AI4CI Scholarship Call (Avignon Université, France)

AI4CI Scholarship Call (Avignon Université) offers targeted scholarships for students enrolled in the AI4CI Master's programme who are citizens of EU, EEA or countries associated with the Digital Europe Programme. Eight scholarships are available (five for first-year and three for second-year students), each worth €4,000 paid in two instalments of €2,000 (January and June 2027). Eligible applicants must be enrolled at Avignon Université, provide identity and enrolment proof, a motivation statement and supporting evidence for academic merit, economic hardship, disability or digital-skills contributions, and selection is merit- and needs-based using weighted criteria. Applications are accepted until 21 August 2026, successful candidates must sign an award agreement within 10 working days and payments are conditional on continued enrolment and academic requirements.

What it funds

Purpose and funding amount

Mobility and study support for students in the Master programme Artificial Intelligence for Connected Industries at Avignon Université: purchase of study hardware/software, living and travel costs, additional training and other study-related expenses.

Total budget and award per student:Project budget published: €32,000. Eight scholarships in total; each scholarship is €4,000 per year paid in two instalments of €2,000 (January 2027 and June 2027).

Who can apply

Applicants must be citizens of the EU, listed EEA countries or countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme and must be enrolled in the AI4CI master’s programme at Avignon Université (first-year 2026–2028 cohort or second-year 2025–2027 cohort). Selection prioritises excellent academic results and students with fewer opportunities or proven contribution to digital-skill activities.

1. 1Number of scholarships: up to 5 for first-year students and up to 3 for second-year students.
2. 2Selection based on admission ranking, eligibility documents, motivation statement and scored criteria (social/economic disadvantage, disability, activity in digital skills).
3. 3Scholarship may be reduced or refused in case of double EU funding for the same purpose.

Key deadlines and process

Applications open via the programme; applicants are contacted by the local coordinator. Submission deadline: 21 August 2026. Assessment and ranking by the programme committee; final list published and payments start no later than 18 December 2026.

Contact for questions:Francesco de Pellegrini (francesco.de-pellegrini@univ-avignon.fr) or Nicolas Wasilewski (nicolas.wasilewski@univ-avignon.fr). Full announcement on the portal: AI4CI Scholarship Call. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1The scholarships are provided by the AI4CI project cofunded by the EU under Grant Agreement No 101123524; beneficiaries administer the cascade call under their own responsibility.

Basic Facts and Administrative Data

Call title:AI4CI Scholarship Call (Avignon Université, France). Associated project: Artificial Intelligence for Connected Industries (AI4CI), Grant Agreement N° 101123524. Host institution: Avignon Université (AU), Avignon, France. Programme period: 2021-2027. Call type: Multi-Topic / Specialised education programmes or modules in key capacity areas DIGITAL-2022. Budget (total listed): €32,000. Application deadline: 21 August 2026 (applications accepted until that date). Deadline model: single-stage. Start date (project context): 21 June 2026. Closing date in system: 12 June 2026 (administrative field); operational application deadline: 21 August 2026 as specified in call details.

Purpose and Use of Scholarship Funds

Objective:increase accessibility of master's studies developing advanced digital skills, and promote higher-level skills, equality and diversity in computer science for the AI4CI master's programme at Avignon Université. Scholarships must be used solely for study-related purposes including: purchase of hardware or software necessary for study; living and travel costs required to ensure study availability; acquisition of additional training or information sources and competency improvement; and other study-related expenses. Recipients must ensure visibility of scholarship benefits when receiving support.

Number and Value of Scholarships:Eight scholarships in total: five for first-year master’s students and three for second-year master’s students. Each scholarship is €4,000 per year, paid in two instalments: €2,000 in January 2027 and €2,000 in June 2027. A single student cannot receive more than €4,000 from AI4CI project scholarships during the scholarship period.

