Call for Research Proposals 2026 – Exposum Institute: Exposome and Behavior

[Call for Proposals] - Published on October 15, 2025 in Major Programs, Flagship Projects

ExposUM is an initiative of the University of Montpellier and its partners¹ aimed at establishing a leading, open, and interdisciplinary off-campus institute for the study, training, and science-society interaction regarding the environmental determinants of human health. ExposUM is a recipient of the ExcellenceS (PIA4) call for projects and is supported by the Occitanie Region for the period 2022–2030.

Background and Objective

The exposome refers to the sum of all exposures throughout a person’s lifetime to environmental and social factors whose effects influence human health by causing, promoting, modulating, or preventing diseases, whether communicable or not. In this sense, it is the environmental counterpart to the genome, with which it interacts throughout an individual’s lifetime.

Research ExposUM Research Division aims to support and accelerate the acquisition of new knowledge through an interdisciplinary, coordinated, and integrated approach to the fields of exposome research within the four pillars:

1. Strengthen the monitoring of environmental exposures,
2. To deepen our understanding of the ecology of hosts, pathogens, reservoirs, and vectors ( One Health approach),
3. To improve our fundamental understanding of the biological mechanisms that may be modulated by the exposome,
4. Study the consequences for human health.

Data science serves as a bridge connecting these pillars—both in terms of methodology and analysis, as well as in the application of results. A second bridge, consisting of the study and development of new exposure control strategies, complements this framework, which is linked to the Interfaces and Training pillars.

It is in this context that the ExposUM Institute organizes an annual call for research proposals (AAP-R) co-funded by the ANR and the Occitanie Region. Each AAP-R focuses on a different theme—one that is deliberately broad—relating to contexts, processes, patterns, or methods, and encompassing research that falls under the aforementioned pillars and bridges.

In accordance with the objectives set forth in the call ExcellenceScall, the ExposUM Institute strongly encourages transdisciplinary research projects focused on the Global South, the initiation of new collaborations, and the promotion of local and regional resources (particularly technology platforms). Projects should, as much as possible, adhere to the open science approach by making the data produced easy to find, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR), see below.

Theme

As it does every year, the AAPR focuses on a priority theme² chosen collectively by the Institute’s three councils. For the year 2026, this theme is“Exposome and Behavior.”

Human Behavior³ —both individual and collective—shape and influence our exposome. It determines the nature and intensity of the exposome, which vary throughout life, whether through daily practices (e.g., diet, physical activity, digital use), risky behaviors (e.g., tobacco, alcohol, addictions), or interactions that influence psychosocial and biological exposures, including those related to pathogens. Conversely, the exposome influences our behaviors through somatic, psychological—both physiological and pathological—as well as socioeconomic pathways, which fuel significant feedback loops.

Understanding these dynamic interactions is essential for identifying effective preventive measures, reducing exposure inequalities, and supporting major societal transitions (e.g., in response to climate change, shifts in lifestyles, and emerging diseases). With this in mind, the ExposUM Institute seeks to support original, transdisciplinary research projects that explore the interface between human behavior and the exposome, whether—without limitation—to better characterize exposure mechanisms, analyze behavioral determinants, or propose public health interventions that integrate this bidirectional dimension.

Funding Terms

For its 2026 edition, the ExposUM Institute is dividing its AAP-R into two categories.

Standard research projects

This category corresponds to the standard project format that qualifies for staff funding⁴ and the operating funds necessary to produce original results that can be commercialized or published.

Amount and duration limits: €250,000 over 2 years.

Non-tenured researchers may submit a project in this category, provided they are already affiliated with the research institution under which the project is being submitted. The funds awarded may then be used to cover the principal investigator’s salary⁵, if necessary, until the project’s scheduled completion.

Exploratory research projects

These projects are designed to foster exploratory and innovative research, to test hypotheses and approaches that are not typically supported by standard calls for proposals, and to generate preliminary results that can be used to apply for more ambitious grants at a later stage.

Amount and duration limits: €50,000 over 2 years.

Non-tenured researchers may submit a project in this category, provided they are already affiliated with the research institution under which the project is being submitted; however, the funds awarded may not be used to cover the principal investigator’s salary, whose contract must span the duration of the project.

Eligible expenses and total amount of the Call for Proposals

Eligible expenses include salaries for non-tenured staff (researchers, engineers, technicians, and assistants, but excluding doctoral fellowships), as well as operating costs and small equipment. Staff funded by the project may only be recruited from within the consortium’s research units⁶.

For all eligible organizations, whether or notUM a co-sponsor, the employer of the recruited staff will beUM. In the case of organizations without UM co-sponsorship, the funds required for recruitment will be retained byUM ensure recruitment (with some exceptions). The project leader must designate one of the co-supervising institutions of their organization as the administrator of non-personnel funds, after obtaining its agreement in principle.

