Doctoral College Interdisciplinary Thesis Award: The winners of the 2020 and 2021 editions have been announced
The oral defenses for the Interdisciplinary Thesis Award took place on April 20 and 22, 2022. Awarded by the Doctoral College of the University of Montpellier, the Interdisciplinary Thesis Prize aims to recognize three doctoral graduates from the class of 2020 and three from the class of 2021 whose research and thesis work have an impact beyond their disciplines. The awards ceremony will take place at the Jardin des Plantes following the Doctoral Degree Conferment Ceremony, which will be held on Monday, July 11, 2022, at the Corum in Montpellier. The University of Montpellier congratulates all the candidates and celebrates the success of the six winners of the competition.
The “Interdisciplinary Thesis Award” recognizes research conducted during a doctoral program in which at least two different disciplines were required to address a scientific problem or a complex situation. In addition to their interdisciplinary nature, these theses are distinguished by their scientific quality, their originality, and often by the socio-economic impact of the research. All the presentations took place before a specialized jury composed of six members from different disciplines within the scientific community.
Criteria for the preliminary selection of candidates and for selection for the finals
The preliminary selection process was carried out by the various doctoral schools affiliated with the UM Doctoral College. It was based primarily on three criteria: the quality of the dissertation, its interdisciplinary nature, and a short video presentation created by the candidates.
For each graduating class, six candidates were selected to participate in the finals, where they delivered a five-minute oral presentation using a single slide, before a six-member jury. The jury evaluated the quality of the discussion and the presentation. It assessed the interdisciplinary nature of the topics by selecting the theses in which the contribution of different fields to resolving the research problem was most significant. The jury also evaluated whether innovative methods or approaches had been developed during the thesis. Finally, it considered the originality of the disciplinary combinations as well as the societal impact and the comprehensive nature of the approach.
The 6 winning projects from the 2020 and 2021 editions of the Interdisciplinary Thesis Award
Following the auditions held on April 20, 2022, the jury selected two female winners and one male winner for the Class of 2020:
- Valérie Derolez, GAIA Doctoral School: A dynamic and integrated approach to assessing a coastal socio-ecosystem. Application to the Thau Lagoon, its ecological status, and its ecosystem service bundles over the period 1970–2018.
- Dimitri Justeau-Allaire, GAIA Doctoral School: Constraint-based systematic conservation planning: a generic and expressive approach; application to decision support for the conservation of New Caledonia’s forests.
- Noémie Petit Jean, CB2S Doctoral School: A new fluidic system for the stimulation and biomechanical characterization of microspheres: proof of concept and application to cartilage micropellets.
Following the auditions held on April 22, 2022, the jury selected one female winner and two male winners for the Class of 2021:
- Gwenaelle Donadieu, DSP Doctoral School: Cognitive Business Practices.
- Thomas Brossier, SCB Doctoral School: Multifunctional hydrogels produced by stereolithography for tissue engineering.
- Valentin Falvier, I2S Doctoral School: A customizable, printable 3D model for the simulation and planning of endonasal skull base surgeries.
“I would like to congratulate all the participants, and especially the six winners. This competition helps promote interdisciplinarity across all scientific fields supported by the University of Montpellier and its partners within the doctoral college. “For the next edition, I strongly encourage potential candidates working on an interdisciplinary topic to participate,” said Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier.
The Interdisciplinary Thesis Award grants each of these six winners a prize of €500. The awards ceremony will take place alongside the 2021 doctoral graduation ceremony, which will be held at the Corum on Monday, July 11, 2022, at the Berlioz Opera House. The awards will be presented starting at 7:00 p.m. at the Jardin des Plantes, at the beginning of the festive evening following the graduation ceremony.