The Research Collaboratory, advancing knowledge at the crossroads of the life, learning and digital sciences

The CRI Collaboratory is centred around INSERM and Université de Paris Systems Engineering and Evolution Dynamics unit (U1284) that hosts research fellows, selected by an international Scientific Advisory Committee with high-risk, open, collaborative research projects that tackle global health and education SDG challenges, focusing on the following broad topics in order to bridge fundamental research with societal impact:

• Open synthetic and systems biology – from the foundational understanding of living systems to open-pharma/biotech solutions.
• Open AI – understanding and shaping the current digital transition in the context of learning, health and/or human-machine paradigms.
• Open health – from data-rich research to frugal software/hardware development
• Open learning – from understanding learning to human-machine paradigms
• Open phronesis – tackling the ethical challenges of our time

The Research Collaboratory is a place where researchers can blend, combine and cross-fertilise ideas to come up with research questions that don’t fit within a single discipline. This we do in an open-science framework, advocating for open publication, open data and open methods while encouraging researchers to involve the general public in all aspects of the scientific process through participatory science and dry/wet open labs. Beyond the research itself, we also investigate and evaluate the research process in an effort to understand scientific methodologies and how to improve upon them. The collaboratory hosts different associations that share our spirit as Just One Giant Lab (JoGL), iGEM Foundation headquarters and runs a start-up in residence program (Gourmey).

Developing hands-on approaches to education in the life, learning and digital sciences

The labs of the CRI’s innovation hub have been designing, prototyping and producing tools for research projects and innovative pedagogy while also functioning as advisors in these areas. In short, they promote learning that combines design and technology.

GameLab Designs innovative games for science and education

HealthLab Brings interdisciplinarity into healthcare

MakerLab Develops open tools for research, education and learning projects

Premiers Cris Focuses on infant development, bringing together future parents, childcare workers and scientists

VR Frontiers Lab Explores Virtual Reality applications in education and interdisciplinary science

WetLab Synthetic biology experimental lab

Winter and summer schools

In an effort to work towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the SDG School is a 4-week programme that helps students develop the individual and collective skills necessary to tackle the major challenges of our time. The programme results from the fusion of two complementary programmes, the S.T.E.A.M. School by Maker’s Asylum and our own CRI Labs Summer School, and is jointly run by the two organisations.

The SDG School focuses on efforts to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The Goals are a blueprint for building a better, more sustainable future for the entire planet, specifically in the areas of education, healthcare, equality, energy, production, consumption, climate change and strategic partnerships.

During this intensive 4-week programme, students gain familiarity with real-world development issues around the globe as well as with the new scientific methodologies and technologies that can solve them. Students are trained to think like social entrepreneurs and design impactful, meaningful projects. They can make games or devices or even create an art installation dealing with one of the SDGs. Experts are there to support and mentor students in game making, medicine, environmental science, digital fabrication, frugal innovation and much more!