Current Calls for Proposals

UM Abroad Call for Projects – 2026 Campaign – First Round

The deadline for submitting applications is September 27, 2026

Scientific Scope

The exposome refers to the set of environmental and social factors whose specific effects, combined with individuals’ intrinsic characteristics, underlie the onset, progression, and severity of infectious and noncommunicable diseases in humans. In this sense, it is the environmental counterpart to the genome, with which it interacts throughout an individual’s lifetime.

objectives

The objectives of the ExposUM Institute’s Training Division are to:

• Breaking Down Barriers in Education (Interdisciplinarity)
• Help improve skills
• Strengthening ties with countries in the Global South

As part of this effort, several initiatives are being implemented, including promoting the educational programs of the ExposUM community abroad.

In line with the goals of an open university and close cooperation with low- and middle-income countries, as well as the individual initiatives of many researchers during their stays abroad, emphasis will be placed on outbound mobility for faculty and researchers so they can participate in training programs at universities in numerous partner locations.

The goal of the UM Abroad Call for Proposals is to fund short training modules that will be offered at partner sites abroad.

These modules should last between one and two weeks at most, with topics and teaching methods (hands-on training, field applications) tailored to the local context. The language of instruction will also be tailored to the local context.

Organizers must commit to offering free registration for students, which will be an eligibility requirement.

For example, the initiatives supported may include:

• inviting UM faculty and international partners (travel and accommodation);
• organizing visits to scientific or technical sites;
• the purchase of educational materials;
• the rental of classroom space;
• the design of digital educational tools for online learning.

Upon completion of the module, students who have taken it will receive a certificate of participation from the ExposUM Institute. If the course is offered again (see “Duration and Renewal”), and provided they submit an application package including the institutional diploma application form—verified by the Office of Academic Affairs and Student Life and approved by the University’s governing bodies—students may be awarded a micro-certification diploma.

Financing Terms

Each project leader whose project is selected will receive funding of up to 20,000 euros.

Framing

Eligible Expenses

This budget allocation may cover, among other things:

• Operating expenses: travel expenses; fees for temporary staff (excluding personnel costs); services (including catering, travel, rental of classroom space, audiovisual services, etc.).
• Capital expenditures, that is, small items of equipment or teaching materials for recurring activities (excluding equipment costing more than €3,000).

Term and Renewal

The selected project will receive funding for a period of 12 months.

Subject to a positive evaluation at the end of the first year, funding may be renewed annually, through January 31, 2030 (the deadline for full completion of the initiatives).

Calendar

• AAP UM Abroad Round 1 Announcement: July 17, 2026
• Deadline for applications: September 27, 2026
• Announcement of results: Late October 2026
• Project launch: Starting in the first quarter of 2027

Eligibility Criteria

About the Project Leader

The project leader must be affiliated with a UR, UMR, or UMI that is part of the ExposUM Institute consortium (tenured faculty member or faculty-researcher, contract employee, or holder of a contract covering the funding period). The employment contract must cover the duration of the project.

Stocks

The proposed actions must:

• align with the objectives of the Institute’s Training Division;
• help build the skills of local students;
• offer a language of instruction tailored to the local context;
• ensure that student registration remains free of charge;
• promote, where appropriate, interdisciplinary collaboration and interactions with the exposomics community at the University and among its partners.

Submission Guidelines

The proposal must be written in French or English based on the simplified application form (available for download below), following the instructions provided therein.

The academic advisor should send the application materials via email to exposum-formation@umontpellier.fr, with [AAP UM Abroad 2026] in the subject line.

Before September 27

Selection Process 

Proposals will be evaluated based on the quality of the project, as well as its alignment with the Institute’s priorities and themes. This evaluation will be conducted by the ExposUM Institute’s Council for Educational Guidance and Evaluation (COEF).

Selection Criteria (for reference only)

• clear definition of the field of environmental health;
• interdisciplinarity;
• adaptation to the local context;
• skill development;
• feasibility;
• relevance in light of the objectives of the Training Division of the ExposUM Institute.

contact

For any information regarding this call for expressions of interest, please send an email to exposum-formation@umontpellier.fr, including [AAP UM Abroad 2026] in the subject line.

