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Call for Expressions of Interest ExposUM "Science-Society Interactions

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Call for expressions of interest and call for incubation of ExposUM territorial projects.

Supporting transdisciplinary health-environment projects and strengthening science/society interactions within the I-Site community

Background and objectives

The ExposUM Institute1 is an initiative of the University of Montpellier and its partners2 around the concept of the exposome, with the aim of establishing an out-of-bounds, open-ended reference institute for the study, training and science-society interaction of the environmental determinants of human health.

The Institute aims to provide an innovative, multi-disciplinary conceptual framework for studying multiple environmental risks and their combined effects on human health through 3 lines of work: generating knowledge, applying knowledge, transmitting knowledge. As part of the challenge of applying knowledge, a workstream focusing on "Science-Society "interfaces willsupport and strengthen collaborations between researchers∙es within the I-SITE perimeter and other actors∙rices from civil society (local authorities, associations and cooperatives, citizen collectives, government departments such as ARS etc.) on research issues related to multiple environmental risks.

To encourage cross-disciplinary projects3 projects with a strong territorial impact and networking between research and civil society players, the ExposUM institute is offering a new support scheme aimed at research teams from the I-Site community and their associative partners, to showcase their research on themes linked to the exposome, environmental health or global health around territorial issues at the Science-Society interface.

This call is divided into two parts:

  • Strand 1: ExposUM call for expressions of interest: support for the communication and dissemination of transdisciplinary scientific initiatives (pages 2 and 3)
  • Component 2: Call for Incubation of Territorial Projects (AIP) ExposUM: support for the incubation of research initiatives around health-environment issues with a strong territorial impact (page 4 and 5)

For further information, please contact Aurélie Binot, head of the Science-Society Interfaces division, or Mariline Poupaud, scientific support manager for the division.

Strand 1: ExposUM call for expressions of interest: support for the communication and scientific dissemination of I-SITE research community initiatives. 

This support is intended to support and showcase transdisciplinary action-research initiatives that are in the design phase (funding exploratory actions to enable a future action-research project), in progress (funding internships, surveys, dissemination events to finalize a research project) or completed (valorization of the initiative, communication and/or scientific dissemination).

Events must include at least one communication activity to promote the initiative at the Science-Society interface and share transdisciplinary experience at the I-SITE level.

How we support you

This call for expressions of interest initiated in April 2024 by the Institut ExposUM will be open until March 2025. Funding will range from €1,000 to €5,000 (excl. VAT).

Proposals can be submitted "as they come in" until March 31, 2025. An evaluation procedure will be set up every three months by an adhoc committee.

Where appropriate, methodological and operational support will be provided by MSH SUD's action-research facilities, on which the UM relies as part of ExposUM's "Science-Society Interfaces" axis (scientific support, communication, audio-visual, etc.).4advice on running events, assistance with networking, reception in MSH SUD workspaces).

Eligibility criteria

This call for proposals concerns any event (setting up research networks, seminars, study days, workshops, conferences, congresses, exhibitions, seminars, field surveys, internships, scientific events) on exposome-related themes.5based on transdisciplinary approaches and involving scientific research in collaboration with civil society (public institutions, associations, private players, etc.).

The event must have the ambition to apply knowledge relating to the exposome (any determinant of human health of environmental origin in the broadest sense), i.e., define global mitigation strategies adapted to the local context and encourage innovation by creating a "Science-Society" interface to valorize the results. Events at the Science/Policy interface will be particularly welcome. The scientific event must be led by a researcher from a research unit within the I-Site perimeter.6 with the agreement of the director of the research unit, or by an association with the agreement of the director.

Funding payment terms and eligible expenses

Funding from the ExposUM Institute will be paid directly to the winning research units/associative structures. Co-funding by partner structures, although not obligatory, will be appreciated.

Eligibility of expenses :

  • Eligible expenses: operating expenses directly linked to the implementation of the survey (small equipment, operating costs, missions), internship bonuses, services, organization of an event (excluding prestige meetings such as gala dinners and goodies).
  • Ineligible expenses: capital expenditure, management costs, indirect expenses, salaries.

Note: Participation fees (if any) will be compatible with opening to a wide audience, including students.

Selection criteria and procedure

  • Proposals must involve one or more I-Site research teams and civil society players, focusing on the exposome concept.
  • Relevance to Institut ExposUM's strategic priorities: initiating new partnerships, territorial issues, One Health approach, Global Health and the South, promoting the involvement of the Humanities and Social Sciences.
  • Ability to mobilize both experienced and young researchers.
  • Strive for gender balance among participants and guests.
  • Credibility, amount and relevance of the financial request.

