AI cluster Chairs | OPEN
3IA Côte d'Azur is launching its new call for applications for Chairs in 2026 on the AI Cluster funding.
Two types of 3IA Chairs are proposed:
- Senior Chairs: for 4 years, targeting full professors, senior researchers (and similar).
- Junior Chairs: for 4 years, targeting assistant/associate professors, junior researchers (and similar).
- Introduction
- The selecton process will be highly competitive due to the limited number of new chair positions. The candidates must justfy the nature and outstanding quality of their contributions to the field of Artficial Intelligence. Outstanding candidates who are not awarded a chair may be granted with a fellowship position, if recommended by the external selection committee.
Applications must target (at least) one of the three research axes of the Institute:
Axis 1 - Fundamentals of AI,
Axis 2 - AI for Health,
Axis 3 - AI for Smart and secure spaces.
Particular interest will be given to applications of researchers or faculty members in close collaboration with companies or socio-economic partners, and/or with strong interdisciplinary collaborations. Applications from Inserm, SKEMA Business School, Centrale Méditerranée and Ecole de l’Air et de l’Espace, and all other members of the 3IA Côte d'Azur consortium are welcomed.
Two types of IA cluster Chairs are proposed:
- Senior Chairs: for 4 years, targeting full professors, senior researchers (and similar).
- Junior Chairs: for 4 years, targeting assistant/associate professors, junior researchers (and similar).
This call is open to:
- Researchers and faculty members already employed by an institution within the 3IA Côte d'Azur consortium.
- Applicants for a position as researcher or faculty member within the 3IA Côte d'Azur consortium (subject to being granted a permanent position). - IA cluster Chair package and teaching hours
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IA cluster Chair package :
- Premium that can be converted in teaching releases according to employer rules for professors: 7200€ (gross) per year for senior chairholders (full professors or equivalent) and 5400€ (gross) per year for junior chairholders (associate professors or equivalent)*.
- Budgetary allocation to cover basic operating costs up to 15000€ per year for a senior chair, up to 6000€ per year for a junior chair**.
- Access to 3IA Côte d’Azur doctoral and post-doctoral calls.
- Priority access to Techpool and collaborative projects with partner companies.
- Access to 3IA Côte d’Azur events.
Teaching hours :
Candidates (senior or junior) commit to give at least 32 hours of teaching in AI per year, within the 3IA Côte d'Azur consortium, primarily in the Institute's AI training courses and to devote half of his/her time to 3IA Côte d'Azur activities.
* subject to regulatory possibilities and/or establishment policies relating to the payment of premiums
** in accordance with the terms and conditions defined by the employing establishment - How to apply
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The application, in a single PDF file, must be submited via Easychair
The application (written in English) must include :
* Curriculum vitae (max. 5 pages using 10 pt font and standard A4 margins). In their CV, the candidates must justify the nature and outstanding quality of their contributions to the field of Artificial Intelligence. In addition, they must show that they have acquired international recognition in their research field (awards, coordination of national/international research projects, responsibilities in scientific committees, publications in highly recognised AI journals and conferences, invited keynote lectures);
* Research project (max. 4 pages in 10 pt font and standard A4 margins, references excluded), starting with a summary (380 characters max) and indicating its contribution to the 3IA Côte d'Azur research axes, the existing collaboration with companies, the interdisciplinarity of the project;
* Letter of commitment stating that the candidate will devote half of his/her time to 3IA Côte d'Azur, including research, education, innovation & partnership and outreach activities, and Institute representation in scientific and general public events;
* An official letter from the candidate's employer stating that the application to the 3IA Côte d'Azur Chair programme is approved and supported by the employer;
* A list of three names of foreign experts (working out of France) in the candidate's field to enable us to constitute a pool of international evaluators for the received applications. Please provide for each expert: name, link to personal web page, email address and a brief explanation of why you are proposing this expert. Conflicts of interest must absolutely be avoided and include: same laboratory, same research unit / previous (last 7 years) or current collaborations / co-publications / competition / previous or current evaluation of research projects / personal relationships. - Evaluation criteria
- Applications will be evaluated following these criteria:
1. Scientific excellence
2. National and international exposure
3. Contribution of the proposed research project to the research Axes of the 3IA
4. Publications in top-tier conferences/journals in AI, Machine Learning and AI subfields, and/or publications in major methodological and/or applied journals
5. Research & development activities and/or industrial collaborations (past, current and envisioned in the proposed research project)
6. Interdisciplinary research activities in connection with AI
7. Applicant's discipline: computer science/mathematics or other. If other discipline, the scientific project must offer enough guarantees that the applicant will be able to call on the required AI expertise.
The received applications will be evaluated by a selection committee composed of international experts in AI external to the Institute, along with the support of the scientific direction of the 3IA and the scientific coordinators of each research axis. - Timetable
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- Deadline for applications: September 15th, 2026
- Publication of results: February 2027
Invited researchers | OPEN
This call is open to researchers who have a position in a foreign university or research institute.
The duration of the research stay at the 3IA Côte d’Azur will be between one and three months.
- How to apply
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The application - to be sent by the corresponding 3IA chairholder to 3ia@listes.univ-cotedazur.fr - includes:
- dates of the visit in the 3IA,
- curriculum vitæ (max. 5 pages using 10 pt fonts and standard A4 margins),
- research project (max. 1 pages using 10 pt font and standard A4 margins), indicating her/his contribution to 3IA Côte d’Azur research axis and collaborations with companies.
All the requested documents must be gathered and concatenated in a single PDF file. - Calendar
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Applications are reviewed continuously.