recommended to apply for co-supervision as early as possible in the Ph.D. curriculum.
Co-supervision is considered a 50% involvement in the thesis.
This procedure is therefore not intended to replace the obtention of HDR diploma but must facilitate its preparation.
Documents to download:
Cosupervision and co-advising
The notions of cosupervision (“codirection” in French) and co-advising (“co-encadrement” in French) differ fundamentally on several levels:
- In the research work of the doctoral student: co-advising consists mainly of helping with the scientific concerns of the moment, on a specific theme, whereas cosupervision involves the person more: it is also a question of projecting oneself into the full evolution of the thesis (defining a research and methodological plan with the doctoral student and the thesis director), upstream of the thesis through the preparation of the thesis subject and interview of the candidates, supporting the doctoral student throughout his or her training (beyond the research subject) and in the construction of his or her professional project, ...
- Cosupervision implies a shared responsibility with the supervisor (“Directeur/trice de these”) regarding the progress of the thesis
- From a regulatory point of view: co-advising does not exist in official texts (e.g. Ministerial Order of 25 May 2026), whereas cosupervision is specifically defined
- From the point of view of the career development of cosupervisors/co-advisors: the evaluation bodies (at the personal or unit level) recognize cosupervision more than co-advising.
Thus, co-advising is less regulated and is purely declarative (with no other form of control than the possession of the degree of Doctor). Automatic co-supervision is only allowed if the person holds the HDR; otherwise, it must make a reasoned request for derogatory cosupervision to the Institution (through the CCED in INSA).