Call for Applications – 2019
The Blaise Pascal International Chairs Program enables eminent foreign and expatriate researches to be hosted by higher education and research institutions of the Paris Region and provides necessary funding for their research project.
Founded in 1996, The Blaise Pascal International Chairs of Excellence has enjoyed a prestigious reputation worldwide: 5 Nobel Prize winners among 98 awards recipients, 11,4 million euros in funding provided by the Paris Region, favorable hosting conditions and internationally visible scientific results.
By hosting world-renowned foreign researchers, the Paris Region addresses its research policy goals; in particular, it aims at developing top-ranked universities and campuses and enhancing international attractiveness of its higher education and research institutions.
Given the low number of female applications in previous years, the Paris Region strongly encourages women scientists to apply.
Each Chair holder is to be hosted by one or more higher education and research institutions of the Paris Region for the minimum hosting period of 12 months (full-time) that can be spread over 2 years. The exact entry date is defined by a host institution.
Who can apply
This call for applications is open to high-level foreign researchers (without any condition of nationality) or expatriate researchers in position abroad.
They must propose an ambitious research project that should be carried out in collaboration with researchers in host laboratory of the Paris Region.
Applications must be drawn up jointly by applicants and their host institutions in the Paris Region. All the applications must be preselected by Comues (associations of universities and higher education institutions) and submitted by hosting institutions after the preselection phase. Each Comue association (or hosting institution which doesn’t belong to any Comue) may present up to five applications, of seven applications if at least two applicants are women.
Eligible projects
This 2019 campaign is open to projects of all disciplines and all scientific fields and in particular to those in human and social sciences.
The candidate must propose an ambitious research project (regardless of research topics) that he (she) intends to conduct in collaboration with a laboratory attached to a host higher education or research institution of the Paris Region.
In order to disseminate the results of their research, applicants must propose a teaching program including at least 10 lectures, at least one seminar for students and young researchers of the Paris Region as well as one public talk presenting research carried out during their stay.
They also submit an end of stay report describing the results of their research and their activities during the stay. Depending on their availability, chairs-holders are invited to attend (PhD) students’ meetings organized by the Paris Region.
Funding conditions
The award-package is attributed to a public or private non-profit research or higher education institution situated in the Paris Region which laboratories will host the chairs-holders.
The maximum award package is 170 000€ per chair. This finding covers mainly the researcher’s pay, as well as some operating costs needed to carry out the research project: cost of hiring assistants and researchers, travel and installation expenses, conferences and seminars organization cost…Equipment costs and management fees are not covered by the package.
In addition to funding provided by the «Blaise Pascal International Chairs of Excellence» program, host institutions are to provide additional resources that will reinforce the candidate’s research activities. This co-financing may come from different sources, like COMUES, enterprises, foundations, etc.
Preference will be given to applications with co-funding.
Hosting conditions
In order to facilitate entry and residence in France, the chair-holders and their families will be given personal assistance. This assistance and support are to be provided by a Comue association or a host institution, through their hospitality services and partnerships. A part of the award package can be used to provide necessary hosting conditions.
The Paris Region contributes to better hosting conditions through its support program Acc&ss designed to improve hosting and assistance to foreign researchers, as well as by making available its rental housing stock at the Maison de l’Ile-de-France and at Victor Lyon Foundation, both situated at Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris.
Selection process
The selection is based on the basis of a dossier which must be submitted by a host institution through the regional online platform: mesdemarches.iledefrance.fr
Deadline for the submission of applications is May 1, 2019, 10h00am.
Applications must be complete, comply with the requested format and submitted in accordance with the established deadline.
Application must contain the following files :
*Application form, in accordance with the attached model,
*The Candidate’s CV,
*List of publications covering the past 5 years,
*Reasoned opinion from the head of the host laboratory,
*Letter of support from the president of Comue association,
*Commitment letter from a private partner (if the project is co-financed).
Web page
Contact: chairesblaisepascal@iledefrance.fr