A new five-year research contract at UM

[Article] - Published on April 27, 2021 under Major Programs, Organization, Governance, and Bodies

Whether it involves creation, renewal, closure, or merger, the life cycle of research units begins anew every five years in France. To mark the launch of the new five-year research contract at the University of Montpellier (UM), Philippe Augé, the university’s president, and Jacques Mercier, vice president for research, outline the main priorities for research and its organizational structure.

Seventy-two. That is the number of research units affiliated with the University of Montpellier under the research component of the contract that began in January 2021. What is the purpose of this contract? “It sets the pace for French research and determines the duration of research units,” explains Jacques Mercier. In fact, every five years, the institutions are evaluated by the High Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES). “Based on this evaluation, the host institution decides either to shut down the institution or to renew it. It may merge some of them or create new ones,” continues Jacques Mercier.

This contract, which began in January 2021, will exceptionally span six years, from 2021 to 2026. This extension is yet another consequence of the health crisis, which has delayed the evaluation of certain facilities at other sites in France. Six years to pursue the ambitions of the UM and its partners: “We will continue to develop major strategic priorities such as fostering interdisciplinarity, strengthening partnerships with the socio-economic sector, better integration into the European Research Area, and a greater commitment to responsible research conduct,” states Philippe Augé.

72 research institutions

While the drafting of this agreement is essential, its content should not significantly alter the research landscape at UM. The number of units has decreased from 78 to 72 due to mergers between laboratories; this is particularly the case for the Plants Health Institute of Montpellier (PHIM), which resulted from the merger of the Biology and Genetics of Plant-Parasite Interactions (BGPI), Plant-Microorganism-Environment Interactions (IPME), and Pests laboratories. Also worth noting is the creation of a new Inserm-UM entity:the Debrest Institute of Epidemiology and Health (Idesp). Its goal: to better understand chronic diseases that affect more than 30% of the population and account for 80% of healthcare spending.

“Otherwise, we’re generally continuing along the lines of what already exists and works very well! So there are no major changes to expect, just a few new developments, particularly in terms of nomenclature, ”adds the vice president in charge of research. Among these changes is the renaming of the joint service units (UMS), which are becoming support and research units (UAR). This applies to Genopolys, Cemipai, and Biocampus. Another change: the new designation for the former host teams, which are becoming “research units” (UR), thanks to the authorization granted to universities since January 2020 to create their own research units.

A map that changes little

This agreement includes the joint research units (UMRs). “There are 51 at the UM, many of which are in partnership with the CNRS, but not exclusively. We also have partnerships with Inserm, Inra, IRD, Cirad, Inria…” explains Jacques Mercier. TransVIHMI, the only international joint research unit (UMI), is also continuing its work. Initially overseen by the IRD and the UM, it is affiliated with the Universities of Yaoundé (Cameroon) and Cheikh Anta Diop-Dakar (Senegal). Finally, there are two multidisciplinary structures:the Institute of Data Sciences (ISDM) and MSH Sud.

The research units are organized into five clusters: an agronomy, environment, and biodiversity cluster; a biology and health cluster; a chemistry cluster; a social sciences cluster; and finally the MIPS cluster, which brings together mathematics, computer science, physics, and systems science. There is strong collaboration among the clusters, particularly around the MUSE pillars: Feed, Heal, and Protect.

Although they were not evaluated by HCERES, UM’s platforms were assessed in late 2020 by the research committee of UM’s Academic Council. Their role in providing high-level technological support to the entire scientific community in Montpellier—and even beyond, in some cases—has been confirmed. There are 16 of them, distributed across the AEB, MIPS, BS, and Chemistry fields.

400 additional staff members

On the human resources front, twenty-three new research directors have been appointed—representing roughly one-third of the leadership positions across the 72 units—but only four of them are women.“Despite the University’s policy to promote gender parity, we note that only fifteen units are led by women, which is still far too few. “The initiatives promoting gender equality already underway under the leadership of the Vice President for Social Responsibility will be intensified during this term,” emphasizes the Vice President for Research.

Finally, the new five-year contract calls for a significant increase in staff across all research facilities. This increase is due in part to the University of Montpellier’s appeal, but also to the fact that UM has assumed oversight of new research facilities, such as the “Genetic Improvement and Plant Adaptation ” (AGAP) Institute.“With this new five-year contract, 400 more people are joining our facilities. This required a special financial effort of €270,000 from the University of Montpellier to align laboratory funding with this increase in staff ,” explains Jacques Mercier.

Keywords: Research, University