GATE is a partner of the Doctoral Program in Economics and Management at the University of Lyon (ED 486 SEG) whose director is Isabelle Royer. The 20 to 25 PhD students at GATE are mostly recruited among the graduates from the Masters associated with the unit. The Doctoral Program offers specialized training, especially in the areas of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics in a highly international environment. The PhD students at GATE are strongly trained in experimental economics, econometrics and/or mathematical modeling. With these tools, they develop an expertise in varying areas (Labor Economics, Personnel Economics, Behavioral Economics, Macroeconomics, Monetary Economics, Health Economics, Environmental Economics, etc.).

Many collaborations have been set up with foreign universities. Grants for international mobility allow long-term stays abroad (Universities of Berkeley, Quebec, Montreal, Nottingham, Bocconi, Lisbon, Mannheim...) and international joint scientific supervisions.

All PhDs at GATE are financed, traditionally with funding from the Doctoral Program ED 486 SEG, but also other sources such as ARC grants from the Rhône-Alpes region, Labex grants, CIFRE grants, etc. Regular scientific and personnal monitoring is organized by a specific thesis committee.

The PhD students at GATE often supplement their research work with teaching in the various fields of Economics.