COMMITMENT

The winning candidates agree to:

• In the design and implementation of the project submitted in response to this call for expressions of interest, comply with the values and principles of scientific integrity intended to ensure the honesty and scientific rigor of all research work, as referred to in Article L.211-2 of the Research Code and set forth in the National Code of Ethics for Research Professions and the University of Montpellier’s Charter on Scientific Integrity.
• Comply with the Nagoya Protocol, if applicable.
• Include the logos of the University of Montpellier, France 2030, the ExposUM Institute, and the Occitanie Region in all documents related to the project’s implementation. Specific instructions regarding communication requirements will be provided.
• Submit an annual report to the Institute (exposum-administration@umontpellier.fr) that may be used in the University’s communications materials, following the provided template. A project guide detailing management procedures and reporting requirements will be provided.
• Apply the current UM publication guidelines to all scientific outputs; comply with provisions related to open science and the Law for a Digital Republic (open access publication). The directors of laboratories under UM supervision shall deposit the full text of their publications in the open archive (https://hal.umontpellier.fr).
• Take the necessary steps to obtain the required research authorizations and approvals in regulated sectors (genetically modified organisms, the use of animals for scientific purposes, health data, the use of genetic resources and the sharing of resulting benefits, bioethics, etc.).

Research organizations that are part of the ExposUM Institute consortium

ABSys, AGAP Institute, AIDA, AMAP, Analyses, ART-Dev, ASTRE, BC2M, BCM, BIOLuM, BioWooEB, CBGP, CBS, CDE, CEFE, CEE-M, CEMIPAI, CEPEL, CERCOP, ChimEco, CREAM, CRBM, CSUM, DEFE, DGIMI, DIADE, DIASCOPE, DMEM, ECO&SOLS, ECOTRON, EDPFM, EDSM, ESPACE-DEV, EuroMov DHM, F&S, FHU Evocan 2, FHU Neurexpo, FHU Regenhab 2, FHU TIE, G-EAU, GECO, Génopolys, GM, HortSys, HSM, IATE, IBMM, ICGM, ICS, ICSM, IDEDH, IDESP, IEM, IES, IGF, IGH, IGMM, IHD, IHPE, IMAG, IMAGINE, INM, INNOVATION, INTERTRYP, IPSiM, IRCM, IRIM, IRMB, ISDM, ISEM, ITAP, L2C, LBE, LBN, LDP, LEPSE, LICeM, LIRDEF, LIRMM, LISAH, LMGC, LPHI, LUPM, Maraîchage, MARBEC, MEEB, MISTEA, MIVEGEC, MMDN, MOISA, MRE, MRM, MSH Sud, OREME, PAC Chimie Balard, PCCEI, Pech Rouge, PHIM, PhyMedExp, QualiSud, R&R, SantESiH, SELMET, SENS, SPO, Sys2diag, TETIS, TransVIHMI, VASSAL, VBIC

Call for Proposals: Master’s Internship Support – 2026 Campaign

The deadline for submitting applications is September 27, 2026

Scientific Scope

The exposome refers to the set of environmental and social factors whose specific effects, combined with individuals’ intrinsic characteristics, underlie the onset, progression, and severity of infectious and noncommunicable diseases in humans. In this sense, it is the environmental counterpart to the genome, with which it interacts throughout an individual’s lifetime.

objectives

The objectives of the ExposUM Institute’s Training Division are to:

• Breaking Down Barriers in Education (Interdisciplinarity)
• Help improve skills
• Join the exposomics community at the University of Montpellier and its partners
• Strengthening ties with countries in the Global South

To this end, several initiatives are being organized, includingfunding for M2 master’s internships focusedon topics related to environmental health—in the broadest sense—and falling within ExposUM’s scientific scope.

Financing Terms

The funded internships will be open to M2 master’s students enrolled at the University of Montpellier or one of its partner institutions (list of partner institutions).

