At the AXA Foundation for Human progress, we consider science as the compass for action, to drive human progress. To adress the current context of interconnected, complex risks affecting human health, the planet and our societies, science can no longer be confined to silos. It must be built collectively, with its beneficiaries, for greater impact.
Within this ambition, we are launching a new generation of AXA Chairs in order to:
connect multiple disciplines,
involve societal partners from the start,
generate knowledge and solutions that drive change.
Each AXA Chair is a highly selective funding scheme designed to foster transformative, transdisciplinary research networks, at the intersection of multiple fields and societal actors:
5 year project, up to €1.5M network grants,
led by senior researchers (PhD +10 years),
transdisciplinary by design, combining at least one social science / humanities / economics discipline with at least one natural science / engineering / technology field,
co-developed and co-implemented with non-academic partners (public authorities, NGOs, community organizations, public hospitals…).
Research topics
The AXA Foundation for Human progress supports academic projects that deepen our understanding of major risks facing people, societies, and the planet, and that help us anticipate, prevent, and respond to those risks on two distinct categories:
1. Global Category
Supports international, transdisciplinary research networks addressing major risks and challenges at the intersection of:
risks to People Health and Human Well-Being,
risks to Societies, and
risks to the Planet.
2. Health in France Category
This category exclusively supports AXA Chairs:
hosted by French academic institutions or public research organizations,
focusing on risks to human health and well-being in France and in a broader international context e.g. chronic and infectious diseases, mental health, environmental determinants of health, health inequalities, health systems resilience).
Applications details and timeline
Application must be done on : https://institution.axa-research.org/
The selection of research projects is conducted independently, following a rigorous process of academic pre-screening and peer review. Composed of leading experts from diverse disciplines, the Scientific Committee guarantees a transparent, fair, and merit-based selection.
About the AXA Foundation for Human Progress
The AXA Foundation for Human Progress launched in June 2025 brings together the main philanthropic actions of AXA Group and AXA Mutuelles d’Assurances, in France and worldwide. It aims to amplify support for impactful projects in AXA's four historical areas of sponsorship: science, nature, solidarity and culture. The Science program brings together two preexisting science philanthropy initiatives of AXA: The AXA Research Fund, a 19-year-old initiative by AXA Group, aimed at supporting independent academic research globally in key areas related to risks, and informing science-based decision-making; and the Health Philanthropy Program of the Mutuelles d’assurances AXA, an ambitious program dedicated to supporting health research projects in France since 2022 in favor of youth and old age.