Philippe Charvis has been appointed Deputy Director of Science, reporting to the Chairman and CEO, Valérie Verdier.
Director of research at the IRD and a geophysicist, Philippe Charvis has worked on seismic hazard in Ecuador, Algeria and the Lesser Antilles, as well as on magmatism associated with hot spots. He was director of UMR Géoazur, vice-chairman of the scientific council of the Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur and chairman of the 'Earth and Telluric Planets' section of the French national scientific research committee.
Philippe Charvis has led numerous scientific projects and almost a dozen marine geophysical campaigns in the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean and the Pacific. Throughout his career, he has developed underwater observation systems, such as the seabed seismometer park of the UMR Géoazur and the underwater observatory off Nice. He is currently coordinating the ANR REMAKE project on probabilistic earthquake forecasting in Ecuador with the Institute of Geophysics at the Polytechnic School of Quito.
In October 2015, he was appointed director of the DISCO department, whose priority themes are climate change, water resources, natural hazards and risks, and mineral resources and their impact on the environment. In this capacity, he is contributing to the development of a new dynamic for the Institute aimed at improving the visibility of the IRD's priorities within the national research system, and taking better account of the international development agenda with our institutional partners in southern countries.
As Deputy Director for Science, Philippe Charvis will be responsible for helping to draw up the IRD's scientific strategy, ensuring its overall coordination, and assisting the President and Chief Executive Officer in coordinating the Science division, which is at the heart of the Institute's organisation.
Initially, it will review the operation of the Science Unit and its programmes, in particular the interdisciplinary and partnership structuring programmes (PSIP), with the aim of strengthening the Science Unit's actions in terms of scientific and partnership strategy, increasing its visibility internally and with its main national and international partners, and consolidating its interactions with the Development Unit and the Support Unit.
Philippe Charvis will take up his new position as D2S while remaining attached to his research structure, the UMR Géoazur.