Finance

AXA Renews The Mandate Of The AXA Research Fund For Five Years

AXA announced that it has renewed for five years the mandate of the AXA Research Fund, one of the largest scientific philanthropy initiatives in the private sector.

During this new mandate, the objectives of the AXA Research Fund will be to reinforce the transdisciplinary exploration of emerging risks, to consolidate the links between academic experts, industry and the public sector around major societal issues and to launch innovative formats for the dissemination of scientific knowledge.

With a total budget of €250 million since its launch in 2007, the AXA Research Fund has forged partnerships with more than 334 academic institutions in 38 countries and has supported 708 projects led by researchers of 60 nationalities, 42% of whom are women.

279 projects funded by the AXA Research Fund focus on health issues, such as data driven diabetes treatment (University of Edinburgh), 242 centre on climate and environmental subjects like the protection of biodiversity for coastal resilience (University of California, Santa Cruz) while 187 programmes explore socio-economic questions such as the effects of the energy transition (Paris School of Economics).

THOMAS BUBERL

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF AXA

We are very pleased to renew the mandate of the AXA Research Fund, one of our largest philanthropic commitments. By funding projects related to the preservation of our planet, the improvement of health and the stability of our economies and societies, we are fully implementing our purpose: Act for human progress by protecting what matters.

ULRIKE DECOENE

GROUP CHIEF COMMUNICATION, BRAND AND SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER

Since 2007, our support for research has helped advance scientific knowledge and its dissemination in society. It has also helped the scientific community to work and provide ever more effective and concrete solutions to the major challenges of our time, such as climate change.

Professor Debra Roberts appointed President of the Scientific Board of the AXA Research Fund

AXA also announces today the appointment of Professor Debra Roberts as President of the Scientific Board of the AXA Research Fund. Prof. Roberts heads the Sustainable and Resilient City Initiatives function in eThekwini Municipality (Durban, South Africa). In 2015, Prof. Roberts was elected as Co-Chair of Working Group II (Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for the sixth assessment cycle (2015-2023). Over her 30 years in local government she has been responsible for a diverse range of portfolios including: sustainable development, environmental management, biodiversity planning and management, climate change adaptation and resilience. She succeeds Professor Thomas Kirkwood.

MARIE BOGATAJ

AXA RESEARCH FUND & GROUP FORESIGHT DIRECTOR

I would like to warmly thank Prof. Kirkwood for his major contribution to the work of the Scientific Board over the past 10 years. I am delighted to welcome Prof. Roberts as our new President. Her extensive experience in connecting science with decision-making and public action in the field of climate change will be particularly useful in guiding the Fund during this new mandate.

Source – AXA