Apply for research-leave at Iméra as part of the 2027-28 national CRCT (Research or Thematic Conversion Leave) annual application campaign.
A programme set in an international and interdisciplinary context: a residency specially designed for teacher-researchers at Aix Marseille Université.
This call for applications opens on September 21st, 2026
Iméra, the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) of Aix Marseille Université, is a haven of intellectual freedom where a temporary community of leading international scientists and artists can find the time, space and resources needed to discover new meaning and content for their research. Since the 2021–22 academic year, such a setting has been open to academic staff at Aix Marseille Université, enabling them to spend six months re-examining their relationship with their discipline and with other fields of knowledge, and potentially to undertake a thematic shift in their research whilst engaging with residents from a wide variety of geographical and disciplinary backgrounds.
As part of CRCT’s annual national campaign, this research leave entitles the holder to a full exemption from teaching duties for its entire duration (during either the first or second semester). Four residents on research leave will be hosted during the 2027–28 academic year. They will be provided with an office in one of Iméra’s co-working spaces, shared with the other residents.
A minimum of two days per week on-site at Iméra is required.
Applicants wishing to submit an application under Iméra’s annual ‘amU Fellow’ call must do so during the national phase. No applications will be accepted under this scheme during the local phase in January–February.
Research projects must fall within one of Iméra’s four scientific programmes: ‘Arts & Sciences: Interdisciplinary Knowledge’, ‘Interdisciplinary Dialogues’, ‘Mediterranean’ and ‘Necessary Utopias’, in which they will play an active role, for example by taking part in workshops and seminars, whilst also having the opportunity to propose the organisation of events and innovative formats for exchange. At the same time, participation in the Community-Building Seminar provides a weekly opportunity to engage with all residents and members of Iméra’s scientific team in order to discuss questions and methods, and even to experiment with research and/or creative formats developed collaboratively. The two languages of communication are French and English. In a spirit of camaraderie, the seminar is always followed by a lunch with all the residents and the institute’s team.
The Interdisciplinary Dialogues programme:
The programme is aimed at researchers who demonstrate a keen interest in the interactions and dialogue between different disciplines, whatever they may be (humanities, social sciences, natural and environmental sciences, the arts, etc.). Proposals must have an interdisciplinary dimension focusing either on a specific theme, methodological issues, or both. Projects addressing the practices and ethics of interdisciplinarity, as well as its legitimacy, are welcome. Priority will be given to projects by researchers who have already produced innovative and original results in their own field through dialogue with another discipline; however, new research challenges will also be viewed favourably. This programme is also open to scientific or artistic projects relating to the theories, practices and limitations of interdisciplinarity in academic research and higher education. Potential research projects may focus, in particular, on the transfer of concepts, models of interdisciplinarity, critical analyses of interdisciplinary analogies and the intersections between the natural sciences and the humanities.
For any enquiries regarding this programme, please contact Maxime Nicolas, Director of the Interdisciplinary Dialogues programme: maxime.nicolas@univ-amu.fr
The ‘Mediterranean’programme:
For thousands of years, the Mediterranean world has been a dynamic crossroads for the movement of people, goods, artefacts and ideas. The historical developments in the Mediterranean continue to shape this sea and the contemporary world in many ways. The ‘Mediterranean’ programme focuses on Mediterranean cultures and societies from antiquity to the present day, and explores this maritime world through innovative research, historical interpretations and interdisciplinary analyses. It draws on comprehensive and comparative analyses to develop new ways of understanding Mediterranean societies and their relations with the rest of the world. Building on these interdisciplinary reflections, the ‘Mediterranean’ programme welcomes new studies that are essential to understanding the development of societies and environments in the contemporary Mediterranean. The central research themes of the ‘Mediterranean’ programme are as follows: oceanic spaces, coastal communities, cultural exchanges, belief systems and maritime conflicts. The programme encourages new scientific research and the development of creative projects on all aspects of human societies and marine ecologies in the Mediterranean world.
For any enquiries regarding this programme, please contact Brian Sandberg, Director of the Mediterranean Programme: bsandberg@niu.edu
The ‘Necessary Utopias’programme:
It is aimed at scientists from all disciplines, artists and social activists, thinkers and/or creators in the broadest sense of the term. Applicants must be driven by a passion for intellectual risk-taking within their field of research and/or action. Their project must propose new ideas and practical approaches to tackling the challenges – whether local or global – that the contemporary world regards as crucial, but which cannot be overcome without truly thinking and acting differently. The areas of innovation and application for these necessary utopias include, amongst others: the ecological crisis, health, migration, work, economic and social inequalities, housing, education and the crisis of political participation.
For any enquiries regarding this programme, please contact Enrico Donaggio, Scientific Director of Iméra and the ‘NecessarY Utopias’ programme: enrico.donaggio@univ-amu.fr
The Arts & Sciences: Interdisciplined Knowledge programme:
It is cross-disciplinary in the sense that each of the research projects hosted within it is also linked to one of Iméra’s three other interdisciplinary programmes: the Mediterranean, Necessary Utopias and Interdisciplinary Dialogues. It is therefore important to select one of these programmes on the application form and to propose a relevant project situated at the intersection of the ‘Arts and Sciences: Indisciplined Knowledge’ programme and the selected thematic programme (see descriptions above). This programme provides a space for collective reflection on research in art and on art itself, recognising art’s distinctive characteristics—including the freedom not to be a discipline in its own right—by, for example, combining forms of knowledge from different fields and eras. This programme is therefore run collectively by all members of the Iméra research team, who come from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. The term ‘art’ here encompasses all existing forms of artistic expression. From a thematic perspective, the link to another programme and one of its research areas enables the research and questions raised by art (art research) or which constitute art (research in art) to be enriched and examined through regular dialogue with other residents and associated researchers working in a shared thematic field, and vice versa.
