Transversal coordination is led by the Vice-President for Research of the federation. The aim is to facilitate connections between the research departments and research units within UCLille, to represent and promote the research conducted across its institutions, and to identify and secure resources to support these activities.

The Vice-President for Research also chairs the Statutory Research Committee, which notably organizes a recurring scientific event — OPEN LAB: Research Day — publishes a quarterly journal of the same name, and oversees the annual Thesis Award.

At the scale of the entire university, the organization of research is based on a balanced structure: on one hand, there are established strategic alliances with research units and institutions outside the scope of UCLille; on the other hand, several institutions host their own research units, whether disciplinary or multidisciplinary.

In total, research is organized around 12 formal research units, including 5 jointly supervised (co-accredited) units. Among these, two are CNRS Joint Research Units (UMR):

• the LEM (Laboratoire d’Économie et de Management – Economics and Management), jointly supervised with IÉSEG, and

• the IEMN (Institut d’Électronique, de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie – Electronics and Nanotechnology), jointly supervised with JUNIA.

JUNIA also jointly supervises an INRAE Joint Research Unit (UMR), BioEcoAgro (Agriculture, Biotechnology, Agri-food and Environment), as well as the LGCgE (Civil and Geo-Environmental Engineering Laboratory) and the L2EP (Electrical Engineering and Power Electronics Laboratory).

Over the long term — that is, across the history of the Catholic University of Lille, founded in 1875 — several “pockets of scientific excellence” have emerged, particularly in fields such as geology, nanosciences, finance, and the history of medicine. UCLille was a founding member of both the IEMN and the research unit that later became the LEM.

This local excellence must be viewed within the context of a constrained economic model: the higher education and research institutions within UCLille are neither public nor for-profit private entities. They hold the status of EESPIG (Private Higher Education Institution Serving the Public Interest), meaning they are nonprofit organizations with a public service mission. Their budgets rely heavily on student tuition fees, which limits their ability to fund fundamental research through internal resources.

As a result, the institutions within the federation have chosen a strategy of agile research excellence, rather than pursuing exhaustive excellence across all fields.

In this context, faculty researchers are encouraged to engage in project-based research, particularly through European funding calls, and to develop collaborative research partnerships with stakeholders from the field. It is also worth noting that several major, structuring research projects have been launched with the support of the Hauts-de-France Region, notably through financial contributions.

The Catholic University of Lille is a founding member of both the MESHS (Maison Européenne des Sciences de l’Homme et de la Société) and the Presses Universitaires du Septentrion.

Several formal research partnerships have been established with universities across the Hauts-de-France region, including:

• through the jointly supervised research units co-accredited with UCLille institutions;

• with the Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France (UPHF), under a project-based alliance agreement (see above);

• within the GIS “Institut d’Étude des Faits Religieux”, in partnership with the Université d’Artois, the Université de Lille, the UPHF, and the Université de Picardie – Jules Verne;

• within the GIS Octave (Philippe Bonditti – ESPOL Lab);

• through the partnership between GH-ICL and the UMR LAMIH (Human Movement Laboratory).

The MEL (European Metropolis of Lille) and the Hauts-de-France Region are key strategic partners for UCLille’s institutions.

The Clinical Research and Innovation Department (DRCI) of GH-ICL is an active member of both GIRCI Nord-Ouest and G2RC.

In 2016, ICAM – Lille site established an industrial research chair, the Chaire Sens et Travail (“Meaning and Work Chair”).
Its mission: to use research to improve management practices within companies and to prepare engineering students for their professional roles.

Its objectives are to:

1. Advance knowledge about work through research;

2. Promote results and effective ways of disseminating them;

3. Bring together executives, managers, and students who share the desire to improve management through work.

Industrial partners: Pochet du Courval and Noria Foundation.