Eligibility and Applicant Types

Primary eligible applicants:individual students enrolled in the AI4CI master's degree programme Artificial Intelligence for Connected Industries at Avignon Université, part of promotion 2026-2028 (first-year students) or 2025-2027 (second-year students). Citizenship eligibility: citizens of the European Union, listed EEA countries, or countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme. Applicants must provide proof of nationality, administrative registration at Avignon Université and proof of course enrolment in the AI4CI master’s programme.

Eligible Applicant Types (detailed)

Eligible applicant types explicitly:individual students who are currently enrolled in the AI4CI master's programme at Avignon Université and who are citizens of EU Member States, EEA listed countries, or countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme. Not eligible: organisations, companies, research institutes, or applicants who are not enrolled in the specified AI4CI master’s programme.

Funding Type and Nature of Support

Funding type:scholarship grant (monetary support). Nature of support: direct monetary payments to successful individual students (€4,000 per scholarship per year), disbursed in two instalments. Scholarships are cash grants intended to cover study-related costs as described above.

Consortium Requirement and Application Modality

Consortium requirement:not applicable; this is an individual scholarship award process administered locally by Avignon Université under the AI4CI project. Application type: open call to accepted/enrolled students of the AI4CI master’s programme; single-stage selection procedure. Timeline notes: Local Academic Coordinator and Local Project Manager will contact accepted students by 21 June 2026 to inform them of the opportunity and submission requirements. Applications accepted until 21 August 2026.

Geographic and Beneficiary Scope

Geographic scope for applicants:European Union Member States, listed EEA countries, and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme. Beneficiaries (recipients) must be studying at Avignon Université, Avignon, France, in the AI4CI master’s programme.

Mentioned Countries and Regions:France (host institution), European Union (applicant citizenship), EEA listed countries, countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme.

Project Stage and Target Sector

Project stage:education / skills development and capacity building at the master's study stage. Target sector and themes: higher education, digital skills, advanced digital competences, artificial intelligence, ICT, and industry-focused AI for Connected Industries (DeepTech education / workforce development).

Application Requirements and Templates

Required application components:an application form (brief statement) indicating motivation and concrete plans on how the scholarship will be used and how it will contribute to upskilling in advanced digital skills (mandatory); a copy of identity document showing date of birth and nationality (mandatory); proof of administrative registration at Avignon Université and proof of course enrolment in the AI4CI master's programme (mandatory); optional supporting documents or links illustrating applicants’ achievements (optional).

Administrative steps after award:within 10 working days of notification successful students must sign a scholarship award agreement (including consent to processing of personal data for scholarship management and marketing and adherence to legal/ethical obligations) and provide bank details for payment.

Selection Procedure, Scoring and Ranking

Application acceptance and assessment:after the application deadline the programme committee evaluates applications, assigns points according to defined criteria, ranks applicants and selects recipients. Applicants not immediately awarded are placed on a reserve list for redistribution if needed. Applicants will be informed within 30 days after the application deadline about decisions. Appeals are permitted under a defined written procedure with deadlines and committee reassessment.

1. 1Step 1: Local Academic Coordinator and Local Project Manager inform accepted students about the scholarship and submission deadlines (by 21 June 2026).
2. 2Step 2: Students submit applications and required documents by 21 August 2026.
3. 3Step 3: Programme committee assesses applications within 30 working days after deadline and ranks applicants based on scoring criteria.
4. 4Step 4: Committee selects highest-ranked applicants (5 first-year, 3 second-year) who meet all prerequisites; others go to reserve list.
5. 5Step 5: Successful applicants sign award agreement and provide bank details within 10 working days.
6. 6Step 6: Payments are made in two instalments (Jan 2027 and Jun 2027) and the final list is published by 18 December 2026.

Detailed Scoring Criteria and Weights

Scoring system overview:applicants who meet prerequisites (citizenship, registration, enrolment, cohort inclusion) and academic excellence (based on Mon Master/Études en France ranking from Spring 2026 admissions) may be ranked; if eligible applicants exceed available scholarships, the following criteria are applied and weighted to produce a score up to a maximum of 5 points.