As regards researchers working on and with art, they may come from any field within the humanities and social sciences, including: art theory, art history, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, geography, etc. Furthermore, it is also open to the natural and life sciences provided that the research project has a close link with art and/or artists. In all cases, the research in question must be able to examine the impact of art on society or its engagement with society and/or its role as a crossroads between various fields of knowledge, in relation to one or more of the issues addressed in the thematic programmes (see the suggestions below and their general descriptions).
As regards artists, Iméra can accommodate various stages of their projects, provided that these require ongoing dialogue with researchers from academic disciplines during the conception of a work, a line of thought, a text (whether theoretical, poetic or of another nature) – either very early in the process or a little later during the development phase of a work, but prior to its production.
For any enquiries regarding this programme, please contact Constance Moréteau, scientific coordinator and head of development for the arts and sciences strand: constance.moreteau@univ-amu.fr
Once the opinion of the candidate’s home department has been received, eligible projects are assessed by two academic experts from outside Aix Marseille Université, selected on the basis of their scientific qualifications and their expertise in relation to the project, in accordance with the assessment criteria set out below.
The candidate’s academic record, marked out of 5 (weighting factor 1)
- The candidate’s scientific expertise in the subject presented;
- International experience.
The relevance of the project’s inclusion in the Iméra scheme, scored out of 5 (coefficient 1)
- Inclusion in one of the institute’s scientific programmes, and consideration of one or more of its research areas;
- Level of openness to the collegial aspect of the institute (potential for dialogue with its research team and other residents).
Quality and scope of the project, marked out of 5 (weighting factor 1)
- Appropriateness of the scientific approach and rigour;
- Originality of the method and/or subject;
- Risk-taking and experimentation.
The interdisciplinary approach, marked out of 5 (weighting: 1)
- Proven experience of interdisciplinary work on the part of the candidate;
- The feasibility of this within this project.
Total: marked out of 20
- This call for applications is open only to tenured academic staff at Aix Marseille Université – senior lecturers and professors – regardless of their discipline.
- CRCTs lasting 6 or 12 months may be granted to tenured research lecturers who are either in active service or on secondment, for: a period of 6 months per 3-year period or a maximum of 12 months per 6-year period. However, lecturers and researchers who have held their post for at least 3 years are eligible for an initial 12-month leave of absence.
- Of these, only those who can demonstrate at least a passive knowledge of English – which is one of the two languages used in communication with other residents, particularly during the Community-Building Seminar – are eligible.
The assignment lasts six months and takes place:
- That is, in the first half of the year, between early September 2027 and late February 2028.
- That is, in the second half of the year, between early February 2028 and late July 2028.
As this scheme forms part of the national CRCT campaign launched by the Human Resources Department of Aix Marseille Université, applications should be submitted directly to the Department, enclosing the following documents:
- The individual form, which should, in particular, set out the details of the research project,
- A CV
- The Iméra application form
Applicants who submitted an ‘amU Fellow’ application during the national CRCT call for applications under the CNU quota do not need to resubmit an application for the local call. Applications not selected by Iméra are automatically transferred to the pool of applications to be assessed locally. Please note that it is not possible to submit an application in response to Iméra’s ‘amU Fellow’ call during the local round.
The project must therefore be submitted via NAOS within the specified deadline (by 4.00 pm on 16 October 2026) and, without delay, the entire application pack printed from the NAOS application, together with the individual form, must be submitted to the relevant department (by 19 October 2026).
| 21 September 2026 (10.00 am) | NAOS is now open (mandatory submission for Iméra ‘amU Fellow’ candidates). |
| 16 October 2026 (4.00 pm) | NAOS Fence |
| 19 October 2026 | Submission of applications to the relevant departments (submission procedures to be determined by the relevant departments) |
| 28 October 2026 | Deadline for departments to submit their feedback to the HR Department |
| 5 November 2026 | CAcR: opinion prior to submission to the CNU. Forwarding to Iméra the files of ‘amU Fellow’ candidates who have received a favourable opinion, so that the assessment process can begin |
| From 5 January 2027 to 9 February 2027 | NAOS is now open for applications submitted solely on behalf of the institution (with the exception of applications for the Iméra ‘amU Fellow’ call, which may only be submitted during the national phase). Applicants must submit their application via NAOS and to their respective department in accordance with that department’s specific procedures. |
| 11 February 2027 | Forwarding of the list of candidates by the HR Department to the constituent units |
| 22 March 2027 | Results of the CRCT CNU awards |
| 26 April 2027 | Date by which the departments must submit their feedback to the HR Department, and date by which Iméra must submit its feedback to the HR Department |
| May 2027 | Reviews by CAcR members of CRCT applications for the local phase |
| 3 June 2027 | CAcR: local CRCT allocations |
| July 2027 | Notification of CRCT results |
Information
- For full details of the CRCT campaign, please refer to the following dedicated page: https://intramu.univ-amu.fr/fr/actualites/crct-2027-2028
- For any general enquiries regarding the research leave scheme at Iméra and the cross-disciplinary programme ‘Arts and Sciences: Interdisciplinary Knowledge’, please contact Constance Moréteau, Iméra’s scientific coordinator and head of development for the Arts and Sciences programme: constance.moreteau@univ-amu.fr
- For any enquiries regarding any of Iméra’s thematic research programmes, please contact the programme lead (see box above).
- For any general enquiries regarding the amU CRCT campaign, please contact Guylaine Racouchot, Head of Collective Campaigns and Bodies Management
HR Department:- Head of Human Resources: guylaine.racouchot@univ-amu.fr
- Copy to HR: drh-ec-gestion-collective@univ-amu.fr
