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Agriculture-Environment-Biodiversity Division (AEB)

Created in December 2017 as part of the MUSE foundation, it was set up as an intermediary structure of the University of Montpellier when the latter was created as an experimental public establishment in 2022.
It is a place where research structures can work in synergy and scientific consultation to develop joint actions between the members of the MUSE I-Site.
The cluster brings together over 3,000 permanent staff from research organizations such as BRGM, CIRAD, CNRS, IFREMER, INRAE and IRD, as well as higher education institutions such as the University of Montpellier, Institut Agro / Montpellier SupAgro and CIHEAM-IAMM. Every year, it publishes around 1,300 theses.

Cluster governance

Director, Agriculture-Environment-Biodiversity Division : Daniel Barthélémy

Administrative and management assistant: Yasmine Lecuyer

Responsible for the Human Resources Commission (CRH) Biologie Agrosciences: Pierre Czernic
Responsible for the Human Resources Commission (CRH) Biologie Agrosciences: Sabrina Lecourt

Head of the Human Resources Commission (CRH) Biology, Ecology, Evolution, Environment, Earth and Water Sciences : Mathilde Dufaÿ
Head of the Human Resources Commission (CRH) Biology, Ecology, Evolution, Environment, Earth and Water Sciences : Yasmine Lecuyer

Strategic Orientation Committee (COS)

The Strategic Orientation Committee provides a link between the Research cluster and its institutional partners. It participates in the definition of the Pôle's major scientific strategic orientations at Research , and gives its opinion on the action plan proposed by the Pôle's Director at Research.

Pole Council

The Conseil de Pôle issues advisory opinions on the direction and implementation of the Pôle's actions and strategy.

Human Resources Commission (CRH)

The Human Resources Commission deals with issues specific to the staff of the University of Montpellier. Each Human Resources Commission issues an advisory opinion, in compliance with the statutory provisions specific to the teaching and research corps.

Key figures

37 Agriculture-Environment-Biodiversity laboratories
9 Service, research support, experimental or scientific platform units
9 partner institutions
1 main doctoral school (GAIA Biodiversity, Agriculture, Food, Environment, Land, Water)
19ERC (European Research Council) projects underway in 2024
1,800 teaching and research staff
175 theses defended each year
38 CIFRE contracts
1 UNESCO Water Centre ICIREWARD
1 UNESCO Chair in World Food

Missions

Leading, communicating, highlighting scientific strategy and prospects
Federating and fostering partnerships
Increase the Region's visibility and contribute to its excellence in agronomy, the environment, ecology and biodiversity, both nationally and internationally.
Promoting the link between Training and Research
Promote collective reflection on platforms and infrastructures in conjunction with establishments and organizations
Lead a collective reflection on concerted programming of jobs, skills and human resources in conjunction with establishments and organizations

Scientific scope

The cluster comprises 46 main research, experimental and service units and 10 secondary laboratories. It encompasses agricultural, environmental and water sciences, as well as ecology and evolution. Within these disciplines, it has 4 long-term thematic projects:

Plant Adaptation to Global Change
Agroecology and Food Systems
Biodiversity, Ecology, Evolution
Georesources, Risks and Societies

Structured around these four interacting thematic fields, the AEB cluster forms a highly multidisciplinary whole, working on a wide range of issues and questions linked to the promotion of sustainable and ecologically innovative agriculture, food safety and security, the characterization, documentation, management and conservation of biodiversity, the structure and functioning of ecosystems, health and environmental quality, explicitly taking into account the impact of environmental and global changes, particularly climate change, on all these subjects.

Institutional partners

The Pôle AEB brings together staff from several research organizations:

BRGM (Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières - Geological and Mining Research Bureau)
CIRAD (Centre de coopération Internationale en Research Agronomique pour le Développement)
CNRS (Centre National de la Research Scientifique)
IFREMER (Institut Français de Research pour l'Exploitation de la Mer)
INRAE (Institut National de Research pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement)
IRD (Institut de Research pour le Développement)

or higher education :

University of Montpellier
Institut Agro (Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement) /Montpellier SupAgro
CIHEAM-IAMM (Centre International des Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes-Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier)

It also maintains close links (and even hosts staff in its laboratories) with other research organizations such as INRAP (Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives) or INRIA (Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique), or higher education institutions: AgroParisTech (Institut des Sciences et Industries du Vivant et de l'Environnement), ENSCM (Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier), ARMINES ParisTech (IMT Mines Alès), EPHE (École Pratique des Hautes Études), UPVM (Université Paul Valéry Montpellier), UPVD (Université Perpignan Via Domitia), Université d'Avignon, Université des Antilles, Université de la Réunion, Centre Universitaire de Mayotte.

Research structures

Partnership research structures:

structuring bodies and programs

Local :

Four long thematic projects:
- Plant Adaptation to Global Change
- Agroecology and Food Systems
- Biodiversity, Ecology, Evolution
- Georesources, Risks and Societies
Unesco International Water Centre(ICIREWARD)
A scientific cooperation foundation: One Science Montpellier
An observatory at Research Méditerranéen de l'Environnement(OSU OREME), part of the Observatoires des Sciences de l'Univers of the Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers du Cnrs.
A Convergences Digital Agriculture Institute #DigitAg
A "Territoires d'Innovation" Fablab(Occitanum)
A Unesco " World Food " Chair
Two Occitanie Regional Challenges: Biodivoc and Rivoc