The total projected budget for the ExposUM Institute for this call is set at €2 million, with the goal of funding 7 standard projects and 7 exploratory projects⁷.

Submission Process

The submission of projects to the ExposUM Institute’s AAP-R will take place in two selection phases: first, a brief letter of intent (1 scientific page), and second, the full project proposal (5 scientific pages), similar to the ANR’s general calls for proposals.

An individual may submit only one letter of intent in response to this call for proposals (but may be involved in other submitted projects without serving as the principal investigator). Note: Submission as a principal investigator by a recipient of a previous ExposUM Institute research grant is not encouraged.  Furthermore, members of the three ExposUM Institute councils (CoDir, COER, COSS) are not permitted to submit a project as a principal investigator.

No internal pre-selection by research units is required prior to the submission of letters of intent; therefore, there is no limit on the number of letters of intent that each research unit may submit (provided that each applicant submits only one).

However, research units are still required to authorize the submission on behalf of the unit (by signing the letter of intent), which serves as a commitment to carry out the project if funding is secured.

However, for the sake of balance, the ExposUM Institute reserves the right to limit the number of letters of intent from a single research unit that advance to the second phase.

Because the ExposUM Institute’s internal evaluation capacity is limited, a rigorous selection process will be conducted at this stage: a maximum of 14 letters of intent will be selected per project category.

If the project includes a clinical research component, a signed agreement from the DRCI of the relevant university hospital must be submitted at the time of the final project submission, authorizing the project’s implementation within the budgetary, medical-scientific, and ethical parameters defined in the final project proposal. Given the time required to obtain this agreement, we ask the relevant principal investigators to please plan ahead for this step. Otherwise, the final project proposal cannot be accepted by the ExposUM Institute.

Letters of intent should be drafted based on the downloadable template in French or English. Any deviation from the instructions provided will render the project ineligible, with no possibility of correction. Submissions must be made exclusively by sending the letter in PDF format (to be titled ResearchOrganizationName_PrincipalInvestigatorName.pdf) to the address , by November 30, 2025 (2:00 p.m. UTC+1), specifying [AAPR] in the email subject line and copying the management of the host research institution).

The applicants whose letters of intent have been selected will be notified in early January regarding the next steps in the process.

As a general guideline, drafting the full proposal in English for review by international experts will take about a month and a half, and the format will be similar to that ofthe AAPR 2025 in terms of the matrix.

Calendar

Eligibility of Letters of Intent

To be eligible, letters of intent—and the projects they describe—must meet the following criteria:

1. The letter of intent must be submitted by the date, time, and specific time specified above. It must be drafted in strict accordance with the instructions provided in the template (all fields must be completed, and the document must not exceed 2 pages in total).
2. The project must be led by a staff member affiliated with a research institution that is part of the consortium⁸. Members of Research Support Units Research UAR) may not apply as principal investigators, but may participate as project partners.
3. The project’s primary objective must be to generate knowledge regarding an environmental (including social) determinant of human health and must fall within the thematic scope of the call for proposals (see introductory paragraphs at). This alignment must be evident from the first four sections of the project’s scientific description.
4. Compliance with the funding rules for PIA4 projects as defined by the ANR and those set forth in this call for proposals (see above).

The eligibility of the letters of intent will be reviewed collectively by the three councils of the ExposUM Institute, its project team, and theUM Structural Programs Directorate.

Pre-selection of letters of intent

The evaluation of letters of intent will focus on the nature of the exhibition (or, more accurately, exhibitions) under study, the originality of the research question, the spatial and temporal scope of the study, and the methodological relevance. Preference will be given to projects whose results have the potential to influence human behavior.

Letters of intent will be evaluated and ranked collectively by all members of the three councils of the ExposUM Institute. The shortlist will then consist of the 14 highest-ranked standard projects and the 14 highest-ranked exploratory projects (this is the initial target, but it may be adjusted by the COSS depending on the relative quality of the projects actually received in each category).

Evaluation and Selection of Complete Projects

All projects will be evaluated based solely on the complete proposal submitted⁹.

The scientific quality of research projects will be assessed by the Research Steering and Evaluation Committee Research COER), which will endeavor to solicit, for each project, two anonymous reviewers from outside the institution, based on the following criteria:

• Its scientific value and originality, within the scope of the ExposUM Initiative,
• Its methodological strengths,
• Its potential for impact (both fundamental and applied),
• Its feasibility (in terms of the partners, timeline, and budget presented).

The 14 projects in each category will thus be ranked based solely on the aggregate score from the scientific evaluations. The 7 winning projects in each category will then be selected by the Scientific and Strategic Steering Committee (COSS), which will also assess—in the strategic interest of the Institute, the site, and the partners, and only when scientific quality is equivalent—the non-scientific strengths of the projects, namely:

• Transdisciplinarity, the establishment of new partnerships,
• The exposomic approach¹⁰,
• The One Health and Global Health Dimensions¹¹, a focus on the Global South, and consideration of vulnerable populations¹²,
• The project's potential to serve as a tool for behavioral prevention,
• Interaction with the training and science-society interfaces¹³,
• Leveraging Local Resources¹⁴, regional¹⁵, as well as other projects already funded by ExposUM¹⁶,
• The University of Montpellier’s commitment to the open science approach,
• The sustainability (environmental impact) of research.

