Suggestion box on the plan to set up an Institut Pasteur center in Saclay

The Institut Pasteur has embarked on a reflection regarding the potential setup of an Institut Pasteur center at the Saclay research cluster. So far, this reflection is in the initial stages and no decision has been made. Proposals of any kind are therefore welcome and will be considered during consultation and discussion with staff on campus. The decision regarding the possible setup of a center in Saclay falls within the remit of the Institut Pasteur Board of Directors.

 

This plan has taken shape within the context of the rapid scientific development of the Saclay cluster, which is already characterized by the presence of several universities, prestigious grandes écoles and a number of major corporate R&D centers (EDF, Danone, Thalès). The Saclay cluster therefore offers an extremely attractive scientific environment, boasting considerable assets in engineering and promoting interdisciplinary research.

 

The potential setup of an Institut Pasteur Saclay center is a major development opportunity for the Institut Pasteur, partly because of the quality of this scientific environment, but also because of the possibility of developing leading high-profile infrastructures (notably technological infrastructures) that simply cannot be envisaged for the Paris campus at the current time.

 

A project of this scale can only happen with massive support from the Institut Pasteur community and with staff backing for a second site. As part of this process, the Institut Pasteur senior management team tasked Philippe Bousso and Alain Jacquier with providing a blueprint for the scientific project giving rise to an Institut Pasteur center in Saclay. The scientists were also tasked with considering practical aspects to ensure that the Institut Pasteur Saclay center is both firmly established in its Saclay environment and remains closely linked to the Paris campus.

 

A broad-based consultation has already been undertaken, including the Board of Scientific Advisors, the research departments, via the department heads, and the Scientific Council (December 2015), as well as certain key scientists at the Institut Pasteur, including heads of centers, units and G5s, and members of the management team. For the scientific project blueprint, three key scientific areas have emerged from the discussions and could form the backbone of the Institut Pasteur Saclay center. These are:

• research focused on the complexity of the living organism or the study of complex biological systems

• a bioengineering center

• a large-scale function testing core for living organisms.

 

Although this scientific consultation process produced three themes to feature in the scientific project, each one needs to be studied individually in greater depth within working groups. In order to engage and involve the Institut Pasteur community as far as possible, the procedure will be twofold. It will involve the appointment of experts by senior management, in order to ensure proper representation of the various components and disciplines of the Institut Pasteur within these working groups. The Institut Pasteur will also include representatives of the schools and universities located within the Saclay cluster in these working groups, in order to fine-tune the scientific orientations in consultation with the representatives on-site.

 

With a view to involving all staff, the department heads are convening a meeting with their staff to give each person the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings about the project.

 

There is now also an online suggestion box projet-saclay@pasteur.fr. It can be used by all staff and offers each and every one of you an additional chance to suggest ideas for the new Institut Pasteur Saclay center. You may also put your ideas, views, suggestions or questions to paper and pop them in the box located in the corridor between the cafeteria and staff restaurant and available from today, January 22.