1. 1Priority criterion 1: Support of students in a difficult situation (weight 1). Sub-criteria: economic barriers (families with low income, long-term unemployment, or social assistance; parental income less than €35,000/year or for residents in France CAF quotient familial lower than €500) OR long-term unemployed returning to studies; health problems or disability (documentation required).
2. 2Priority criterion 2: Promotion of students contributing to society and personal development in advanced digital skills (weight 3). Sub-criteria scored up to 1 point each depending on documented activities in the last 3 years: participation/achievement at an international scientific conference; participation/achievement in hackathon-type events; establishment of a startup/company providing advanced digital skills services or products; participation in courses related to advanced digital competencies; volunteering related to advanced digital skills. If multiple activities are claimed, the maximum single activity score is used, not cumulative.
3. 3Scoring process: scores for each criterion are multiplied by the criterion weight and summed; maximum total score is 5 points. In ties, priority is given in order to: 1) profiles of women and gender minorities; 2) candidates with disabilities; 3) candidates aged 26-30, to promote gender equity, diversity and inclusion.

Documentation and Evidence Requirements

Mandatory documents:motivation and utilisation statement (how scholarship will be used and its contribution to upskilling), copy of identity document showing nationality and date of birth, proof of administrative registration at Avignon Université, proof of course enrolment in AI4CI master’s programme. Optional supporting evidence: links or documents demonstrating achievements (conference participation, hackathon awards, company registration, course certificates, volunteering evidence). For economic hardship claims provide income documentation (parents’ tax form showing income < €35,000/year) or CAF certificate for France; for disability provide disability card or recognized institutional document.

Award Conditions, Payment and Termination

Payment schedule:two instalments — €2,000 in January 2027 and €2,000 in June 2027, conditional on continued fulfilment of enrolment and academic requirements. The scholarship amount is fixed at €4,000 per year for the scholarship period. Recipients may also hold other scholarships provided there is no EU double funding for the same purpose; recipients receiving other scholarships must provide a written declaration confirming absence of EU double funding. In case of double funding the AI4CI scholarship may be rejected or reduced to avoid overlap.

Termination events:scholarship and payments will be terminated if the recipient discontinues studies, takes academic leave, transfers to another programme, fails at least one exam or fails a course during the scheduled semester, or violates ethics and academic honesty rules. Students may voluntarily terminate their scholarship by written request. When a scholarship is terminated, it may be reassigned via a rapid redistribution procedure using equivalent award criteria and strict deadlines for application and evaluation to fill the vacancy.

Co-funding and Financial Conditions

Co-funding requirement:none required from applicants. The scholarships are financed by the AI4CI project which is co-funded by the European Union. The beneficiaries (third-party recipients) receive direct monetary scholarships; recipients must however declare other funding to prevent double EU scholarship funding for the same purposes.

Application Stages and Process Count

Number of application/selection stages:functionally three main stages—(1) pre-notification and application submission by students, (2) programme committee assessment and ranking with possible appeal, and (3) award formalisation (signing the agreement) and payment. The procedure includes additional subprocesses for appeals and redistribution but overall is a single-stage call with multi-step internal processing and decision communication.

Success Rates and Competitive Context

Success rate:fixed number of scholarships equals 8. The actual success rate (percentage) cannot be determined from the published information because the total number of eligible applicants is not provided. For planning purposes applicants should assume competition among all students enrolled in the specified AI4CI cohorts (first-year cohort 2026-2028 and second-year cohort 2025-2027). Selection is merit- and need-based per the criteria described.

Contacts and Further Information

Primary contacts for questions related to the call and the AI4CI master’s programme at Avignon Université: Francesco de Pellegrini (francesco.de-pellegrini@univ-avignon.fr) and Nicolas Wasilewski (nicolas.wasilewski@univ-avignon.fr). Note: cascade calls published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal are provided for visibility only; the beneficiaries implement and manage the financial support under their own responsibility and conditions as described in the call disclaimer.

