The MITI
The main objectives of the Mission for Transversal and Interdisciplinary Initiatives (MITI) are to support interdisciplinary research programs and transverse initiatives within the CNRS, to organize prospective symposia and to coordinate transverse professional and technology networks.
Presentation
At the interface of disciplines…
As the scientific directorate of the CNRS’s Research Office, MITI’s main missions are to :
- Support emerging research projects built with the ten CNRS Institutes, which are characterized by risk taking, an exploratory nature and novel collaborations at the frontiers of disciplines,
- Piloting competitive programs targeting strategic themes for the CNRS but also for all French research institutions,
- Organize prospective symposia to explore the emergence and expectations of communities around new interdisciplinary research priorities,
- Coordinate the actions of some twenty CNRS cross-cutting professional and technological networks, which are spaces for exchange and mutual enrichment between researchers, engineers and technicians from multidisciplinary scientific backgrounds.
Steering Committee – COPIL
Chaired by the DGDS and composed of one representative in charge of the interdisciplinarity of each of the 10 CNRS institutes, COPIL proposes, implements, coordinates and ensures the follow-up of MITI’s actions.
| Antoine PETIT – Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CNRS |
| Alain SCHUHL – Chief Research Science Officier |
| Martina KNOOP – Director of the MITI |
| Marie-Hélène BEAUVAIS -Cabinet secretary-Presidency |
| Fabienne AUJARD – INEE |
| Anne SIEGEL – INS2I |
| Annick LESNE – INP |
| Stéphanie VERMEERSH – INSHS |
| Maryvonne GERIN LASLIER – INSU |
| Anne-Marie GUE – INSIS |
| Sébastien INCERTI – IN2P3 |
| Maguy JABER – INC |
| Florian LESAGE – INSB |
| Olivier SAUT – INSMI |
MITI finances and supports interdisciplinary and inter-institute research programs proposed by COPIL, the vast majority of which are in line with the axes of the Performance Objectives Contract (2019-2023). These calls for projects (AAP) essentially target emerging, exploratory and interdisciplinary themes requiring novel collaborations between disciplines that are not used to working together. Some themes are addressed in partnership with other research organizations.
The pluri- or transdisciplinary approaches taken by the CNRS institutes are aimed at exploring new topics or developing common strategies for major scientific challenges. MITI supports and coordinates these transversal initiatives.
The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation has entrusted it with the management of priority research programmes for all French research institutions, covering subjects such as Sport or Make Our Planet Great Again.
To define its scientific policy, MITI relies on prospective symposia targeting emerging themes that require the scientific community to come together and position itself.
Leverage effects in a few figures (self-declaration survey 2013-2017 with 63% of responses):
• 1256 publications and 112 book chapters,
• 37 patents,
• 299 theses and 143 post-docs,
• 11 ERC and 38 European projects,
• 98 ANR,
• 168 site activities,
• 82 regional supports,
• 154 other support (foundations, etc.)
Organisational Chart
Networks Platform
MITI manages certain CNRS professional and technological networks which have in common the federation of a population around a profession or technology represented in a transverse way in the organization, its institutes and departments.
Open to all those involved in higher education, research and innovation, these networks are spaces for dialogue and exchange between organisations and institutions, between scientific and technical staff, between professions and at the heart of professions. They allow the confrontation and sharing of experiences beyond the context of the project team or the laboratory and to feed the communities with knowledge acquired in different scientific situations, thus being carriers of technological interdisciplinarity.
The monitoring committee of the networks is composed of the following persons :
| Nathalie BILLON – INSB |
| Michèle DASSA – CMFI-INSHS |
| Benoît DEVINCRE – INP |
| Gerald DHERBOMEZ – INS2I |
| Christiane ENAME -DRH-SFIP |
| Joanna JANIK – DIST |
| Pierre KERN – DAT INSU |
| Martina KNOOP – Director of the MITI |
| Sylviane LESIEUR – INC |
| Thierry OLLIVIER – IN2P3 |
| Muriel PERIER – DRH OMES |
| Jean-Claude POMMIER – INSIS |
| Anne-Antonella SERRA – MITI Head of the Networks Platform |
| Elisabeth SOUQUET – SFIP-DRH |
| Raphael THON – CFE-DIRE |
The networks and the platform in a few figures :
- 21 national networks and nearly 11,000 members (of which 27% are researchers),
- 58 associated regional networks,
- 47 national thematic days or technical workshops per year,
- 43 national training actions per year.
>> find more information on the page dedicated to the Networks Platform
