'Choose CNRS' – the opportunities for scientists from other countries
Four schemes are available to encourage talented young researchers and internationally-renowned scientists to consider moving to France and the CNRS. Alain Schuhl, Director General for Science, tells us about them.
Echoing the ‘Choose France for Science’ initiative (see box), the CNRS is launching today the 'Choose CNRS' appeal. What is this all about?
Alain Schuhl: Increasingly science is being obstructed in several countries. Whole areas of research are being severely restricted by drastic budget cuts, lists of censored terms or mass job cuts - if they're not actually banned. Agencies in charge of producing and storing vital research data for the international community are being threatened and so on. People would think of the United States under the new Trump administration but the same can be said for Argentina, for example. In response, the CNRS is offering to open its doors to scientists who can't practise their profession where they live any more.
Of course, we can't take everyone in. We're concentrating our efforts on bringing to France very high quality researchers, promising young scientists or research frontrunners, people who can bring real added value to enrich French research communities. The aim of our ‘Choose CNRS’ initiative is to use more targeted communication to raise awareness among these scientists of the opportunities available for them to join the CNRS.
The idea would be to bring them to France for a significant period - at least a few years and, why not, to make some of them permanent. Our inspiration was the 'