Call for Proposals: Science-Society Relations – I-Site Excellence Program
As part of the I-SITE Excellence Program, the University of Montpellier is launching a call for projects on “SCIENCE-SOCIETY RELATIONSHIPS,” open to all institutions and organizations within the consortium. This unprecedented call for proposals is part of a strategy to disseminate research conducted in our region and its implications, particularly to young people and students (from elementary school through high school), and aims to support innovative initiatives specifically targeting young people and students. Its primary objective is to foster initiatives that promote the sharing of knowledge, dialogue, methods, results, challenges, and critical thinking around scientific themes.
OBJECTIVES
This call for proposals aims to support innovative initiatives specifically targeting young people or schoolchildren, with the primary goal of fostering initiatives that promote the sharing of knowledge, dialogue, methods, results, challenges, and critical thinking related to scientific topics.
The proposed science education projects (exhibitions, discussions, science workshops, board games, educational workbooks, multimedia works, etc.) must be based on research findings, knowledge, and/or expertise recently generated by the project leader or their team. Proposals aimed at promoting equal opportunity (for audiences “distant” from science) to facilitate access to higher education programs will be encouraged.
The University of Montpellier’s science outreach services will be able to provide support for the selected projects in the following areas: connecting them with key players and events within the Regional Science Outreach Network; advising on science communication; and assisting with dissemination, communication, and media relations as needed.
ELIGIBLE EXPENSES
- operating expenses and the purchase of supplies that can be accounted for in cost accounting;
- investment costs, purchase of equipment;
- Intern stipends – Civic Service;
- services directly related to the project (graphic design or multimedia services, Fablab, museology, reprographics,
outreach (e.g., the researcher co-designs the outreach program, and a student association handles the public-facing portion of the outreach); - Human resources, expenses related to temporary staff hired by the University or, in exceptional cases, by the supervising body of the partner research unit (student part-time positions, additional teaching assignments, etc.).
Reminder: Laboratory management fees are not eligible.
MAIN SELECTION CRITERIA
- the nature of the scientific content as it relates to the research topics of the project leader(s);
- alignment of actions with target audiences;
- feasibility of implementation and partnerships established;
- originality/innovation of the proposed outreach methods, transdisciplinary aspect;
- expected overall impact over the period during which the actions are implemented (number of participants, types of audiences, quality of interaction);
- the project's impact in terms of the University's visibility and reputation.
Budget allocated to this call for proposals:
50 K€ across two rounds (fall 2022 & fall 2023) – Grants will be capped at 4 K€ per project.
Submission Guidelines:
Projects must be submitted in PDF format using the attached template.
Maximum project duration:
2 years.
EVALUATION COMMITTEE
Chaired by the Vice President for Science-Society Relations and composed of the director of the DCSPH, the two heads of the CS departments under that directorate, a member of the CR UM, a representative from Institut Agro, a representative from ENSCM, and external experts (approximately 2).
PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE FOR THE FIRST CAMPAIGN
- Launch/opening of the call for proposals: October 5, 2022.
- Deadline for submitting proposals: November 2, 2022 (11:00 p.m.) Evaluation Committee: November 2022.
- COMIS Decision: December 6, 2022.
- Project start date: January 2023 (for a maximum of 2 years).
PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE FOR THE SECOND CAMPAIGN
- October–December 2023.
We would like to draw your attention to the need to promote gender parity in the context of I-SITE project calls.