Chemistry Division

Director of the Chemistry Division: Joulia LARIONOVA

Administrative and Management Support Officer: Eva BALENTOVA

Head of the Human Resources Committee (HRC): Michael SMIETANA

HR Administrative Manager and Support for the Chemicals Division: Virginie GARCIA-ROBERT

Division Office

The office’s role is to prepare meetings of the research cluster and monitor the progress of initiatives. It also serves as a forum for exchanging and sharing strategic information regarding the operation of the research cluster.

The operational team is responsible for establishing and carrying out the research division’s projects, as well as providing scientific leadership within the community on key areas and themes.

2024 Annual Report

White Paper from the Research Cluster

Bylaws of the Research Cluster

Internal Regulations of the Research Division

Strategic Steering Committee (SSC)

The Strategic Steering Committee serves as a link between the Research Cluster Research its institutional partners. It helps define the Research Cluster’s major scientific strategic directions Research approves the action plan proposed by the Director of the Research Cluster.

Division Council

The Cluster Council issues advisory opinions on the direction and implementation of the Cluster’s initiatives and strategy.

The Cluster Council consists of 22 members with voting rights and guest members with advisory roles.

Human Resources Committee (HRC)

The Human Resources Committee addresses issues specific to the staff of the University of Montpellier. Each Human Resources Committee issues an advisory opinion in accordance with the statutory provisions specific to the Professors researchers.

The Chemistry Cluster brings together all chemical research stakeholders at the Montpellier and Marcoule sites, drawing on:

• 4 Joint Research Units primarily affiliated with
  • IBMM – Max Mousseron Institute of Biomolecules
  • ICGM – Charles Gerhardt Institute, Montpellier
  • ICSM – Marcoule Institute of Separative Chemistry
  • IEM European Institute of Membranes
• 3 research units affiliated with the Cluster on a secondary basis
  • ChimEco – Laboratory for Bio-Inspired Chemistry and Ecological Innovations
  • CBS – Center for Structural Biology
  • L2C – Charles Coulombe Laboratory, Montpellier
• 1 Support and Research Unit (SRU)
  • UAR 2041 PAC Chemistry Balard 
• 3 technology platforms
  • ChemLab
  • Glassworks
  • Chemical stockpile

The Chemistry Cluster works in collaboration with the Institut Carnot Chimie Balard CIRIMAT, which oversees partnership and commercialization activities, and the Balard ED459 Doctoral School of Chemical Sciences, which enrolls an average of 265 doctoral students per year.

• SynBio3, a platform affiliated with the IBMM

Guardianship agencies

• UM Montpellier Universities
• CNRS – National Center for Research
• ENSCM – Montpellier National School of Chemistry
• CEA – French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission

Pricing

• Glassworks
• PAC Chemistry Balard
• PRC

The Chemistry Research Division is responsible for:

• Organize community-based science outreach activities focused on specific themes or fields and develop a scientific outlook;
• Initiate and coordinate responses to calls for proposals for cross-sectoral regional, national, or international projects ;
• Help implement the University of Montpellier’s international strategy and enhance its global visibility ;
• Propose coordinated initiatives to strengthen the link between education and Research
• Participate in forecasting trends in employment and skills;
• Ensure the effective operation of the Human Resources Committee so that it can issue recommendations on specific human resources issues related to research at the University of Montpellier.

The Cluster’s cross-cutting research themes are organized around five priority areas of the four institutes (IBMM, ICGM, ICSM, IEM) and UAR 2041:

1. ENERGY :
   • Synthesis, separation, storage, and detection of gases (hydrogen, CO2, etc.)
   • Lithium and sodium batteries, supercapacitors
   • Biofuels, synthetic fuels, catalyst
   • Carbon-free energy, sustainable nuclear power
2. GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY
   • Substitution of hazardous compounds and metals
   • Alternative solvents, bio-based composite materials
   • Biomass Utilization
3. HEALTH
   • Biomolecules, formulation of active ingredients
   • Functional excipients, controlled-release systems
   • Tissue engineering, medical devices
4. EXTRACTION - SEPARATION
   • Water and wastewater treatment
   • Gas separation
   • Extraction of valuable materials, recycling
5. HIGH-PERFORMANCE MATERIALS
   • Thin films and functional coatings
   • Nanocomposites, nanotubes, and 2D materials
   • Innovative ceramics and polymers, additive manufacturing

The Teaching and Research Units Research UFRs), schools, and institutes of the University of Montpellier affiliated with the Research Cluster

• Montpellier School of Chemical Engineering: National School of Chemistry in Montpellier – ENSCM
• School of Pharmacy (Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences)
• Faculty of Science
• School of Medicine
• Montpellier–Sète University Institute of Technology
• Nîmes University Institute of Technology
• Polytech Montpellier

6 ANR Joint Laboratories

4Joint Research Units(IBMM, ICGM, ICSM, IEM)

328 faculty members & researchers

172 ITA

500full-time employees

850 permanent and temporary employees

1 Research Support Unit Research UAR 2041 PAC Chemistry Balard)

3 Facilities (ChemLab, Glassworks, Chemical Storage Room (CSR))

50 + pieces of equipment

1Institut Carnot Chimie Balard Cirimat, ISO 9001:2015 “100 industrial partners under direct contract per year”

1Doctoral School (Balard Chemical Sciences) “265 doctoral students per year”

€32 million annual consolidated research budget

Innovation & Commercialization

14 Startups since 2009

22 active licenses

>212 patents filed since 2014

2 Marketed Drugs (^Macrilen™, Sebivo) The first compound is a pseudo-peptide used to diagnose growth hormone deficiency in adults, the result of research conducted under the direction of Jean Martinez. It has been marketed in North America since 2018 by Æterna Zentaris, and in Europe since 2019. The second compound is a non-natural antiviral nucleoside used to treat hepatitis B, developed by Dr. Gilles Gosselin and Professor Jean-Louis Imbach, and marketed by Merck.

The I-SITE Excellence Program, led by the University of Montpellier, has decided to provide strong support for research by establishing Long-Term Thematic Projects (PTLs).

After consulting with our community, two PTLs in Chemistry emerged.

The first in the field of sustainable chemistry for health (CARLA) and the second in the field of sustainable chemistry for energy (CHIMENE).

The PTLs at the Chemistry Research Cluster are part of the Cluster’s overarching approach, which aims to implement an ambitious recruitment strategy designed to leverage other funding sources with high national and international visibility, thereby attracting and training a new generation of

PTL CARLA – Sustainable Chemistry for Health

• Coordinators: Camille OGER (IBMM) and Sébastien BLANQUER (ICGM)
• Website

PTL CHIMENE – Sustainable Sustainable Chemistry for Energy

• Coordinators: Armelle OUALI (ICGM) and Nicolas CLAVIER (ICSM)
• Website