The National center of the scientific research , more known under its Initials CNRS , is the greatest official organization of Scientific research in France (EPST).

It was founded the October 19th 1939, following a fusion between the National bank of the scientific research and the National center of the scientific research applied.

It was reorganized after the Second world war and was directed then clearly towards the Basic research.

History

  • In 1966, creation of associated units. They are university laboratories, constant by CNRS, thanks to its human and financial means.

  • In 1967, creation of the National institute of astronomy and geophysics, which will become in 1985 the National institute of sciences of the universe (KNOWLEDGE).
  • In 1971, creation of the National institute of nuclear physics and physics of the particles (IN2P3).
  • In 1982, the law of July 15th, known as law Chevènement of programming of the means of the public research, issues that the personnel enquiring, engineers technicians and administrative pass under the mode of the public office: they become Fonctionnaire S, with a statute similar to those of the lecturer S and professors of the universities.

Role and organization

According to the bearing decree organization and operation of the National center of the scientific research, CNRS has the roles:

  • to evaluate, carry out or make carry out all research being of an interest for the advance of science like for economic progress, social and cultural of the country;

  • to contribute to the application and the utilization of the results of this research;
  • to develop the scientific information, by supporting the use of the French language;
  • to assist in its formation to research and by research;
  • to take part in the analysis of the national and international scientific economic situation and its prospects for evolution for the development of the national policy in this field.

For the achievement of these missions, the National center of the scientific research can in particular:

  • to create, manage and subsidize research units;
  • to contribute to the development of research undertaken in the laboratories concerned with other public agencies of research, the universities and other establishments of higher education, of the national companies, the companies and the private research centres;
  • to put in work research programs and of technological development;
  • to recruit and assign personnel of research within the limit of the employment authorized by the finance law;
  • to deal with displacements and stays of personnel in any place where the missions of the center call;
  • to build and manage, if necessary, within the framework of national or international agreements, of the large equipment of research;
  • to constitute subsidiary companies and to take participations;
  • to take part, in particular within the framework of the groupings of public interest, with actions carried out in common with services of the State, local government agencies or other public agencies or deprived, French or foreign;
  • to take part in the development and the implementation of international cooperation agreements scientific and co-operation for the development;
  • to ensure the development and the diffusion of scientific documentation and the publication of work.

One can distinguish three fundamental roles from CNRS in research:

  • Financing of the operation of research : CNRS finances 1.170 research laboratories, including 98 clean units and 1072 mixed units of research (UMR), shared with an establishment of higher education, another research organization, a foundation or a company. CNRS takes part in their budget and their equipment as a personnel, sometimes with their buildings. The National committee of CNRS evaluates every four years these research units, this evaluation conditions its financial contribution, and can give place to the reorganization or the rupture of the contract of association with the unit.
  • Employment and management of personnel of research : CNRS remunerates Enquiring S, Engineer S and Technicien S, which works in general in the research units of CNRS or the units which are associated there. They are evaluated by the National committee every two years. Some can be also " put at disposition" of another establishment within the framework of a research project.
  • Financing of research projects : CNRS selects and finance of specific research the projects of, to which researchers of all statutes are entitled to take share.

This triple role contributes to the difficulty in defining the share of CNRS in research in France. In practice, a researcher of CNRS very often works in a laboratory of a university, anywhere in France: this generally led to a complication and a lack of legibility of the affiliations in the publications of the French researchers. It is also necessary to distinguish the research financed by CNRS, and that of the researchers of CNRS. Lastly, of the fact in particular of the integration of CNRS and the university research, the results of research will be often the fruit of a collaboration between researchers of CNRS and other organizations, or academics. These last years, the pursued policy was to increase the share of associations between CNRS and the universities, which contributed to increase the confusion of the roles and involved a certain pressure supporter of corporatism on behalf of the professors of university. The Accreditation to supervise research, delivered by the universities, tends to becoming a point of required passage in the promotion of the researchers of CNRS.

Fields of research

While considering all the fields of knowledge, it is administratively cut out in six departments:

This cutting is that of 2006, the borders between the departments evolving/moving regularly with the interfaces between the various disciplinary fields.

The departments manage the scientific policy of their field.

