How do societies respond to change? How do they adapt and regain control? How does the response of social groups from different times and places inform our future perspectives? How do changes create social, technological, economic or cultural opportunities for society as a whole? The “Changing Societies” program aims to explore these questions, by defining three priority themes:

1. the inequalities (social, political, climatic, health, generational, technological, ethnic, gender, etc.);

2. the credibility of the information and the relationship to scientific truth (in language, images, with the growing impact of digital technology, etc.);

3. the management and transmission of academic heritage (heritage, resonance of knowledge, etc.)

Axis 1 Inequalities
Inequalities includes social, political, climatic, health, generational, technological, ethnic, gender, etc. – are a major challenge for our societies. Their analysis raises increased awareness of their diversity and scale. The aim of this first axis is to describe and study inequalities at different scales – chronological, geographical – and from different points of view – sociological, political, historical, and philosophical. The challenge is to put these inequalities into perspective to think about theoretical and/or practical solutions, including in an experimental approach, to reduce them. This question, with strong social resonance, must be addressed using a cross-disciplinary approach, by promoting dialogue between disciplines.
 
Axis 2 – Truth(s)
Contemporary societies have seen the number of information dissemination channels grow exponentially, and with them, the “democratization” of speech – notably via the emergence of social networks. Faced with this massive circulation of sometimes contradictory information, faced with the possibility of manipulation in CMO – computer-mediated communication –, a distrust has arisen towards all forms of discourse, whether scientific, political or media. The purpose of this second axis is to analyze, at all times and according to cross-approaches, the production, reception, uses and evolution of languages, discourses and representations. This object can be broken down into sub-questions, including: the status of the word of authority; the characterization of this new type of multi-modal communication; the emergence and diffusion of new forms of discourse or images and their reception, in synchrony or diachrony.
 
Axis 3 – Legacies
Academic communities develop their knowledge by assimilating, adjusting or rejecting the legacies of the past. This third axis wishes to question this type of heritage specific to the world of knowledge (research, education, mediation, etc.). The questions can be addressed from a theoretical and methodological angle: how do we conceive the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge? What are the past and present forms of transmission allowing a new appropriation of knowledge? What are the ethical and legal issues? We will be able to explore the epistemological aspects to reflect on the methods of constructing knowledge and propose new forms of transmission, in an experimental approach.

The avenues mentioned for the three themes are above all suggestions and do not prohibit other proposals, as long as they are part of the general philosophy of SOUND, in the themes identified and in an approach of openness towards society.

This is a question of developing, in a perspective that integrates the SOUND requirement of sharing knowledge in the service of society, a global or holistic approach to health by mobilizing all the skills of the ASU, with the objective of generate significant impacts both on individual health and on social dynamics from a sustainability perspective. For this first phase, two priorities were defined.

1. The study of the exposome: The notion of exposome designates all the environmental exposures to which an individual is subjected throughout their life. Chemical substances, biological agents, radiation, living conditions, eating habits, social interactions, etc. This will involve reporting the effects in the broad sense on the health of populations of these different forms of environmental exposure.
2. The study of nutrition: Another priority area concerns nutrition, both in its direct impact on health and in its reflection within lifestyles and cultures, as well as its environmental impact, with particular attention paid to its consequences on the overall health of populations.

It is important to emphasize that these two priorities are not exclusive. However, the thematic program will pay particular attention to the development of projects addressing the issues of vulnerable populations and highlighting an approach that articulates biological, psychological and sociological dimensions. Finally, projects may not be limited to a national vision, but include foreign partners to increase the global perspective of the issues addressed.

This thematic program positions itself at the crossroads of innovation and environmental responsibility, aiming to shape a future where technological development and ecological sustainability intertwine harmoniously.

The following axes for the call for doctoral and post-doctoral projects have been identified:

1. Sustainable cities: projects focused on building autonomous and energy-efficient cities, implementing sustainable urbanization strategies. Research should explore concrete solutions such as the integration of renewable energy, innovation in construction materials and the design of resilient cities. Proposals must reflect an in-depth understanding of urban issues and propose multidisciplinary and experimental solutions.
2. Sustainable mobility: we are waiting for proposals that redefine mobility in our societies. Projects may concern sustainable navigation, electric vehicles and advanced battery development, territorial planning and public transport systems as well as studies that address traffic management and carbon footprint reduction.
3. Nature-based solutions: projects must promote the ecosystem services provided by biodiversity, agroecology, urban greening and biomimicry. We are particularly interested in research that uses interdisciplinary approaches such as ecology, urban planning, agronomy, geography and environmental engineering.  

Submitted projects must reflect the spirit of SOUND, exploring topics of importance and demonstrating a commitment to collective well-being and the preservation of our planet. The axes developed for these themes serve as a guide and in no way limit the creativity of the proposals, provided that they remain faithful to the spirit of SOUND, that they relate to the defined themes and that they demonstrate a desire for exchange and contribution to society.