The selection will be made by a dedicated committee made up of the management committee and the president of the ExposUM COSS.7 and three I-Site members with transdisciplinary research experience. The committee will meet at least every three months, at the end of each quarter.

Filing procedures and timetable

  • Proposals may be submitted continuously from the opening of the AMI in mid-April 2024 until March 31, 2025, to the following address, mentioning [AMI axe 2 ExposUM] in the subject line.
  • Proposals must be drawn up in English or French, using the proposal form and following the instructions on it.

Proposals will be evaluated quarterly by the selection committee. Decisions will be communicated to applicants at the end of each new quarter (July 2024, October 2024, January 2024, April 2025).

  • The initiative must take place within 6 months of notification of award.

Commitments of the carrier

Project sponsors undertake to :

  • Include the logos of the University of Montpellier, France 2030, Institut ExposUM and Région Occitanie in all documents and media relating to the initiative.
  • Submit a qualitative and quantitative report no later than 3 months after the end of the initiative.
  • Give Institut ExposUM access to the initiative's deliverables (e.g. report, video recording, internship report, survey results).
  • In the case of an event, please provide the Institut ExposUM with a short presentation (1/2 page) at least 1 month in advance, which may be used in the University of Montpellier's communication materials.

Component 2: Call for Incubation of Territorial Projects (AIP) ExposUM: support for the incubation of research initiatives focusing on health-environment issues with a strong territorial impact.  

This support is intended to incubate a transdisciplinary research-action proposal, i.e. involving the academic sector and civil society players such as associations, local authorities, cooperatives, citizens' collectives, government departments such as the ARS, etc.

Among the projects that received support in 2024 from this call for territorial project incubation, two will be selected to receive more substantial support during 2025 (envelope of 20 to 50k€ per project). For example, ExposUM is supporting two projects in 2024: one focusing on characterizing and raising awareness of the risks of tick-borne diseases in Occitania, the other on eco-citizen institutes for the observation and understanding of pollution, and the emergence of an institute in the Aude region.

How we support you

This call for Incubation of Territorial Projects (AIP) published by Institut ExposUM in April 2024 will be open until June 30, 2024. Funding will range from €1,000 to €2,000 excluding VAT. Winners will benefit from methodological support from ExposUM's "Interfaces Sciences-Société" team (facilitation, networking, proposal writing support, co-construction of an impact path) to incubate a transdisciplinary research proposal between July and November 2024 and submit it to ExposUM's COSS with a view to obtaining financial and methodological support for project implementation in 2025.

Eligibility criteria

This call for proposals concerns transdisciplinary research on the exposome.8involving I-SITE research units in collaboration with civil society (public institutions, associations, private players, etc.). Events at the Science/Policy interface will be particularly welcome.

The scientific event must be led by a researcher from a research unit within the I-Site perimeter.9 with the agreement of the director of the research unit, or by an association with the agreement of the management.

Funding payment terms and eligible expenses

Funding from the ExposUM Institute will be paid directly to the winning research units or associations. Co-funding by partner structures, although not mandatory, will be appreciated.

Eligibility of expenses :

  • Eligible expenses: operating expenses directly linked to the organization and running of workshops, the implementation of exploratory surveys (small equipment, operating costs, missions), the provision of services, the organization of an event (excluding prestige meetings such as gala dinners and goodies).

Selection criteria and procedure

  • Proposals must involve one or more I-Site research teams and civil society players, focusing on the exposome concept.
  • Relevance to Institut ExposUM's strategic priorities: initiating new partnerships, territorial issues, One Health approach, Global Health and the South, promoting the involvement of the Humanities and Social Sciences.
  • Ability to mobilize both experienced and young researchers.
  • Strive for gender balance among participants and guests.
  • Credibility, amount and relevance of the financial request.

The selection will be made by a dedicated committee made up of the ExposUM Management Committee and the President of the COSS.10 and three I-Site members, as well as members of associations with experience in transdisciplinary research. The committee will meet at the beginning of July 2024, and the results will be communicated to the winners at the same time.

Filing procedures and timetable

  • Proposals can be submitted before June 30, 2024 to the address here , mentioning [AIP axe 2 ExposUM] in the e-mail title.
  • Proposals must be drawn up in English or French, using the proposal form and following the instructions on it.