National committee of the scientific research

It is the authority of CNRS charged with the evaluation of the scientific research of the research units financed by CNRS, like, individually, of each researcher remunerated by CNRS. It is divided into 40 sections, plus 7 interdisciplinary sections, focused on fields of research (see the site of the National committee,). Each section is made up of a score of members, who are specialists in the scientific discipline concerned, and come from various horizons (enquiring at CNRS, in others EPST or EPIC, in the Private sector foreign, teacher-researchers, researchers…). A third of them is named by the ministry for Research, two thirds are elected by the whole of the personnel of research of the field (researchers, teacher-researchers and engineers, technical personnel and of administration of the public agencies and universities French), in order to allow a control of the scientific orientations and to guarantee the independence of research. There does not exist code deontologic and methodological of the professional evaluation at CNRS; each section of the National committee of the Scientific research publishes during its renewal the criteria which will be employed to carry out the evaluation of the researchers and the laboratories. The key words frequently met include/understand the " production" scientist, adequacy of the research undertaken with the scientific context, their national and international radiation, the role in the training of doctors, animation and scientific valorization. In practice, however, the bibliometric criteria (many publications in re-examined or in editors considered as relevant) remain largely dominating.

Sections

Research units and of services

CNRS has 98 research laboratories, known as clean unit of research (UPR) or units of service and research (USR). It also takes part in the financing and the equipment as personnel of 1223 research laboratories associated with establishments of higher education (for 90  % of them) or at other research organizations, under various types of contract of association:

  • association as a mixed Unit of research (UMR);
  • association as an associated research unit (URA);
  • association as a formation of research in evolution (FRE), structures in authority to become UMR.

In addition, there exist units of service which gather means of support for research, for example of the common administrative services, computer centres, etc:

  • of the clean units of service;
  • of the mixed units of service.
One makes little or at all research in the units of service, and consequently the personnel of these units comprises very few researchers, even no, but rather of the personnel administrative engineers, technicians and.

Each unit is provided with a single numeric digital code. Thus, UMR1234 indicates a precise UMR, UMS3456 a precise UMS.

Each structure depends on one (or sometimes several) scientific department.

Certain structures also depend on the one of the two institutes on CNRS:

  • the National institute of nuclear physics and physics of the particles (IN2P3);
  • the National institute of sciences of the universe (KNOWLEDGE), which is in particular provided with a technical division in charge of the development or maintenance of various experimental materials of ground, energy of the scientific ship to the space probe.

Direction of CNRS

Catherine Bréchignac was named since the January 11th 2006 president of CNRS following the resignation of Bernard Meunier, the January 5th 2006. Mrs. Bréchignac was managing director of the CNRS of 1997 with 2000.

Arnold Migus was named managing director of CNRS the January 18th 2006 following the setting with the variation of the former managing director Bernard Larrouturou.

Presidents

Managing directors

CNRS and distinctions

Many researchers having received international prizes were during their career members of CNRS or worked in a laboratory associated with CNRS. Little of them however was durably members of CNRS, indeed, before 1982, this one granted only to employment not civil servant, and an evolution of career as Professor of the universities was the standard. In addition, to work in a laboratory associated with CNRS does not mean to belong to CNRS.

Nobel Prize

Several of the French Nobel Prize were employed by CNRS, in particular at the beginning of career, and the majority worked in university laboratories associated with CNRS.

Among those which were paid by it at one time of their career:

Medal Fields

Among the French mathematicians having obtained the medal, only Jean-Christophe Yoccoz never seems not to be employed by CNRS (he however worked in a unit associated with CNRS).

Price Abel

Others

  • 2003 : the Delegation with the companies receives the European Grand Prix for Innovation Awards , price European of the innovation for the scientific organizations.

Distinctions decreed by CNRS

Since 1954, CNRS decrees each year three types of medals to researchers working in France:

  • a Gold medal of CNRS to the researcher who contributed in an exceptional way to the dynamism and the radiation of French research.
  • about fifteen medals of money to distinguish a researcher at the beginning of career but already recognized for quality and the originality from its work.
  • forty bronze medals to reward and encourage a young researcher, specialist in talent in his field.

Since 1992, CNRS decrees also another reward called Cristal of CNRS to its technicians, engineers and administrative staffs for their “technical control and their innovating spirit”.

Clean units of CNRS

CNRS counts 62 clean units of research located mainly at Paris (11), GIF on Yvette (8), Marseilles (7), Strasbourg (5), Grenoble (3), Toulouse (3) and Orsay (3):

CNRS in figures

  • At January 1st 2003, there were 26.167 employees of CNRS.

