Michel Cosnard investigated parallel algorithm design and analysis and grid computing as Professor at the University of Nice and created the LIP Computer Science Laboratory. He chaired the French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control (INRIA) from 2006-2014 and the French High Council for Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES) from 2015 -2019.

He was an appointed member of the College of Ethics of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation by Frédérique Vidal, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, in May 2018.

He served as Editor in Chief of Parallel Processing Letters, and editor of IEEE TPDS and Parallel Computing.