Funding is capped at €5,000 per internship, including the stipend for up to 6 months and may include operating expenses directly related to the internship.The funding will be paid in full to the host organizationuponreceipt of the signed internship agreement.

Calendar

• Deadline for submitting projects:September 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. UTC+2

• Announcement of results:early November 2026

• Internships begin:January–March 2027

• Funds will be made available inMarch 2027 (due to the transition to SIFAC+)

Submission Guidelines

Before September 27

contact

For any information regarding this call for expressions of interest, please send an email to exposum-formation@umontpellier.fr, including [AAP STAGE MASTER] in the subject line.

Call for Expressions of Interest

Upcoming selection committee meetings: March 2027

The next selections will take place in early 2027

Support for the visibility, communication, and dissemination of science-society initiatives by the I-SITE research community and its partners

To promote transdisciplinary projects¹ with a local impact and to foster networking among researchers and civil society actors, the ExposUM Institute is offering a new support program for research teams within the I-Site community and their nonprofit partners, to showcase their research on topics related tothe exposome,environmental health, orglobal healthas they pertain to regional challenges at the science-society interface. This support is intended for initiatives in the design phase (funding for exploratory activities to pave the way for a future action-research project), those currently underway (funding for internships, surveys, or outreach events to finalize a research project), or those that have been completed (promotion of the initiative through media, communication, and/or scientific dissemination).

Events must include at least one outreach activity (conference, event, film or documentary screening) to highlight the initiative at the science-society interface and facilitate the sharing of transdisciplinary experiences across I-SITE.

For further information, please feel free to contactAurélie Binot, head of the Science-Society Interfaces research area, orMariline Poupaud, scientific support officer for the research area.

Support Options

This call for expressions of interest, launched in April 2024 by the ExposUM Institute, will remain open until the end of 2028. Funding awarded for each project may be up to8,000 euros, excluding tax.

Proposals may be submitted on a rolling basisthrough the end of December 2028. An evaluation process will be conducted twice a year by an ad hoc selection committee. For the year 2027, the next selection round will take place in March 2027.

Where appropriate, methodological and operational support will be provided through MSH SUD’s action-research initiatives, which the UM relies on as part of ExposUM’s “Science-Society Interfaces” research area (scientific support, communication, audiovisual support, advice on organizing events, assistance with network coordination, and access to MSH SUD workspaces).

Background and Objectives

The ExposUM Institute² is an initiative of the University of Montpellier and its partners³ centered on the concept of the exposome⁴ aiming to establish a leading, cross-disciplinary, off-campus institute for the study, training, and science-society interaction regarding the environmental determinants of human health. The Institute aims to provide an innovative conceptual framework for studying multiple environmental risks and their combined effects on human health through three areas of focus: generating knowledge, applying knowledge, and disseminating knowledge. As part of the effort to apply knowledge,a research focus on “Science-Society” interfacessupports andstrengthenscollaborations between researchers within the I-SITE network and other civil society actors (local governments, associations and cooperatives, citizen groups, government agencies such as the Regional Health Agency, etc.) on research issues related to multiple environmental risks.

Eligibility Criteria

This call for proposals applies to any event—including the formation of research networks, seminars, study days, workshops, symposia, conferences, exhibitions, field surveys, and scientific events—on topics related to the exposome⁵, based on transdisciplinary approaches and involving scientific research in collaboration with civil society (public institutions, associations, private actors, etc.).

The event should aim to apply knowledge related to the exposome (any environmental determinant of human health in the broad sense), that is, to define comprehensive mitigation strategies tailored to the local context and to encourage innovation by creating a “Science-Society” interface to promote the results. Events at the Science/Policy interface will be particularly welcome.

Events must include at least oneoutreach activity(such as a conference, event, or screening of a film or documentary) to promote the initiative.

Funding awarded by the ExposUM Institute will be paid directly to the winning research unit, or possibly to a nonprofit organization through the provision of services (to be determined on a case-by-case basis—please feel free to contact exposum-aap@umontpellier.fr with any questions).

