About HERMES

HERMES is an interdisciplinary project led by Université Paris Cité, bringing together teams from the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), the Astroparticle and Cosmology laboratory (APC), and the AIM laboratory (Astrophysics, Instrumentation, Modeling).

Building on the legacy of the LabEx UnivEarthS, HERMES aims to structure a scientific community at the interface of geosciences, astrophysics, and particle physics through a “multi-messenger” approach. This approach combines different types of observations (gravitational waves, neutrinos, electromagnetic radiation, and geophysical data) to better understand complex processes occurring within the Earth and across the Universe.

The project is structured around four major scientific questions:

• How do large cosmological structures form?

• How do astrophysical sources contribute to the cosmic ecosystem?

• How do planets and planetary systems form and evolve?

• How do planets shape habitable environments and enable the transition from prebiotic to biotic systems?

Launched in 2025, HERMES quickly established a robust governance structure and implemented its first call for projects, funding research activities across all four scientific axes. The supported projects rely on a wide range of approaches — including observations, numerical simulations, and experimental methods — and foster strong interdisciplinary collaborations.

By supporting PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and targeted scientific initiatives, HERMES enhances the international visibility of the Paris research community and contributes to building a long-term interdisciplinary network addressing key questions on the formation of the Earth, planets, and the Universe, as well as the emergence of life.