Establishment Contract 2018 - 2022

The Institution's scientific policy for the 2018-2022 contract is in line with the previous contract (2012-2017) during which a huge amount of work dedicated to structuring the single university had been carried out. The objective is now to consolidate over the next 10 years the trajectory now underway to consolidate AMU as a world-class university.

To achieve its ambitions, AMU relies both on the existing potential that it has been able to structure and develop, as well as on analytical work, foresight and essential recommendations to define its trajectory. The very detailed report submitted at the end of 2015 by the International Scientific Steering Committee (COS) and the recommendations of the Idex jury were fundamental in this respect.

AMU wishes to support its excellent, interdisciplinary, innovative and internationally renowned research conducted in partnership with research organisations.


Priority axes for 2018-2022

Strengthening the link between training and research

- creation of institutes in areas of research in which AMU plays or aspires to play a leading global role;
- •combining research for excellence, Graduate Schools of the highest international level and valorisation;
- •to increase AMU's visibility to attract the best researchers and obtain external resources.
Strengthening interdisciplinarity
- •based on the five interdisciplinary and intersectoral research poles (PR2I) corresponding to the priority themes announced by AMU: Energy, Environment, Humanities, Health and Life Sciences and Advanced Sciences and Technologies;
- •aiming to bring out interdisciplinary projects with significant societal challenges, to bring out new transversal fields and to develop a knowledge-based economy.
International development
  • by strengthening targeted strategic partnerships as a co-supervision of International Mixed Units (IMU), Associated International Laboratories (AIL) and International Joint Laboratories (IJL);
  • by positioning itself on the Mediterranean region: AMU is a member of UMIFRE IRMC (Institut de recherche sur le Maghreb contemporain) in Tunis and the CRFJ (Centre de recherche français à Jérusalem) in Jerusalem;
  • by applying for the European University initiative in partnership with the following institutions:

    Autonomous University of Madrid (Spain),
    National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece),
    University of
    Tübingen (Germany),
    Free University of
    Brussels (Belgium),
    La Sapienza University from Rome (Italy)
    Stockholm University
    (Sweden)
    University of Bucharest (Romania).

Assistance with the submission of projects
- •at the various national (ANR, PIA), European and international counters;
- •incentive policy for the submission of European projects, in particular ERC, through CRCTs (research leave or thematic conversions) or service modulations. Representation of AMU in Brussels....


Aix-Marseille University is the leader in research and innovation policy at the Aix-Marseille site comprising the Ecole Centrale Marseille (ECM), the Institut d'Etudes Politiques (IEP), the Université d'Avignon et des Pays du Vaucluse (UAPV) and the Université de Toulon (UTLN). A close partnership has been built for many years with the organizations, and in particular the CNRS and Inserm, which are its main partners, but also with the IRD, CEA, INRA, IFSTTAR, CNES, IRSTEA... The framework agreements in place make it possible to conduct a concerted research strategy and a shared scientific policy. This proven close partnership for many years has truly distinguished the Aix-Marseille site and is a guarantee of success in building ambitious projects on a site scale.

Improvement of the structure and quality of doctoral training

The great thematic diversity, the scientific backing, the potential for supervision, the functioning and organization via a doctoral college and a doctoral training department are all assets for the site. The structuring of the doctoral training offer in the form of doctoral programmes, the implementation of interdisciplinary doctoral programmes and the strengthening of internationalisation will be the priority axes of the next contract.


Affirmation of AMU's role in the dissemination of scientific culture

Aix-Marseille University is involved in many operations to promote scientific culture, in particular the European Researchers' Night and the promotion of its very rich scientific heritage. AMU wishes to position itself as the network leader of PACA research institutions in the field of scientific, technical and industrial culture (CSTI) alongside its partners (CNRS, Inserm, CEA, CEA, IRD, INRA) and other universities in the region.


Strong and facilitating administrative support for research

The research unit is at the heart of the actions developed by the various departments to support the teacher-researchers in all their approaches and facilitate the management of the units. Aware of the need to relieve teacher-researchers of administrative burdens so that they can devote more time to their research mission, and to support them in their efforts, the university is continuing its efforts to facilitate, simplify and streamline administrative processes but also to bring its project engineering skills to the service of the teacher-researcher: implementation of common management tools with the CNRS, sharing of research contract management, advice for project development and intellectual property,...

Keywords
establishment contract 2018-2022
internationalization
priority axes
partnerships
interdisciplinarity
project submission