Life at Insmi #3 - Alessandra Sarti, Deputy Scientific Director of Insmi
Alessandra Sarti, a mathematician who discovered a 12-degree surface with 600 nodes (special points), named after her as "Sarti surfaces," serves as the Deputy Scientific Director of Insmi, overseeing research units and researchers, encompassing 44 laboratories across France. She shares her experiences.
You joined the National Institute of Mathematical Sciences and their Interactions on January 1, 2022. What were your goals then, and where are you now?
I have been the Deputy Scientific Director (DAS) of Insmi (CNRS Mathematics) since January 1, 2022. Previously, I was the director of the Laboratory of Mathematics and Applications (CNRS/University of Poitiers) from 2015 to 2021. This experience allows me to closely support the directors of each of the 44 laboratories at Insmi today.
What does your role as Deputy Scientific Director involve?
As a member of the management team, I contribute to the development and monitoring of Insmi's strategic project, through exchanges with joint research units (UMR) and supporting researchers in their careers. In this role, I regularly interact with unit directors, particularly on matters of human resources, budget, and preparation for objective resource dialogues.
Additionally, I engage in discussions with vice presidents of research at institutions to discuss the scientific policy of the units we share, particularly regarding position policies.
I also oversee the follow-up of researchers at the institute; I assist them in their CNRS careers, especially when they wish to pursue mobility (transfers, detachments, availability). When it involves mobility in international research laboratories (IRL), I share this monitoring with Jean-Stéphane Dhersin, DAS in charge of international matters. I offer researchers opportunities for career discussions at three and six years, to reflect on their career and discuss any topics they wish to address with me. Finally, together with François James, DAS in charge of, among other things, interdisciplinarity, I oversee the research federations and thematic networks. My missions are fundamentally built around regular meetings: with researchers, as well as with the management teams of various mathematical research structures.
What do you miss most today compared to your role as a teacher-researcher?
Definitely the time for research and exchanging with my doctoral and post-doctoral students. I try to maintain my research activity, but the pace is no longer the same as before.
What do you particularly appreciate in your mission?
I value the quality of exchanges with the directors of Insmi's research structures, particularly with the directors of UMRs. I find the exchange with researchers enriching both scientifically and humanly. After nearly two years, my missions at Insmi have allowed me to better understand mathematics outside my research field and more broadly, they have enabled me to learn about other scientific fields, especially through exchanges with the deputy scientific directors of other CNRS institutes. I find this very instructive.