Commitment of the carrier

• To respect, in the design and implementation of the project submitted in response to this Call for Proposals, the values and principles of scientific integrity intended to ensure the honesty and scientific rigor of all research work, as referred to in Article L.211-2 of the Research Code and set forth in the National Code of Ethics for Research Professions and the University of Montpellier’s Charter on Scientific Integrity;

• Comply with the Nagoya Protocol, where applicable;

• Include the logos of the University of Montpellier, France 2030, and the ExposUM Institute in all documents related to the implementation of the project;

• Please send to the Institute (), an annual report (financial statements and summary report) that may be used in the University’s communications materials;

• Apply theUM publication guidelines to all scientific outputs; comply with provisions related to open science and the Law for a Digital Republic ( open access publication). The heads of laboratories under UM supervision UM the full text of publications in the UM open access repository;

• Take the necessary steps to obtain the required research authorizations and approvals in regulated sectors (genetically modified organisms, the use of animals for scientific purposes, health data, the use of genetic resources and the sharing of resulting benefits, bioethics, etc.).

List of research institutions eligible for this call

ABSys, AGAP Institute, AIDA, AMAP, Analyses, ART-Dev, ASTRE, BC2M, BCM, BIOLuM, BioWooEB, CBGP, CBS, CDE, CEFE, CEE-M, CEMIPAI, CEPEL, CERCOP, ChimEco, CREAM, CRBM, CSUM, DEFE, DGIMI, DIADE, DIASCOPE, DMEM, ECO&SOLS, ECOTRON, EDPFM, EDSM, ESPACE-DEV, EuroMov DHM, F&S, FHU Evocan 2, FHU Neurexpo, FHU Regenhab 2, FHU TIE, G-EAU, GECO, Génopolys, GM, HortSys, HSM, IATE, IBMM, ICGM, ICS, 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, LUPM, Maraîchage, MARBEC, MEEB, MISTEA, MIVEGEC, MMDN, MOISA, MRE, MRM, MSH Sud, OREME, PAC Chimie Balard, PCCEI, Pech Rouge, PHIM, PhyMedExp, QualiSud, R&R, SantESiH, SELMET, SENS, SPO, Sys2diag, TETIS, TransVIHMI, VASSAL, VBIC

1. CIRAD, CNRS, Ifremer, INRAe, Inria, Inserm, IRD, ENSCM, Institut Agro, Montpellier University Hospital, ICM, Occitanie Region. ↩︎
2. Please note, however, that all research proposals submitted that include an environmental health component will be carefully reviewed. ↩︎
3. Projects that focus exclusively on non-human behavior or behavior attributed to sub-individual entities (e.g., the behavior of a cell or a receptor) are not encouraged. ↩︎
4. Excluding doctoral contracts, which are funded through the dedicated Nexus program. ↩︎
5. Regardless of the duration of this funding from ExposUM and the applicant’s employment history, recruitment will be conducted through the University of Montpellier, barring exceptions, under a project-based contract, with a maximum salary of index 596 (INM), corresponding to approximately a net monthly salary of €2,300. Prior approval from the HR Department will be required.    ↩︎
6. Non-consortium partners will only be eligible for funding through the billing of services (with the funds remaining under the management of the lead institution’s research unit). ↩︎
7. ExposUM reserves the right to adjust this allocation based on the relative quality of the projects across categories. ↩︎
8. See the list of institutions within the ExposUM network on the last page. The applicant must already be an official member of the institution in question as of November 30, 2025, and their contract (permanent or temporary, potentially funded by this grant) with that institution must remain in effect until the project’s scheduled completion at the end of 2028. Members affiliated with research institutions within the ExposUM network who are employed by a university other than the University of Montpellier are not eligible to apply. ↩︎
9. The procedure for this call for proposals does not include feedback to applicants or interviews. ↩︎
10. See, for example, the article by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ↩︎
11. A mere mention of the “One Health approach”will not be considered sufficient: the simultaneous examination of human, animal, and environmental health must be explicitly justified and central to the project. ↩︎
12. See the definitions provided by the National Consultative Ethics Committee and the Dictionary of the Academy of Medicine. ↩︎
13. Involving students in the project or standard scientific dissemination are not considered sufficient inter-axis linkages. Please refer to the specific activities of the Institute’s other two axes. ↩︎
14. From the Montpellier website. ↩︎
15. Occitanie region. ↩︎
16. This point is only considered if the related project in question does not involve the same members and structures. ↩︎

Keywords: Call for Proposals, ExposUM