Scientific collaboration

A new prize, open to researchers at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, the ENGIE Foundation Prize “Talents de la recherche au Musée de l’Homme” (Talented Researchers at the Musée de l’Homme) awards an annual grant to a researcher working on subjects linked to the Musée de l’Homme. The aim is to encourage innovative interdisciplinary projects and a collaborative research dynamic on the following theme: “Societies’ resilience in the face of past and present climate change”.

Allocated each year for a period of three years, this research grant is awarded by a jury made up of scientists from the MNHN, representatives from the ENGIE Foundation and external figures. The winning researcher commits to sharing their research project with the general public through, for example, conferences, publications or a presentation on the Balcon des sciences (Balcony of Sciences) in the Musée de l’Homme.

A major patron of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle for over 10 years and the Founding Patron of the Musée de l’Homme since 2015, the ENGIE Foundation wanted to continue its commitment by supporting “Talented researchers at the Musée de l’Homme".

The opening of the Musée de l’Homme took advantage of two major scientific collaboration projects (GeacMus and MH@SU)

Supported by the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle and the Paris Sorbonne, this two-fold unit involved three other Sorbonne Universities establishments: Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC – Pierre and Marie Curie University), Université Technologique de Compiègne (UTC – Compiègne University of Technology) and Pôle supérieur d'enseignement artistique Paris Boulogne-Billancourt (PSPBB – Boulogne-Billancourt School of Arts), as well as two associated establishments (Laboratoire du Musée de la Musique (Museum of Music Laboratory) and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (National Music and Dance Conservatory in Paris).
It studied the playing of instruments, taking into account how an instrument is made, its acoustics, the gestures it entails, musical language and their cultural representations. This interdisciplinary perspective provided a better understanding of the complexity of instruments and the way they are used from the standpoint of function, aesthetics and identity, as well as the crossover between these three dimensions and how they have evolved throughout the ages.
This project, financed by Sorbonne Universities, had a budget of €204,000 for 2015 (of which €204,000 at the Museum), covering the invitation of two foreign professors, the recruitment of doctoral and post-doctoral candidates, and the financing of interdisciplinary research.

The refurbishment of the Musée de l’Homme made it possible to bring together, in a single location, unique biological anthropology, ethnology and prehistory collections, documentation, exhibition spaces, technology platforms, research activities, teaching and public education, thereby reconnecting with the concept of laboratory museum.
Thanks to the SATS-SU MH@SU project (Support for cross-cutting, structuring actions at Sorbonne Universities), driven by the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle and UPMC, the new Musée de l’Homme is meant to become a structuring instrument for Sorbonne Universities, notably in the field of mankind evolution and societies.
The resources available at the Musée de l’Homme are therefore of major benefit to the Sorbonne Universities scientific community, while the interdisciplinary projects carried out within the establishments are creating a new collaborative research dynamic.
This project received €878,000 in funding from Sorbonne Universities.