Get your HDR or ADR

In France, the habilitation to supervise research (HDR for short in French) is a national higher education diploma that can be obtained after a doctorate. It was created in 1984. This diploma entitles the holder to apply for a professor of universities position (after registration on the qualification list by the National Council of Universities), to be thesis supervisor or to be chosen as thesis rapporteur. It is the highest qualification in France.

To apply for the HDR, it is in principle necessary to hold a doctorate, but this is not compulsory if the candidate’s high scientific level is proven and recognised. The researchers must be registered at a university the year of their defence, they have a student status.

The HDR is not meant to mark the achievement of a university course. It is defined in the regulations by the decree of 23rd of November 1988 (modified in 1992, 1995 and 2002).

The HDR recognises the high scientific level of the candidate, the originality of his approach in a scientific field, the ability to master a research strategy in a scientific or technological field as well as his ability to supervise young researcher.

According to current regulations, the application documents for the habilitation to supervise research must include one or more published or typed works, or a portfolio of work, together with a summary of the candidate’s scientific activity, showing his or her experience in managing research.

An HDR is compulsory to become thesis supervisor or joint-supervisor.

ABIES and AgroParisTech do not award the HDR, so it is necessary to apply to the ED’s partner universities (Paris-Saclay, Reims Champagne-Ardenne) or to other universities.

Any researcher wishing to supervise a doctoral candidate alone in France must have the HDR. However, while awaiting the HDR, the Scientific Advisory Board of certain institutions (AgroParisTech, EnvA, Université Paris-Saclay), which award the doctoral diploma, may authorize a young lecturer or researcher to supervise a doctoral candidate before the awarding of the HDR. The Scientific Advisory Board then issues an authorization to supervise research (ADR).

For AgroParisTech and EnvA, a written request must first be made to the ABIES doctoral school. The researcher or lecturer should send a detailed curriculum vitae, including a list of publications, his or her involvement in supervising master’s or doctoral theses and a covering letter explaining why he or she is applying.

The ABIES doctoral school will give its opinion to the institution’s scientific council, which will decide whether or not to approve the application.

A researcher may be authorised to supervise 100% of a thesis and be thesis director, but this authorisation will only be valid for one thesis and the supervisor must commit to to pass the HDR. before the end of the thesis or within the year following the defence,

For the University of Paris-Saclay, two options are proposed, with and without mentoring, and are described here: https://www.universite-paris-saclay.fr/recherche/habilitation-diriger-d…