Fondation Maison des sciences de l'homme

Founded by Fernand Braudel in 1963, Fondation Maison des sciences de l’homme (FMSH) is a French research foundation that has been recognised for its public utility by the French . The Foundation’s original objective was to go outside the traditional university framework, breaking through the barriers that separated the disciplines organised and taught in university faculties, in order to foster excellent interdisciplinary research in the social and human sciences (SHS), while being resolutely attuned to the international context. While the Foundation celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2013, the adage that summarised its missions, with the three “I’s” of “interdisciplinary”, “international”, and “interinstitutional” still apply today. Furthermore, its missions were recently strengthened considerably through measures for innovation or incubation of initiatives, or new or risk-taking scientific projects.

According to Article of the January 1963 Decree, the Foundation’s mission is to foster “national and international collaboration among researchers, research centres and institutes, while supporting the creation and operation of scientific networks, working groups and experimental research teams.” Its mission also includes “promoting research and diffusing knowledge in the SHS field […], developing group work instruments […] in order to foster scientific production, support it, promote it, and diffuse it.”