  • At January 1st 2004, they were 26.080.
  • the budget of CNRS rose to 2.214 million euros in 2004.
  • the salary scale in January 2006 went from 1477 euros (minimal gross salary of a technical assistant of research beginning of career) to 6243 euros (for a research director except class, end of a career). The average rough monthly salaries of the researchers were 5912 (DRCE), 4949 (DR1) 3903 (DR2), 3192 (CR1), 2459 (CR2); those of the engineers: 4468 (IRHC), 3897 (IR1), 3029 (IR2), 3845 (IEHC), 3180 (IE1), 2607 (IE2), 3228 (CMR), 2329 (AI); those of the technicians: 2300 (TCE), 2147 (TCS), 1920 (NOMINAL BURNUP), 1897 (AJTP), 1676 (AJT), 1625 (AGTP), 1574 (AGT).
  • More than 4.000 active patents

Local balance sheet 2004 of CNRS

According to the local balance sheet 2004 published by the direction of human resources of CNRS, the manpower of CNRS in 2004 were of:

  • 25.980 agents civils servant of which
    • 11.626 researchers including 3.625 women
    • 14.354 IT (engineers, technicians) including 7.460 women
  • 11.695 nonpermanent or training.
The uses of CNRS are unequally distributed on the territory, since 41,7% are in Île-de-France, 11,7% in the Rhone-Alps… for 0,2% in the Limousin and 0,1% in the DOM-TOM.

Technical employment is divided into BAP (professional Branches of activity) numbered of has to H:

  • BAP a: Sciences of alive the
  • BAP b: chemical Sciences and sciences of the materials
  • BAP C: Engineerings and scientific instrumentation
  • BAP D: Social sciences
  • BAP E: Data processing and scientific computation
  • BAP F: Documentation, edition, communication
  • BAP G: Inheritance, logistics, prevention
  • BAP H: Scientific and technical management

Recruitment is done by external contest, based on the file of the candidates (including their preceding publications in particular) and a discussion with a jury, promotion by internal competition, professional recruitment, proposal with the choice.

The agents of CNRS are also divided into " corps" :

  • Engineers, classified in the category has public office.
    • engineers of searchs (IR) titular of a Diploma for the occupation of engineer delivered by a ENSI, of a doctorate, an aggregation.
    • the engineers of studies (IE) titular of a license, a control, a DEA, one OF or a diploma for the occupation of engineer not recognized to postulate with the body of IR
    • the titular (AI) assistant-engineers of one HAD or BTS.
  • Technicians (TCN=technicien classifies normal, TCS=technicien classifies higher, TCE=technicien classifies exceptional): holders of the baccalaureat, or a DEUG, which corresponds to the category B of the public office
  • Adjoints techniques (AJT): holders of a CAPE or BEP corresponding to the category C of the public office.
The diplomas indicated are those required at the time of the inscription to the external contests.

Distribution according to the branches of activity and the bodies

The following table gives the distribution of the technical personnel, according to the professional branches of activity (BAP) and the various bodies.

Place des women at CNRS

In December 2005, on a whole of 26.133 people, CNRS counted 11.095 women and 15.038 men, is a proportion of 42,5%. In the engineers and technicians, 7.454 out of 14.456, is 52%, are women. As for the researchers, the women are clearly in minority and are only 3.625 out of 11.626, that is to say 31%. This last figure hides all the same important differences according to the dies. The women account for 43% of the researcher in social sciences and the company, 39% in Life sciences, 30% in Chimie, 26% in Sciences of the Universe, 19% in Engineerings, 19% in Sciences and communication and information technologies, 17% in Physique, 16% in Mathématiques.

The proportion of women also decreases according to the hierarchy. They account for 35,7% of in charge of search for 2nd class (CR2) which represent the level of recruitment of the majority of the new researchers, 36,7% of in charge of search for 1st class for the CR1, 25,2% of the research directors of 2nd class (DR2), 11,7% of the research directors of 1st class (DR1) and 11,6% of the research directors of exceptional class (DRCE), are 15 women only.

Following this assessment and in order to promote the place of the women within the organization, a mission for the place of the women was set up in 2001.