Funding Disbursement Procedures and Eligible Expenses

Funding awarded by the ExposUM Institute will be paid directly to the winning research units or nonprofit organizations (through service contracts). Co-funding from partner organizations, while not mandatory, will be appreciated. Fees for participation in the outreach initiative (if applicable) will be set at a level that makes the event accessible to a broad audience, including students.

Eligibility of Expenses:

• Eligible expenses: operating expenses directly related to the conduct of the survey (small equipment, operating costs, business travel), internship stipends, services rendered, and the organization of an event (excluding high-profile events such as gala dinners and promotional items)
  • Ineligible expenses: capital expenditures, management fees, indirect costs, salaries

Selection Criteria and Procedure

The selection will be made by a dedicated committee composed of the executive committee and the president of ExposUM’s COSS⁶ and three members of the I-Site with experience in transdisciplinary research. The committee will meet at least once every three months, at the end of each quarter. The following criteria will be considered:

• A proposal that must involve an I-Site research team and civil society actors focused on the concept of the exposome.
• Relevance in light of the ExposUM Institute’s strategic priorities: establishing new partnerships, regional issues, the One Health approach, Global Health and Southern Health, and promoting the involvement of the humanities and social sciences.
• Ability to engage both experienced researchers and early-career researchers
• Efforts Toward Gender-Balanced Representation
• Credibility, Amount, and Relevance of the Funding Request

Submission Guidelines and Schedule

• Proposals may be submitted on an ongoing basis through the end of December 2028 to thisemail address, with [AMI Axis 2 ExposUM] in the subject line of the email.
• Proposals must be written in French or English using theproposal form, following the instructions provided therein. You can also download the form in PDF format.

AMI ExposUM Interfaces Questionnaire – PDF 2 MBDownload

• The selection committee will evaluate proposals twice a year. Decisions will be communicated to the applicants following the selection committee meeting. Next selection committee meeting: mid-June 2026; submissions accepted until June 8. The next committee meetings will be held in 2027.
• The initiative must take place within 12 months of notification of the award.

Obligations of the holder

Project leaders agree to:

• Include the logos of the University of Montpellier, France 2030, the ExposUM Institute, and the Occitanie Region in all documents and materials related to the initiative
• Submit a qualitative and quantitative report no later than 3 months after the end of the initiative
• Provide the ExposUM Institute with access to the initiative’s deliverables (e.g., meeting minutes, video recordings, internship reports, survey results)
• Participate in outreach events organized by the University of Montpellier, such as: Sud de sciences (the science film festival of Montpellier and its metropolitan area, held in December) / Fête de la science / Bar des Sciences / Ecran de savoirs (YouTube channel)
• For events, please provide the ExposUM Institute with a brief description (1/2 page) at least one month in advance, which may be used in the University of Montpellier’s promotional materials.

Footnotes

https://www.umontpellier.fr/universite/projets-emblematiques/exposum↩︎

1. A transdisciplinary approach is based on conducting research and generating knowledge with society rather than for society, by engaging stakeholders in shared challenges (Seidl et al. 2013, Utrecht University Transdisciplinary Field Guide)↩︎
2. Winner of the ExcellenceS (PIA4) call for proposals and supported by the Occitanie Region ↩︎
3. CIRAD, CNRS, Ifremer, INRAE, INRIA, Inserm, IRD, ENSCM, Institut Agro, Montpellier University Hospital, ICM, Occitanie Region↩︎
4. The exposome refers to the totality of lifelong exposures to environmental and social factors whose specific effects, combined with individuals’ intrinsic characteristics, underlie health as well as the onset, progression, and severity of infectious and noncommunicable diseases in humans. In this sense, it is the environmental counterpart to the genome, with which it interacts throughout an individual’s lifetime. ↩︎
5. For example, environmental pollution, the relationship between water and health, vector-borne infectious diseases, air quality, preventive care, vaccination, public awareness… ↩︎
6. https://www.umontpellier.fr/universite/projets-emblematiques/exposum↩︎