EXPLORE#8 call for projects, support for international mobility

[Call for projects] - Published on November 7, 2025 in Mobility

As part of the I-SITE Program of Excellence (P.E.I), the University of Montpellier (UM) is launching EXPLORE#8, the eighth call for projects to support international mobility.

Please note: the functions mentioned in this call for projects are to be understood in both the masculine and feminine genders.

FUNDED ACTIVITIES

1. Support for individual inward or outward mobility of teachers, Professors, researchers, engineers, technicians or administrative staff (tenured or under contract at the time of mobility) to explore new international projects;
2. Support for collective outgoing mobility of teachers, Professors, researchers, engineers, technicians or administrative staff from several P.E.I. components or establishments (tenured or contract staff on contract at the time of mobility) to explore new international projects;
3. NEW - Support for individual incoming or outgoing mobility of doctoral students for research stays to strengthen or develop strategic collaborations.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this call for projects is to encourage international collaboration and contribute to new initiatives. Projects must present a clear added value for the P.E.I. and go beyond the international actions usually undertaken by each of the establishments within the framework of its activity.

For staff mobility, priority will be given to projects that aim to create or expand student mobility programs or internationalized training courses, or to initiate the setting up of partnership research projects likely to receive subsequent funding (Europe; funding agencies; etc.).

For PhD student mobility, priority will be given to projects that can contribute to the acquisition of knowledge/know-how and strengthen/develop international collaboration between research units or institutions.

PRIVILEGED PARTNERS

Priority is given to the list of partners below; it is planned to devote 75% of resources to this priority. Proposals outside this list are therefore possible, up to a maximum of 25% of resources.

*(1) Any university with a profile similar to that of the UM, i.e. research-oriented, open to bilateral student exchanges, and interested in the three "Nourish-Care-Protect" pillars.

ALLOCATED MEANS

The budget for EXPLORE#8 is €300,000.

ECO-RESPONSIBILITY

The candidates are invited to reduce their impact and to favor, when possible, less polluting modes of transportation. When applying online, candidates must enter the amount of CO2e potentially emitted during the round trip, using the Ademe calculation tool.

SCHEDULE

• Call for projects: November 07, 2025
• Application deadline: January 16, 2026 (11:59pm Paris time)
• Results announced by e-mail: mid-March 2026
• Mobility commitment: May^1, 2026 to December 31, 2027

EVALUATION

After an administrative analysis of the applications by UM's International Relations Department, they will be forwarded for evaluation to the EXPLORE#8 evaluation committee, chaired by UM's Vice-President for International Relations and made up of members of UM's Academic Council (CAC), directors of UM's research divisions and representatives of COMIS member institutions.

The commission will produce an evaluation of eligible applications and propose a ranking submitted to the UM Strategic Investment Committee (COMIS). Decisions made by the COMIS will be shared with successful and unsuccessful applicants by e-mail from mid-March 2026.

DIAGRAMS 1 AND 2 - INWARD AND OUTWARD MOBILITY FOR EMPLOYEES

1. Individual mobility

Create or expand student mobility programs or internationalized training courses; initiate the setting up of partnership research projects likely to receive subsequent funding (Europe; funding agencies; etc.).

2. Outgoing collective mobility

Develop or extend international collaborations (setting up a training cycle, building an institutional partnership, developing a structuring research project, etc.) for a group of 2 (or 3) from 2 (or 3) different P.E.I. structures.

DETAILS OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT

The EXPLORE#8 call for projects (sections 1 and 2) funds grants consisting of :

• NEW - A daily allowance, depending on the country of destination(Order of July 3, 2006), capped at 7 daily allowances per beneficiary regardless of the total duration of mobility;
• Taking care of public transportation costs based on actual expenseswithin the limit of one round trip per beneficiary. Coverage is capped according to the distance between the departure and arrival points, calculated as follows the tool developed by the European Commission :
  • From 0 to 999 km: €600 per beneficiary
  • From 1,000 to 7,999 km: €1,300 per beneficiary
  • More than 8,000 km: €2,000 per beneficiary

These allowances are intended to cover the additional costs associated with mobility, and under no circumstances can they be used to finance payroll costs. Do not apply to the EXPLORE#8 call for proposals if funding is available on the same theme within the P.E.I..

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Funding for mobility for the sole purpose of attending a symposium or conference is excluded from the EXPLORE call for projects. In addition to the criteria of consistency (scientific vision: "Feed - Care - Protect" and all disciplines that can contribute to it) and quality of the project, the following selection criteria will be taken into account:

• Potential in terms of project submissions in training (student mobility; internationalized training; ERASMUS+ projects; etc.) and research (European research projects; development aid projects; etc.).
• Involvement of host and outgoing structures in the exchange, particularly in terms of human and financial resources mobilized where applicable;
• Collaborative effect within the P.E.I. through group mobility involving several P.E.I. training and/or research structures.

APPLICATION PROCESS

You must submit your application before January 16, 2026 (11:59 pm, Paris time) using the following form.

You will need to provide: a brief description of the project, a letter of support with a stamp of approval from the director of your assigned teaching and/or research structure, or from your line manager in the case of administrative staff, and a letter of invitation from the director of the host teaching and/or research structure. For group placements, the application is submitted only once, by the project leader.

DIAGRAM 3 - INDIVIDUAL MOBILITY FOR DOCTORAL STUDENTS

ELIGIBLE PUBLIC

EXPLORE#8 is open to doctoral students for individual incoming or outgoing research visits lasting a minimum of 2 weeks. Students must be enrolled in a doctoral program at the time of their mobility.

DETAILS OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT

NEW The EXPLORE#8 call for projects provides a contribution to travel and subsistence costs of up to €3,500 (maximum) per PhD student, supplemented by resources from the sending and/or host structures.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The following selection criteria will be taken into account:

• Learning content: acquisition of scientific techniques, conducting experiments, etc.. ;
• Induced collaborative effect : development of collaborations between researchers in foreign laboratories and researchers in P.E.I. laboratories thanks to the doctoral student's mobility;
• Involvement of home and host organizations in the exchange, particularly in terms of resources mobilized.

APPLICATION PROCESS

You must submit your application before January 16, 2026 (11:59 p.m., Paris time) using the following form: https://forms.office.com/e/Fb649d7L3a

You will need to provide: a brief description of the research project, including a simple budget estimate (using the dedicated form), a letter of support with an approval visa from the director of your assigned teaching and/or research structure, a letter of invitation from the director of the host teaching and/or research structure, a detailed budget specifying co-financing.

Key words : call for projects, I-SITE, I-SITE excellence program