Teaching

Teaching duties for faculty members within the IONIS TECH Schools include:

Direct pedagogical instruction (face‑to‑face teaching); Indirect teaching activities (as defined in the applicable collective agreement); Supervision of students during internships or academic projects; Coordination of teaching activities at various levels of integration (course units, disciplinary modules, tracks, majors).

As the IONIS TECH Schools place great value on pedagogical innovation—for both student success and institutional attractiveness—each faculty member is expected to implement, where appropriate, the innovations recommended by the Schools’ pedagogical leadership. The Schools provide the necessary support (equipment, training, technical assistance). Beyond the quality of the courses they deliver, faculty members must contribute to the overall educational service by:

Acting as facilitators in interactions between students and administrative services; Maintaining vigilance and a duty of alert regarding students’ overall situations (academic and non‑academic); Providing personalized student support through dedicated service hours, during which students may meet individually by appointment. The organization and compensation of these service hours are defined by each School.

Research

The purpose and organization of research in engineering Grandes Écoles follow specific principles to which IONIS TECH faculty members are expected to adhere:

  • Engineering Grandes Écoles distinguish themselves within academia through their professional orientation, attentiveness to the needs of industry and society, and their prioritization of corporate and societal challenges;
  • Research conducted in these institutions must be guided by usefulness and by the creation of economic and social value, while still meeting the standards of scientific excellence;
  • Consequently, research should preferentially be inspired by concrete, often multidisciplinary problems originating from industry partners, from which broader scientific questions can be derived. This bottom‑up approach contrasts with the top‑down (fundamental‑to‑applied) approach more common in universities and research organizations;
  • Faculty researchers must therefore meet three core expectations:
    • A strong commitment to teaching (knowledge and skills acquisition), the central mission of Grandes Écoles;
    • Demonstrated scientific legitimacy within their academic ecosystem;
    • A strong interest in industrial partnerships, which supply research topics and agile funding mechanisms beyond traditional public grant frameworks.

To support this research posture, the IONIS TECH Schools organize research within a matrix structure, both at the School level and at the IONIS TECH level (see §2.2). At the Group level, each faculty member has a dual affiliation:

  • They belong to the research team of their recruiting School, and
  • They contribute to the activities of the IONIS TECH Research Labs.

Faculty research activities include:

  • High‑level academic research, evidenced through research collaborations; supervision of Master’s theses; co‑supervision of PhD dissertations; hosting of postdoctoral researchers; participation in national and international calls (including European programs); strong scientific output; and active involvement in academic communities and scholarly societies;
  • Dynamic partnership‑based research, encompassing industry monitoring, network development with relevant economic actors, and engagement in collaborative or contractual activities (direct contracts, joint projects, industrial chairs, etc.).

In addition, faculty members contribute to the teaching‑research continuum, by raising student awareness of research and participating in research events organized by the School’s research office and research team.

Administration

Faculty participation in the development and general functioning of the Schools or of IONIS TECH is encouraged. This may include:

  • General leadership responsibilities (e.g., research direction, innovation direction);
  • Program or laboratory leadership;
  • Major leadership, including overarching coordination, recruitment and oversight of adjunct faculty, syllabus submission to the LMS, course planning, evaluation monitoring, and sectoral monitoring (industry trends);
  • Leadership of a track / domain / module, involving the coordination of content development and its national‑level validation, along with evaluation coordination.

Such roles are carried out with the support of services such as the Academic Affairs Office, Corporate Relations Office, and Communications Office. Each appointed faculty member receives a mission letter outlining expectations, objectives, and modalities. Each mission is assigned for a maximum duration of 3 years, renewable.

Promotion and Outreach

The involvement of faculty members from the IONIS TECH Schools in activities that promote and enhance the visibility of the Schools and of IONIS TECH is an integral part of their duties. They notably participate in:

  • motivation interviews for candidates applying through the Concours Advance;
  • examinations for CPGE candidates;
  • promotional events such as Open Days, evening information sessions, online conferences, events, challenges, annual ceremonies (graduation ceremonies) or exceptional School events;
  • institutional representation (hosting delegations, official events, international academic visits).

In addition, faculty members contribute to the reputation and influence of the IONIS TECH Schools through their active participation in national and international conferences, as well as through the organization of scientific events open to external audiences. In all representation contexts, faculty members must systematically state their affiliation with IONIS TECH and their home School.

Presence Requirements

Faculty members are required to be physically present on campus to contribute fully to the collective activities of their laboratory and academic department, and to provide student support (notably through faculty hours). On average (i.e., over the course of an academic year), one day per week may be spent within an external affiliated laboratory (see §7.1). One remote‑working day per week is authorized. Each faculty member must define their workload schedule with their supervisor, taking into account their service obligations. They are also required to record this schedule using the School’s HR tracking tools (e.g., Eurécia, Lucca, etc.).