Application and Residency Conditions 2024-25
The Research & Creation Chair: Oncology and Immunology aims to stimulate innovative and interdisciplinary artistic and scientific research on the following issues, highlighting the synergies between scientific research in the field of cancer and immunology and research-creation. The goal is to give great national and international visibility to this research at the intersection of disciplines and knowledge systems. This will contribute to the dissemination of research on cancer and immunology1 through art-science collaborations and research-creation in this field.
The possible actions are extremely varied:
- Lecture series or participation in workshops intersecting the “Arts & Sciences: Indisciplined Knowledge” and “Interdisciplinary Explorations” programs.
- Cross-cutting working groups with different scientific programs of Iméra.
- Activities and events specifically targeted for a wide audience, including students (master’s and doctoral students).
This chair can also stimulate long-term collaborations with researchers from Aix-Marseille University (AMU).
Rejecting an instrumental approach to art, this chair assumes that art produces knowledge. By focusing on creation, transmission, and impact, the successful residents of this chair will develop their research around one or more of these three fundamental axes:
- Reflection on the therapeutic use of artistic practices by clinicians in the management of cancer and its therapies, primarily immunotherapy.
- Reflection on the social representations of cancer and its therapy for the production of illustrated books, films, etc.
- Reflection on the relationships between artistic practices and clinical and/or scientific practices from an epistemological perspective.
Regarding researchers working on art and with art, they can come from all humanities and social sciences disciplines, including art theory, art history, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, geography, etc. Moreover, this chair is also open to exact and life sciences as long as the research project has a close connection with art and/or artists.
For artists, the chair can accommodate multiple phases of their project as long as they require sustained dialogue with researchers from academic disciplines during the conception of an artwork, thought, or writing (whether theoretical, poetic, or of another nature) early in the process or a bit later in a development phase, but before production.
The Iméra does not provide production facilities but offers an unequipped workshop shared with another resident artist, allowing for various configurations of knowledge that can also be spatialized and materialized in different formats. This can also involve closed or semi-public displays to share moments of research and initial outcomes. The development phase is understood as a constructive back-and-forth between “formal” experiments (written, visual, auditory, montage, etc.) and theoretical research, informed by artistic practice, the experience of that practice, and the sensibilities as practice-based research.
1 Inserm defines immunotherapy as a therapy that “acts on a patient’s immune system to help fight against their disease. In the case of cancer, it does not directly target the tumor but stimulates the immune system.”
Applications deadline: October 16, 2023, 1 PM (Paris time)
Duration of residence: 10 months
Period of residence: From September 2, 2024 to July 4, 2025
Applications are open to scientists from all fields, and to artists, whether they are junior or senior and following the specific criteria set by each program.
– For scientists:
- Not to have lived in France more than 12 months during the three years preceding this call for applications.
- Hold a Doctorate or PhD.
– For artists:
- Not to have lived in France more than 12 months during the three years preceding this call for applications.
- No pre-requirements of diploma and employment contract.
Scientists remuneration
- Junior: €2,000 monthly allowance
- Senior: €3,000 monthly allowance
Are considered juniors, scientists who, at the closing date of the call for applications, have full-time postdoctoral research experience ranging between 2 to 9 years.
Are considered seniors, scientists with minimum 10 years’ experience in full-time research after obtaining the PhD as at the closing date of the call for applications, and university professors.
Artists remuneration
Artists will receive €2,000 monthly allowance or salary (depending on their candidate status).
Residents will also benefit from paid travel expenses and free accommodation on Iméra premises.
The evaluation criteria for applications include, but are not limited to:
- The candidate’s background and experience.
- The artistic research project; based on its originality and rigor, the willingness to take risks and the potential for experimentation, the emphasis on collaboration, and maximizing the opportunities within the intellectual community of Iméra (residents and scientific team), as well as with the partner laboratories of the ICI Institute (C2VN, INP, CRCM, CIML, IBDM, TAGC).
- The interdisciplinary approach; based on proven practice and a project where interdisciplinary work is feasible.
- The alignment of the project with the research lines of the “Arts & Sciences: Indisciplined Knowledge” and “Interdisciplinary Explorations” programs.
- A commitment to engage with a broad audience, especially students (master’s and doctoral students).
Online applications must include the following supporting documents:
- A duly completed application form (mandatory fields);
- A curriculum vitae including a list of publications for researchers, and / or former works for artists.
- A presentation of the project (maximum 5 pages) followed by a selective bibliography (compulsory for researchers) or a list of artistic and scientific references (compulsory for artists).
- A letter of support from an Aix-Marseille University researcher or associate/assistant professor.
The Aix-Marseille University Cancer and Immunology Institute (ICI) brings together research teams, hospitals, and industry partners in Marseille working in the field of cancer and immunology research. The treatment of cancer through the stimulation of the patient’s immune defenses is currently in rapid development and was even awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2018. The institute aims to strengthen the bridges between research and educational teams in the faculties of science, medical and health sciences, and pharmacy in order to establish an integrated international program for training, research, and valorization of research results.