Collegium de Lyon
The Collegium de Lyon was founded in 2006 in keeping with the two principles of what makes an IAS: a fully global approach and an active interdisciplinary approach. The Collegium de Lyon believed that encouraging interdisciplinary research from the start was the most beneficial way to renew and diversify the research conducted within each discipline, as this could strengthen the dynamics specific to each field. Interdisciplinarity also generates new perspectives on the fields of knowledge and multiplies the points of view by fostering scientific inspiration.
The Collegium de Lyon’s ambition is to host the most original and outstanding scientific projects that fit within the research potential of the Lyon Saint-Etienne academic site. No restrictions are placed on fields of research, topics or cultural contexts. Each fellow is free to pursue the work of their choosing, with no predefined program limiting their creativity. The IAS does not invite researchers specifically because they work on a similar theme: the process is completely bottom-up. The Institute aims only at selecting the best, regardless of their specialty or their field of research. As a consequence, applications cover a large range of disciplines, areas of knowledge and societal issues. Applicants are selected from an open and recurring call for applications. The hope is that during their stay, they will cultivate the Collegium de Lyon’s structuring themes as a natural consequence of the collaborations they develop with other fellows, teachers and researchers of the Lyon Saint-Etienne academic site. Original, truly interdisciplinary perspectives may then arise from having outstanding researchers working on different topics in the same location in ideal work conditions. The most successful IASs in the world maintain close ties to their location, and the Collegium de Lyon follows this pattern with its strong connection to the metropolises of Lyon and Saint-Etienne.
A component of the Université de Lyon
The Collegium de Lyon follows the model of the University Based Institute for Advanced Study (UBIAS). The Université de Lyon is a world-class academic site of excellence. It is located at the heart of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, in Lyon & Saint-Étienne. The fellows of the Collegium de Lyon are hosted at a dynamic, attractive academic site that provides outstanding education and research, where they can interact with 172 laboratories and 6,800 researchers and research lecturers. In 2017, the Université de Lyon was awarded the Initiative d’excellence (IDEX) label, establishing it as a world-class research university.
Scientific program
By providing freedom of research to a community of outstanding researchers, the Collegium de Lyon’s primary aim is to build a high-level scientific community centered on the humanities and social sciences that is open cross-cutting research projects incorporating the hard sciences, offering a truly novel interdisciplinary perspective. With this in mind, the Institute extends invitations to internationally-renowned researchers, professors and scholars. It is open to all original and outstanding individual projects from a large range of disciplines, research topics and societal questions.
Fellows are selected primarily based on two criteria:
• Scientific excellence, and particularly the innovative aspect of the project, which is expected to produce significant new knowledge on a given topic
• Their relevance to the research potential of the Lyon academic site and their willingness to develop effective collaborations with the relevant laboratories
Applying to the Collegium
The Collegium de Lyon employs a selection process designed to find the most high-level applications and the most innovative projects, while ensuring equality between the applicants, a transparent process and the respect of the data provided by applicants.
The call for applications is open each year between the May 31 and September 30. Applicants may request a stay of five or ten months during the following academic year.
