1.    Framework

The University of Lille, in collaboration with its partners, have been awarded by the French government a project entitled “Welcoming Internationals to Lille” (WILL), which aims at improving the international visibility of the Lille site.

This ambitious project deploys various means of actions such as: strengthening of services dedicated to international mobility, setting up strategic international representation activities and building strong links with highly recognised scientists by the implementation of international chairs.  

It is worth noting that these international chairs aim at the implementation of a project between an internationally recognized senior researcher and a junior scientist in Lille, in order to create outstanding conditions for boosting the career of the latter. 

This project meets the strategy of the University of Lille Excellence Initiative built around 4 thematic “hubs”[1]

Precision health:

• Promote systems biology and precision medicine;
• Catalyse the digital revolution in biomedical research;
• Optimise impacts for patients and society.

Science for a changing planet:

• Understand and monitor global changes;
• Seek alternative solutions to the exploitation of fossil resources;
• Evaluate the impact of global changes on people, the Earth and societies.

Human-friendly digital world:

• Humanise digital society;
• Master complexity with innovative conceptual tools;
• Design disruptive technology for friendly devices.

Changing Cultures, Societies and Practices:

• Analyse the organisational, cultural and institutional issues at stake in the historical transformation of our societies;
• Understand the dynamics of inequality and the forms of vulnerability that these transformations can bring about in order to lay the foundations for a more inclusive world;
• Envision the role of Europe in these transformative processes, in particular as a experimental ground for new social, cultural and political dynamics.

Each hub is related to a Graduate Program. Build on Master and PhD tracks, these four graduate programs offer students an outstanding scientific and educational environment to develop their knowledge and skills in an interdisciplinary context.

 2.    Eligibility criteria

Applicants must be:

• Internationally recognised senior scientists
• Eager to get involved in scientific collaboration with a Lille-based team
• The project must involve young permanent researcher(s) from the Lille site (hired for max. 5 years).
• Willing to contribute to the building /reinforcement of institutional links with the home institution of the chair holder.
• Willing and being able to spend 8 to 12 weeks per year on the Lille site (from January 2023 to December 2026)
• Willing to give, each year, lectures in the framework of the thematic hub’ Graduate Program.
• The project will have to be linked with at least one of the four thematic hubs.
• The Lille based research team will have to submit at least one grant application in the framework of a Horizon Europe call.

3.    Budget

The estimated grant for a Chair is € 621,000 according to the breakdown in the table below.  

3 Chairs could be supported in this 2022 call.

4.    How to apply ?

Applicants will submit a research project of maximum 12 pages (references included) on the platform ( under "my submission" section ) using the dedicated template : Application_Form_International_chairs_WILL_.docx

Projects must be submitted in English.

5.    Selection criteria

• Quality of the Chairholder's CV
• Quality of the young researcher’s CV
• Positioning in line with the University of Lille priorities (thematic hubs)
• Clarity and feasibility of the scientific program in relation to available resources
• Expected impact on the host team in terms of visibility and structuring, with a particular focus on involvement of young permanent researchers in Lille
• Interdisciplinarity is not mandatory but will be considered as an asset
• Consideration of the open science approach in the project methodology
• Consideration of the gender dimension in the project submitted.
• Consideration of the UN sustainable development goals