Admiral vessel of French research, the CNRS is launching a program to attract foreign scientists whose work is threatened, especially in the United States, in the Wish of the Executive.
The organization, the first in Europe in terms of research with 34,000 agents, opens their arms to “Colleagues today prevented from doing research”but also to French expatriate researchers, some of which have “Do not want to live and raise their children in Trump’s United States”he said.
This initiative, baptized « Choose CNRS » (Choose the CNRS), follows that driven by the executive with the mid-April of a platform « Choose France for science ».
Guaranteed academic freedom
The first contacts reflect a “Small momentum”which concerns “For the vast majority of non-Americans”explains Antoine Petit, the CEO of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). “Foreign researchers have already arrived in France to familiarize themselves with the infrastructure awaiting the establishment of funds and the platform”it is indicated to the Ministry of Research.
These programs follow the announcement by Emmanuel Macron of a conference in Paris of the research community, scheduled for Monday, May 5. Titled « Choose science choose Europe »the event in which the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will participate, intends to mean “In a moment when academic freedoms experience a number of reflux or threats, whether Europe is a continent of attractiveness”according to the Élysée.
Pioneer of this movement in March with its program « Safe place for science » (A safe place for science), the University of Aix-Marseille will welcome its first researchers in June.
-Since the return of Donald Trump to the White House in January, researchers and universities have been in the crosshairs of his government and have been afraid for their future, between academic and mine-looking research, sanded funding.
Nerve of war
With its initiative, the CNRS, which is used to recruiting non-French researchers up to a third each year in its classic competitions, aims for four audiences.
First, the youngest – the postdoctorants – some of which could hope for lasting jobs. Then chairs of a junior professor, a fairly recent device that will be the subject of a “Special advertising this year”according to Antoine Petit. A notch above, the annual recruitment of external research directors, that is to say not from the internal body of research managers, could be resized upwards.
Finally, the CNRS wants to innovate by targeting « stars » global research, on international chairs. Without the need to pay them better than the best already used, according to his CEO. Who said he was convinced that “The motivation of a researcher is never remuneration”but above all “The working environment, with its infrastructure, and the possibility of confronting the best”. Not to mention that once integrated the costs related to education, health and social protection, the remuneration differences seem lower.
However, the money remaining the nerve of the war to finance research, the manager notes that the room for maneuver of the CNRS is “Not very tall”. And places its hopes in the announcement on the platform that the State could abound up to 50 % of the cost of research projects, to merit and on the funds of the France 2030 program.
“It is at European level that the effort must be made”recently noted the Minister of Research Philippe Baptiste. And not only for vulgar questions of money, but also on themes such as the free movement of researchers or knowledge.
