Major collaborations

At the Adolphe Merkle Institute, we believe that collaborations contribute to better science. Successful research often stems from working with the right people beyond the confines of one's laboratory. Many of these collaborations are informal, organized within the framework of individual projects. There are others, strategically important for the development of long-term objectives, that require a more formal framework, but also attract more substantial funding. These collaborations are both national and international. Researchers at our institute currently participate in four major institutional collaborations: the National Center of Competence in Research Bio-Inspired Materials, the PIRE initiative that brings researchers from AMI and the United States together, the EIC Pathfinder project INTEGRATE, and the European ULTRHAS project.

Why collaborate with other partners?

Scientific collaboration is important for AMI for a number of reasons, encompassing various dimensions of research, innovation, and societal impact:

Enhanced Problem Solving
- Interdisciplinary Insights: Collaboration brings together diverse expertise from different fields, allowing for comprehensive approaches to complex problems that a single discipline might not solve effectively.
- Innovative Solutions: Different perspectives can inspire creative solutions and novel ideas, driving scientific advancement.

Resource Sharing
- Access to Equipment and Facilities: Collaborative efforts often provide access to state-of-the-art equipment, facilities, and resources that might be unavailable to individual researchers or institutions.
- Cost Sharing: Pooling resources reduces costs, making large-scale and expensive research projects feasible.

Increased Productivity and Efficiency
- Division of Labor: Teams can divide tasks according to expertise, enhancing efficiency and productivity.
- Accelerated Research: Collaborative projects can move faster than individual efforts, speeding up the discovery process and the dissemination of results.

Higher Quality Research
- Peer Review and Feedback: Collaboration allows for continuous peer review and feedback, improving the quality and rigor of the research.
- Replicability and Validation: Collaborative studies can involve multiple researchers and institutions, enhancing the replicability and validation of findings.

Global Impact
- Addressing Global Challenges: Many scientific challenges require international collaboration to address these challenges effectively.
- Standardization and Consistency: Collaborative efforts promote the standardization of methods and protocols, ensuring consistency and comparability of data across different studies.

Capacity Building and Education
- Training and Mentorship: Collaborative projects often involve training opportunities for students and early-career researchers, fostering the next generation of scientists.
- Knowledge Transfer: Collaboration facilitates the transfer of knowledge and skills between institutions, enhancing the overall scientific capacity.

Funding and Support
- Attracting Funding: Collaborative projects are often more attractive to funding agencies because they promise comprehensive approaches and higher impact.
- Institutional Support: Institutions are more likely to support collaborative projects that align with their strategic goals and demonstrate the potential for significant contributions to the field.

Networking and Career Development
- Professional Networks: Collaboration helps scientists build professional networks, opening doors for future collaborations, career opportunities, and advancements.
- Visibility and Recognition: Being part of collaborative projects can enhance a researcher's visibility and recognition in the scientific community.

Societal Benefits
- Public Engagement: Collaborative projects often have higher visibility and can engage the public more effectively, fostering greater public understanding and support for science.
- Policy Influence: Research from collaborative efforts can be more influential in informing policy and decision-making due to its comprehensive and multidisciplinary nature.