Templates and structure applicants should use in their submission:the application must include a concise motivation statement (explain intended use of funds, specific items/services, how the funds will support upskilling in advanced digital skills, and brief personal plan), mandatory identity document copy, proof of administrative registration and proof of course enrolment, plus optional supporting links/documents for achievements. Economic hardship claims require financial documentation (parental tax form or CAF certificate), and disability claims require authorized documentation. Use clear references to the scoring criteria in the motivation statement to maximise transparency to the programme committee.

Summary and How to Explain This Opportunity

This opportunity is a small, targeted scholarship programme administered by Avignon Université under the EU co-funded AI4CI project to support students enrolled in the Artificial Intelligence for Connected Industries master's programme. It aims to remove financial barriers for study-related costs and promote equality, diversity and development of advanced digital skills in AI and related fields. Eight individual scholarships of €4,000 each are available for students who meet citizenship and enrolment criteria. Selection is merit- and needs-based using documented academic ranking and a weighted scoring system that rewards social or economic need, disability, and recent demonstrable engagement in activities that develop or apply advanced digital skills. Successful applicants must sign an award agreement and meet continuing enrolment and academic standards to receive two instalments through 2027. Applicants should prepare a concise motivation statement addressing how funds will be used and how they will contribute to the applicant’s digital skills development, gather mandatory identity and enrollment evidence, and provide supporting documentation for any hardship or achievement claims. The call is administratively straightforward but competitive due to the small number of awards; close adherence to submission requirements, evidencing academic standing and documented need or contributions to digital skills, will be decisive in selection.

Reference and source:Official call publication on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal AI4CI Scholarship Call ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call text and administrative metadata are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu

Who Should Apply

Eligibility & Selection Criteria

This scholarship targets EU citizens, EEA nationals, or countries associated with the Digital Europe Programme who are enrolled in the AI4CI Master's program "Artificial Intelligence for Connected Industries" at Avignon Université, France ¹.

Scholarship Amount:Each scholarship is worth €4,000 per year, paid in two installments of €2,000 (January 2027 and June 2027) ².

A total of 8 scholarships are available:5 for first-year Master's students (2026–2028 promotion) and 3 for second-year students (2025–2027 promotion) ³.

1. 1Must be an EU/EEA/Digital Europe associated country citizen
2. 2Must be enrolled in the AI4CI Master at Avignon Université
3. 3Must demonstrate excellent academic achievement (based on Mon Master/Études en France ranking)
4. 4Must submit a motivation letter explaining scholarship use and upskilling plans

Applications are accepted until August 21, 2026, and the committee will rank applicants within 30 working days after the deadline ⁴.

Allowed Uses:Scholarships may be used for hardware/software, living/travel costs, additional training, and other study-related expenses ⁵.

Students must sign a scholarship agreement within 10 working days of notification and provide bank details for payment ⁶.

Scholarship may be terminated if the student discontinues studies, fails an exam, takes academic leave, transfers programs, or violates ethics ⁷.

Applicants may appeal results within 14 working days if they identify factual errors or improper scoring ⁸.

For inquiries, contact Francesco de Pellegrini (francesco.de-pellegrini@univ-avignon.fr) or Nicolas Wasilewski (nicolas.wasilewski@univ-avignon.fr) at Avignon Université ⁹.

The AI4CI Master is co-funded by the European Commission under the Digital Europe Programme (Grant Agreement No. 101123524) ¹⁰.

Footnotes

1. 1Eligibility details from the official call document: AI4CI Scholarship Call
2. 2Scholarship amount and payment schedule: Destination Details Section 6
3. 3Number of scholarships and year distribution: Destination Details Section 3
4. 4Application deadline and assessment timeline: Destination Details Section 4.2–4.3
5. 5Allowed scholarship uses: Description Section 1
6. 6Agreement and bank details requirement: Destination Details Section 4.6
7. 7Termination conditions: Destination Details Section 7.1
8. 8Appeal procedure: Destination Details Section 4.7
9. 9Contact information: Further Information Section
10. 10Co-funding source: AI4CI Master Overview