Part time at CNRS

1.836 agents whose 1.634 women (that is to say 88%) carried on their part-time activity, that accounts for 7,1% of manpower which are distributed in the following way:

  • 2% of the researchers
  • 11,2 of the IT
The distribution according to the working time and the evolution since 1994 is the following one:

Nonpermanent employment

In 2004,11 695 people were remunerated by CNRS on nonpermanent stations (CDD, frees-lance, reception in detachment since a private company, action of valorization…)

Industrial relations policy at CNRS

The budget of the industrial relations policy of CNRS was of:

  • 25.986.002 € in 2000
  • 26.442.133 € in 2001 either + 1,7%
  • 27.313.470 € in 2002 or + 3,2%
  • 27.433.470 € in 2003 or + 0,44%
  • 27.937.470 € in 2004 or + 1,8%
The budget of the social action thus increases less quickly than the inflation.
The restoration uses 63,9% of the welfare expenditures. There are at CNRS 28 doctors of prevention to which one adds 25 company doctors between firms and 33 doctors of prevention of the university; that thus made a total of 86 doctors for 26.000 permanent agents.

Reforms and polemics

The law known as Chevènement of 1982 officializing the personnel of CNRS, had his partisans and its adversaries:

  • the favorable ones consider that the researchers thus will profit from a stability favourable with the basic research and that research will not be dependant any more on big industry and the private financings.
  • the opponents will note that the bureaucratic machinery thus created cannot encourage the good researchers, quickly démotivés by the permanence of poor researchers who advance for the benefit of the age and are defended apart from the scientific criteria.

In 2001, the Court of Auditors reproached CNRS its “absence of strategy” and noted that cuttings in scientific sectors constitute a major brake with the interdisciplinary capacity of the establishment. The court also notes rigidity set of themes, the weakness of the expression appropriatenesses of the young talents, recruitment endogamic (40 to 50% of recruitments in the laboratory of preparation of the doctorate), the weak impact of the evaluation of the researchers on their career and the premiums distributed without bond with the quality of the services carried out.

In 2002, Olivier Postel-Vinay, director of the drafting of the magazine “Research”, published its book the large waste - splendor and misery of French science , work denouncing what it names the failures of the institution. Thus, the author noted that CNRS employs eleven thousand researchers approximately, but manages to lay off only one or two of them each year and that, often, they are cancelled by the administrative court (researchers of CNRS, being civils servant, do not depend on the jurisdiction of the conciliation boards). It was also reproached the Management of the CNRS of " not to direct large chose". The phenomenon seems related to organisational causes than with the mode of recruitment of the persons in charge (co-optation of scientists to the primarily academic profile, who are not managers).

The weekly magazine the Express train of the February 2nd 2004, quoting a report/ratio of the General inspection of finances on CNRS, notes the following defects: “Bad distribution of the means, doubled blooms, absence of controls, rigid statute of the researchers, and especially a direction which does not direct large-thing. ” The Tax inspectorate suggested that it would be necessary to reduce the role of the national committee of CNRS (evaluation by the pars) to the profit of a direction of the traditional type. However the evaluation by the pars was the great originality of CNRS.

The former minister for Research Claude Allègre defrayed the chronicle by engaging an important reform of CNRS, which led to demonstrations on behalf of French researchers (2004). These polemics then continued in a context of sling of the whole of the public research against the government of Jean-Pierre Raffarin, shown important cuts in the research appropriations. More recently, these reforms were presented like also related to a will of resumption in political hand of the scientific strategy of an organization judged far too independent.

Many criticisms were emitted by the Court of Auditors and the General inspection of finances on the fact that the laboratories of CNRS would be seldom, even never, evaluated in an independent way. These institutions note that the majority of these laboratories would feel reluctant to use the Bibliométrie like criterion of evaluation, contrary at the Anglo-Saxon organizations. However trade union SNCS-FSU opposes the generalization of the bibliometry. In 2005, the trade union of researchers SNCS-FSU asks more for statutory stations (civils servant) within the institution and refuses the generalization of the evaluation of the individuals, to which he prefers the evaluation of research - but not in a bibliometric way.

The Bibliométrie is a simply quantitative measurement of the productivity in scientific terms of publications. It is often difficult to implement, because a ill-considered use can put on the same plan of the not very important publications scientifically, and others much more important. It does not take into account the dimensions officially proposed by the European commission, the French ministry of research and the direction of CNRS itself, namely the dissemination, the formation, and the communication to know to them by the researchers, who are quantifiable with more difficulty. The debate thus carries makes some mainly on the academic degree of bibliometry used.

The law on research was discussed at the Parliament on March 7th, 2006. It seems far from answering at the requests of the researchers of CNRS and other research organizations public in particular those of the collective " Let us save Research ".

More recently, there was some discussion transforming CNRS into an agency of means allotting of the financings to projects (and not with structures), and about reallocating the researchers of CNRS in the universities.

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