Launched in May 2024 by the “Food Systems, Microbiomes and Health” research program (PEPR SAMS), the call for junior chairs aimed to give young scientists the means to create and lead their own research team within a French laboratory. With funding of up to €500k (excluding management fees) for projects lasting 4 to 4.5 years, this call contributes to the development of ambitious scientific projects on the study of the microbiome and human health.
The research areas covered by the call included:
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- Cutting-edge research on host-microbiome symbiosis
- Identification of factors disrupting symbiosis and homeostasis
- Identification of biomarkers for risk, diagnosis, and prognosis, and predictors of treatment response and toxicity
- Development of new preventive and therapeutic strategies, and specific, controlled interventional studies
- Development of data science for the study of human holobionts (host-microbiome)
After a period for submitting applications, 10 applications were evaluated according to the following process:
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- An initial selection phase, carried out by a national jury, aimed to evaluate the candidates’ backgrounds and their interest in joining the French research environment
- A second selection phase, conducted by an international jury (France, Spain, Germany, United Kingdom, Sweden, Luxembourg), was based on an analysis of the research projects submitted.
At the end of these selection stages, three laureates and their projects were selected for the four available grants.
A second wave of the call for junior chairs will therefore be launched in early 2026 to identify the final chair project supported by the PEPR SAMS.
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- Nicolas Benech
Project title: TROPHIC – Trophic Regulation of Gut Physiology through Host-Microbiome Interactions in the Context of Malnutrition and Chemotherapy
Host laboratory: Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon
Funding: 500k€ over 54 months
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- Lejla Imamovic
Project title: VIROMUNE – Illuminating the Role of Viral Dark Matter in Drug-induced Alterations of Microbiome-Immune Homeostasis
Host laboratory: Institut Cochin
Funding: 500k€ over 54 months
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- Océane Martin
Project title: GLIOBIOTA – Investigating the Impact of the Gut Bacterial Microbiome and Dietary Factors on Glioblastoma Progression and Treatment Resistance Through the Gut-Brain Axis
Host laboratory: Institut de Biochimie et Génétique Cellulaire
Funding: 500k€ over 54 months