ENS Rennes

The École Normale Supérieure de Rennes (ENS Rennes) is a higher education and research institution dedicated to training top-level scientific professionals for public service. It emphasizes research-based and research-driven education, primarily preparing students for careers in higher
education and research in the fields of Law – Economics – Management, Computer Science, Mathematics, Mechatronics, Sports Science and Physical Education, and Environmental Sciences. The institution’s scientific strategy is based on: (i) attractiveness at all levels, (ii) a stimulating scientific environment, and (iii) a strong integration of research within education, contributing to the excellence of the academic community. ENS Rennes offers a high-quality scientific environment through the recognized excellence of its partner research units, the rigor of its training programs, and its specific initiatives that foster scientific engagement.

ENS Rennes actively supports the development of the “Université de Rennes”, a consortium of public institutions for higher education and research in Rennes. It became a component institution on January 1, 2023. In this context, ENS Rennes is positioning itself as a key player in
the field of transitions by establishing a teaching and research department dedicated to Environmental Sciences and by ensuring that all its students receive training on the major transitions of the 21st century—whether environmental, digital, societal, or industrial. Every student should be able to understand these transitions beyond their own scientific expertise and be equipped to analyze and address these challenges within their discipline.

Following the establishment of the Environmental Sciences department in 2022, the École Normale Supérieure de Rennes is opening a faculty position for an Associate Professor (“Maître de Conférences”) starting in September 2025. The selected candidate will play a key role in the development of this new teaching and research department

Homepage: https://international.ens-rennes.fr/

Teaching

The primary teaching needs are focused on two interdisciplinary degree programs coordinated by the department of Environmental Sciences at ENS Rennes: the Pluridisciplinary Cycle of Higher Education (CPES) “Sciences, Environment, Society” (SEnS) and the PhDTrack “Environmental Transitions.” The CPES is a selective undergraduate program (Licence level) delivered jointly by the preparatory class at Lycée Chateaubriand, the University of Rennes and the ENS Rennes, with ENS Rennes specifically responsible for introducing students to research. The PhDTrack is a graduate program developed in partnership with several Master programs in Rennes, where selected students participate in PhDTrack courses designed to enhance their skills in interdisciplinary research and socio-environmental transitions. The CPES and PhDTrack are characterized by a quantitative and systemic approach, relying on expertise in mathematics, programming and modeling tools, as well as an understanding of interactions between models and data. These two programs span five years of study (from L1 to M2), host approximately 150 students, and aim to prepare them for research by combining disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches.

The selected candidate will be primarily involved in these two programs through supervision of interdisciplinary projects and research training (e.g., small research projects for CPES L2 students, “Transversal Approaches to Environmental Sciences” course for PhDTrack M1 students). They will also contribute to the development of new programs, including international ones, related to environmental transitions. Finally, the candidate will take on administrative and leadership responsibilities for these programs, such as year coordination or managing international research internships for CPES L3 students.

Research

The selected candidate will conduct research within the OSERen (Observatory of Environmental Sciences of Rennes), a multidisciplinary research federation. They will be assigned to one of these three research units: LETG-Rennes, ECOBIO or Géosciences Rennes. The candidate’s research will be directly aligned with socio-environmental transition challenges and must incorporate quantitative approaches to analyze spatial and temporal dynamics of the environment in a broad sense, potentially including social and economic dimensions. This research may involve data acquisition and processing and/or numerical modeling. In both cases, these approaches should provide insights into current and future environmental and societal dynamics at territorial or global scales. While not exhaustive, potential research topics may include: the study of one or more planetary boundaries, the sustainability of socio-ecosystems regarding natural resources, societal adaptation to climate change and associated risks, restoration of natural environments, the functioning of ecological networks impacted by environmental disturbances.

The selected candidate must demonstrate their ability and potential to develop and secure funding for internationally recognized research, adopt a systemic and interdisciplinary approach, and align their research project with the major themes of OSERen’s research units, including beyond the three potential host units. The position is deliberately opened to a wide range of disciplines and hosting laboratories. It reflects ENS Rennes and OSERen’s commitment to attracting outstanding candidates from various disciplines.

Applications must be submitted via the dedicated “Odyssée” platform (https://odyssee.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/).

The deadline for submission is April 4, 2025, at 4:00 PM (CET).

In addition to a detailed overview of previous work, applicants are expected to outline their plans for integration in both teaching and research. The application file should include a proposal for integration and development of their teaching and research activities.