Iméra - Institute for Advanced Study of Aix Marseille Université
2 place Leverrier
13004 Marseille
France
univ-amu [dot] fr
Mission
Iméra is an Aix Marseille Université (amU) Foundation. From its very inception, Iméra has been a member of the RFIEA (French Advanced Study Institutes Network), the European Network of University-Based Institutes, and the University-Based Institute for Advanced Study (UBIAS) network.
Iméra fellowships mainly offers 5- or 10-month residencies for academic scholars and artists, some of which are developed in conjunction with partner institutions from the academic or cultural sectors. The fellows can take advantage of the time, space, and resources needed to explore new topics and research practices, both individually and in collaboration with colleagues.
The Iméra spirit is embodied in an ideal of collective, plural, interdisciplinary, and international excellence characterised by the protection of individual time, while also offering moments of collective exchanges and conversations with other fellows, the scientific team of Iméra, and as well as members of the rich academic and cultural communities of Aix-en-Provence and Marseille.
Specific calls for applications allow the Iméra to invite diverse scholars and artists with varying residency formats: Fellows, Senior Fellows (former fellows who have been invited back to further develop the potential of their original scientific or artistic project), faculty members from Aix Marseille Université on research leave, and Postdoc Fellows under 35 years old. Whenever possible, Iméra also welcomes scholars and artists at risk.
Scientific goals
Research projects carried out at Iméra focus primarily on interdisciplinary interactions between natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the arts. Researchers explore and enhance the potential openings between disciplines and new research methodologies.
Each of the fellows’ research projects relates to one or more of the interdisciplinary research programmes: Arts & Sciences: Indisciplined Knowledge, Mediterranean, Interdisciplinary Dialogues, and Necessary Utopias. The programmes have been developed by members of the Iméra scientific team and offer sufficiently broad thematic frameworks so as not to exclude from the outset any research project proposals from residency candidates. But at the same time, the programmes are sufficiently defined to allow convergences of affinity, opportunities for discussion and shared work to be created within the community of residents, as much as in exchanges with the Iméra scientific team and a wide range of partners.
The activities of each research programme typically revolve around an annual workshop series, research projects, and events organised by residents in collaboration with affiliated laboratories and departments within Aix Marseille Université and partner institutions. Collaborations with the site take a wide variety of forms, including research seminars, workshops, conferences, public forums, artistic performances, and experimental collaborations.
Iméra promotes intellectual curiosity and courage, discovery, and strong interdisciplinary approaches through an ethic of respect and collective collaboration.
Iméra, the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) of Aix Marseille Université, offers a dynamic and diverse campus life for its research fellows. The institute is located in a beautiful park just a short walk from Parc Longchamp and the city’s lively centre, a stone’s throw from Marseille’s Old Port.
Iméra fellows enjoy fully equipped, quiet apartments. The apartments are designed to provide a comfortable and practical living space for fellows during their stay. A well-equipped workspace with stunning views of the park and the Marseille Astronomical Observatory is also available to them. It is an ideal environment in which researchers can focus on their projects and collaborate with colleagues from different fields.