Launch of inIdEx initiatives and presentation of key research areas at Université Paris Cité

Institution, Research, Université Paris Cité

On 23 June 2025, Université Paris Cité officially launched the inIdEx Initiatives of Excellence. The programme offers financing over a six-year period for cutting-edge scientific projects that are crucial for the university, in the fields of research, training, innovation, transfers and social engagement. Motivated by high-level scientific work, the inIdEx initiatives illustrate the University’s interdisciplinarity. The event was the occasion to define the major directions of research at UPCité, focussing on open science, digital sovereignty and sustainable development (SD) and social responsibility (CSR).

For the new IdEx programme (2025–2030), Université Paris Cité issued a request for expressions of interest (REOI) called “IdEx Initiatives” (inIdEx) in March 2024. The projects deemed eligible by the StratEx Copil then received a call for applications. Following an international assessment, the StratEx Copil ranked the projects. Université Paris Cité Board of Directors (BOD) approved 19 inIdEx projects and allocated budgets. Seven projects from external or interdisciplinary institutes, eight former LabEX projects receiving extended funding and four completely new projects were financed for a total budget of €7.56 million/year.

The inIdEx interdisciplinary projects of excellence focus on themes related to social sciences, health, science or interdisciplinary projects in these fields, in an effort to further promote the interdisciplinarity of Université Paris Cité. InIdEx offers a variety of actions. These include research project funding, doctoral scholarships and doctoral projects as well as training programmes, educational actions and events in connection with societal engagement. These actions have a regional, national and even international reach. They demonstrate the excellence of Université Paris Cité and strengthen its commitment to Planetary Health.

To manage the complexities of inIdEx, a support structure has been set up. Its mission is to provide administrative support to operational issues regarding inIdEx projects. The structure will be managing financial and administrative aspecgts of the projects and offers support for communication and coordination with the inIdEx project leader network.

Unit Directors’ morning: UPcité Science, Digital Sovereignty, CSR and Research News

Open Science

In 2024, Université Paris Cité joined the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), which aims to transform research assessment practices, moving beyond traditional quantitative indicators in favour of more qualitative, transparent approaches in line with the diversity of scientific pathways. In January 2025, Université Paris Cité started implementing its action plan, which will be reviewed internally in 2028.

The action plan includes four steps:

  • 2024: Introduction of CoARA governance and action plan set-up.
  • 2025: Assessment of current reviewing practices.
  • 2026–2027: Test of new approaches, tools and types of training.
  • 2028: Self-assessment and long-term implementation of certain practices.

Digital sovereignty

Digital sovereignty has become a major challenge for States and institutions. To strengthen its digital sovereignty, Université Paris Cité will implement a ear plan over the next five years to improve infrastructures and applications to offer UPCité users optimised digital conditions for their professional activities.

Sustainable development and CSR challenges and directions for research

Following the Board of Directors’ adoption of the SD&CSR master plan in December 2024, the 2025 challenges regarding SD&CSR weredefined to include:

  • the assessment af needs as identified by the survey conducted as part of the 2024 master plan;
  • creating a network of eco-correspondents to support the university’s units and departments, as well as an approach to SD&CSR in coordination with national research organisations and APHP;
  • mobilising heads of research units and doctoral student for the first SD&CSR ForumLab, and offering a training course designed by P.A.R.I.S as part of the FIRE-UP project, in collaboration with the School of Doctoral Studies.

Research news at Université Paris Cité 

The restructuring process of UPCité units began with the HCÉRES evaluation in 2023, and resulted in October 2024 in the following decision by the Board of Directors: To date, Université Paris Cité has 113 research structures, including 103 research units. On this occasion, the signature charter, drafted by UPCité and its partners and signed by the CNRS, Inserm, IRD and AP-HP, was updated to offer users automated signatures corresponding to their units or structures.

The new five-year IdEx Research programme also includes three projetsthat will be awarded financing of €2.92 million per year:

  • “Early Career” Research Emergence, a call for projects supporting early-career researchers,
  • Funding for “Seal of Excellence MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships” , encouraging projects with a European scope.
  • Call for projects “Major Equipment” Platforms, aiming to develop and maintain the university’s platforms’ high-level scientific and technological skills.

Université Paris Cité will organise a series of events before the end of the year:Planetary Health Week (week of 15 September), participation in the National Day of Mental Health (10 October 2025), the Science Fair (3 October-13 October 2025). It will also host the second edition of Convergences, a day dedicated to science, in the Odéon campus Grand Amphithéâtre in collaboration with École nationale vétérinaire Alfort (24 November 2025).

 

Translated by MA translation students, Master’s in Language Industry and Specialised Translation, Université Paris Cité, 2026

Winners of the AAP InidEx award

List of winners – AAP InidEx 2025

 

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