“Science Meets Humanities” Programme
The Science Meets Humanities Programme is open to prominent researchers in hard and experimental science and in humanities and social science for research on fruitful cross-disciplinary themes.
The programme hinges on four themes:
- Study in specific interdisciplinary fields in hard science and social science. Reflection can focus on method combination, innovation modes, social interaction conditions, etc.
- Analysis of the conditions for proper social acceptance of scientific findings and innovations, particularly in areas where the assessment of uncertainties is part of these findings.
- Relationship between digital research and digital humanities. Humanities are developing digital uses likely to inspire the orientations of numerical research, and vice versa. Epistemological reflection on these perspectives and their interactions comes from the reciprocal work and questioning of researchers in both fields.
- Interdisciplinarity in cognitive science. Interaction between cognitive and linguistic psychology—including research on computer science—and neuroscience is already fertile. It also extends to social psychology, research on communication, and the relationship between neuroscience and economics. This line of research focuses on such interactions.
Two chairs reserved for experienced researchers (SIRIC—Integrated Cancer Research—and ILCB—Institute of Language, Communication and the Brain) and a residency in partnership with INSERM—National Institute for Health and Medical Research—are linked to this programme.
CONTACT : Pierre Livet, Director of "Science Meets Humanities" Programme - pierre.livet@univ-amu.fr
Applicants to this call may submit applications either to:
- the general programme described above , or
- one of the specific residencies in partnership listed below.
The choice must be specified in the application form ("Application options").
GENERAL PROGRAMME
>> Application and residency conditions
RESIDENCIES IN PARTNERSHIP
Le programme Rencontres Sciences et Humanités de l’IMéRA bénéficie de la collaboration et de l’appui des 3 partenaires suivants :
The ILCB (Institute of Language, Communication and the Brain) includes 10 research units (LPL, LPC, INS, INT, LNC, ISM, LIF, LSIS, LIA, I2M) and 6 experimental platforms (IRMf, MEG, EEG, TMS, Primatology, Virtual Reality) bringing together more than 150 statutory researchers on the Aix-Marseille-Avignon site. Its scientific project focuses on the cerebral basis of language and communication. The ILCB bears on knowledge acquired in the various relevant disciplines: linguistics, neuroscience, psychology, computer science, mathematics and medicine. In particular, the ILCB aims to study language production and perception not only in a controlled context, but also to open up new pathways for the study of its use in more natural contexts. The ILCB also has a support system for experiments with a service dedicated to data analysis and processing run by 4 scientific computing engineers.
The project proposed as part of this call should be interdisciplinary, centre on the cerebral bases of language or communication, and preferably involve collaboration between several ILCB units.
There are strong links between this chair and themes 4 (Cognitive perspectives) and 3 (Numerical research and digital humanities) of the programme. For example, there is close interaction between cognitive linguistics and computer science.
>> Application and residency conditions
The Marseille SIRIC (Integrated Cancer Research Site) is one of the 8 sites that were granted approval by the National Cancer Institute in 2012. It brings together a critical mass of 750 researchers and physicians working in hospitals, the Paoli Calmettes Institute and Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille. Its teams are multidisciplinary and include both cancer clinicians and researchers working on subjects ranging from fundamental aspects to clinical applications to socio-economic aspects.
The IMéRA/SIRIC Chair is aimed at scientists of all disciplines presenting a project in connection with cancer research.
The links between biology, chemistry, medicine and translational research correspond to theme 1. Public health issues (e.g. attitude towards vaccination), diagnosis announcement and democracy in health institutions correspond to theme 2.
>> Application and residency conditions
Inserm (National Institute for Health and Medical Research), through its institutional missions of theoretical and applied research on life science and health, aims to advance scientific knowledge and promote the transfer of such knowledge towards clinical applications.
Research on life and health often requires interdisciplinary interactions (theme 1); the issues of acceptance or acceptability by the public of the conditions in which research is carried out and the technological innovations it leads to (e.g. experiments on animals, genetic engineering, etc.) fall under theme 2.
