Research
Internationally recognized for the excellence of its scientific research, the University of Montpellier is stepping up its commitment to more responsible research, serving the ecological transition and society.
As the leader of the I-SITE Program of Excellence, dedicated to food security, environmental quality, and human health, it is also involved in water research with the UNESCO ICIREWARD Center. Winner of the University Innovation Hub project, it supports innovators in the fields of "feeding, caring for, and protecting" and implements the Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use.
In line with the Climate and Biodiversity Plan for Higher Education and Research, it is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of its activities while contributing to the preservation of biodiversity.
As part of its efforts to promote scientific culture, the University of Montpellier has been coordinating the Fête de la Science (Science Festival) since 2016 and organizing research-related events to raise public awareness of the challenges of ecological transition.
These actions are supported by committed governance, through its vice-presidencies for Research, Partnerships and Innovation, Environmental Issues, and Science-Society Relations.
Reducing the impact of research activities
The University is committed to supporting research and innovation practices that address the challenges of ecological transition and have a low impact on the environment, particularly on the climate and biodiversity.
At the University of Montpellier, certain research laboratories have been committed for several years to reducing their impact and calculate their greenhouse gas emissions each year. In order to increase the number of laboratories involved in this initiative and to support all of its research structures, the institution has been organizing an annual event dedicated to transition research since 2024.
The aim of this event is to bring together the various players involved in research to ensure the sharing of best practices and the search for solutions for more sustainable scientific activities.
Integration of ecological transition criteria into calls for projects
In an effort to encourage more responsible research, the institution has decided to include environmental issues in the eligibility criteria for its internal calls for projects. This approach aims to raise awareness among project leaders about the environmental impact of their research activities, without restricting the diversity of scientific topics.
Specifically, each project leader must specify the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs) defined by the United Nations that the research project addresses, calculate the carbon footprint of travel related to the mission, and explain how ecological transition issues are taken into account in the project design. In particular, they are asked to rationalize travel, minimize energy consumption, and ensure that project-related waste is sorted.
The University's objective is not to select projects based on their carbon footprint or theme, which would exclude certain research activities, but rather to raise collective awareness of the environmental impacts of research and the need to reduce them.
SDG mapping
In order to better understand the involvement of the scientific community and to support research and innovation practices that address the challenges of ecological transition, the University of Montpellier has undertaken a two-pronged mapping approach: identifying the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that the laboratories are working towards and the research projects that contribute to them.
Identification of research stakeholders
In order to better meet the expectations of citizens and society in general, the University of Montpellier is developing a database listing researchers who can be mobilized in the context of citizen science and who are likely to contribute to the development of public policies in favor of ecological transition.
This project will result in the creation of a map of the skills of UM research stakeholders for use in the socio-economic sphere.
This initiative will facilitate interactions between academic research and local stakeholders, while enhancing the visibility and societal impact of the work carried out at the University.
Dissemination of scientific research findings on ecological transition to society
The University of Montpellier places the dissemination of knowledge at the heart of its societal mission, particularly with regard to issues related to ecological transition. It pursues an active policy of scientific mediation, aiming to make research results accessible to citizens, local stakeholders, and public decision-makers.
For the general public, since 2016 the University has coordinated the Fête de la Science, a flagship event bringing together researchers and the general public for workshops, conferences, and exhibitions dedicated to the environment, climate, and biodiversity. It also organizes recurring events such as the Bar des Sciences and the Sud de Sciences festival, focusing on major ecological issues.
For the research community, Professors, teachers, students, and anyone else interested, the institution identifies publications and academic work related to ecological transition and promotes their visibility and accessibility to as many people as possible through the public HAL platform.
These actions help to strengthen the dialogue between science and society, raise public awareness of environmental challenges, and promote the expertise of the institution's scientists.