Proposals will be evaluated by the selection committee in July. Decisions will be communicated to applicants in July, so that incubation can begin at the start of the academic year (end of August 2024).

  • Project expenditure must be completed by December 2024.

Commitments of the carrier

Project leaders commit to submitting a transdisciplinary project proposal by December 2024, and to presenting it to a selection committee in order to benefit from more substantial support for project implementation in 2025.

Project leaders undertake to keep the ExposUM "Science-Society Interfaces" team informed throughout the incubation process.

  1. Winner of the ExcellenceS call for projects (PIA4) and supported by the Occitanie Region ︎
  2. Cirad, CNRS, Ifremer, Inrae, Inria, Inserm, IRD, ENSCM, Institut Agro, CHU Montpellier, ICM, Région Occitanie ︎
  3. A transdisciplinary approach is based on researching and producing knowledge with society rather than for society, engaging stakeholders in shared challenges (Seidl et al. 2013, Utrecht University Transdisciplinary Field Guide) ︎
  4. If you wish to benefit from the services of the Pôle Image of MSH SUD, please fill in the dedicated form: https://www.mshsud.org/science-ouverte/pole-image/ ︎
  5. For example, environmental pollution, water/health links, vector-borne infectious risks, air quality, prophylaxis, vaccination, awareness-raising... ︎
  6. ABSYS, AGAP, AIDA, AMAP, ANALYSES, ART-Dev, ASTRE, BC2M, BCM, BioWooEB, BRM, CBGP, CBS, CDE, CEE-M, CEFE, CEMIPAI, CEPEL, CERCOP, ChimEco, CRBM, CREAM, DEFE, DGIMI, DIADE, DiaScope, DMEM, ECO&SOLS, ECOTRON, EDPFM, EDSM, ESPACE-DEV, EuroMov DHM, Forêts et Sociétés, G-EAU, GECO, Génopolys, GM, HortSys, HSM, IATE, IBMM, ICGM, ICSM, IDEDH, IDESP, IEM, IES, IGF, IGH, IGMM, IHD, IHPE, IMAG, IMAGINE, INM, INNOVATION, INTERTRYP, IPSiM, IRCM, IRIM, IRMB, ISDM, ISEM, ITAP, L2C, LBE, LBN, LDP, LEPSE, LICeM, LIRDEF, LIRMM, LISAH, LMGC, LPHI, LSTM, LUPM, Maraîchage, MARBEC, MISTEA, MIVEGEC, MMDN, MoISA, MRE, MRM, MSH Sud, OREME,, PCCEI, Pech Rouge, PHIM, PhyMedExp, QualiSud, Recyclage et Risque, SantESiH, SELMET, SENS, SPO, Sys2Diag, TETIS, TransVIHMI, Vassal, VBIC ︎
  7. https://www.umontpellier.fr/universite/projets-emblematiques/exposum ︎
  8. For example, environmental pollution, water/health links, vector-borne infectious risks, air quality, prophylaxis, vaccination, awareness-raising... ︎
  9. ABSYS, AGAP, AIDA, AMAP, ANALYSES, ART-Dev, ASTRE, BC2M, BCM, BioWooEB, BRM, CBGP, CBS, CDE, CEE-M, CEFE, CEMIPAI, CEPEL, CERCOP, ChimEco, CRBM, CREAM, DEFE, DGIMI, DIADE, DiaScope, DMEM, ECO&SOLS, ECOTRON, EDPFM, EDSM, ESPACE-DEV, EuroMov DHM, Forêts et Sociétés, G-EAU, GECO, Génopolys, GM, HortSys, HSM, IATE, IBMM, ICGM, ICSM, IDEDH, IDESP, IEM, IES, IGF, IGH, IGMM, IHD, IHPE, IMAG, IMAGINE, INM, INNOVATION, INTERTRYP, IPSiM, IRCM, IRIM, IRMB, ISDM, ISEM, ITAP, L2C, LBE, LBN, LDP, LEPSE, LICeM, LIRDEF, LIRMM, LISAH, LMGC, LPHI, LSTM, LUPM, Maraîchage, MARBEC, MISTEA, MIVEGEC, MMDN, MoISA, MRE, MRM, MSH Sud, OREME,, PCCEI, Pech Rouge, PHIM, PhyMedExp, QualiSud, Recyclage et Risque, SantESiH, SELMET, SENS, SPO, Sys2Diag, TETIS, TransVIHMI, Vassal, VBIC ︎
  10. https://www.umontpellier.fr/universite/projets-emblematiques/exposum ︎
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