Status:In progress
Opening date: 21 July 2026
Closing date: 6 November 2026
Purpose of the Call for Research Proposals
The objective of this call for research proposals is to promotescientific boldness and risk-taking by encouraging innovative interdisciplinary approaches and supporting collaborations between IM2B laboratories, as well as between IM2B laboratories and laboratories affiliated with another institute or institution.
Of particular interest are novel research collaborations that aim to use interdisciplinary approaches to address new scientific or technological questions, address strategic societal challenges for the site, and have the potential to drive innovation.
Targeted Initiatives
Funding applications must pertain to collaborative research projects involving at least two IM2B joint research units (UMRs) or at least one IM2B UMR and one UMR from another university-affiliated institute.
They must fall within at least one of the Institute’s four strategic priorities:
- Biodiversity, Mechanisms, and Molecular Machines
- Metabolic Diversity and Cellular Approaches
- Inter-organismal Dialogue
- Biotechnologies: Bioenergy, Environment, Health
Projects may focus on basic or applied research, including applied research with specific outcomes and collaborative projects. Partners outside IM2B will not be funded by the Institute and must therefore secure their own funding.
Eligibility Requirements
Two types of projects are eligible under this call for proposals:
- “Intra-IM2B” projects, led by at least two researchers, faculty researchers, or engineers from at least two IM2B joint research units (UMRs). Platform engineers are eligible if the platform is involved in technological development related to the platform’s core activities, rather than the provision of services. “Intra-IM2B” projects may involve partners from outside IM2B, but they will not be funded by the Institute.
- “Inter-institute”projects must be led by at least one researcher, faculty researcher, or engineer from an IM2B UMR and at least one researcher,Researcher or Engineer from a UMR at another institute or institution. Platform Engineers are eligible if the platform is involved in technological development related to the platform’s activities, rather than the provision of services. Only the IM2B partner will receive funding under this call.
Pre-existing collaborations are eligible if they are not already funded by a funding agency (A*Midex, the Region, ANR, etc.). Collaborations receiving funding through a doctoral contract (MESR, IM2B) are eligible.
An IM2B member may participate in only one project under this call for proposals.
A partner who has received funding under previous Interdisciplinarity calls for proposals is eligible if they do not have an ongoing Interdisciplinarity project (as defined by the IM2B charter) at the time of submitting their new application. This applies to successful applicants from the 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 calls.
Key Dates
- Application deadline: November 6, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
- Announcement of results: mid-December 2026
- Project start date: as early as January 2027
Selection Criteria
- Quality of the project in relation to the call for proposals’ objectives: novelty of the approach and/or the research question addressed, particularly with regard to the various disciplinary fields involved; relevance of the project to IM2B; willingness to take risks.
- Project implementation: quality of the consortium and added value of inter-UMR collaboration (whether within the IM2B or between institutes), alignment between project objectives and the resources mobilized.
- Potential impact of the project: impact in terms of structuring the collaboration, and impact with regard to the targeted scientific or applied challenges.
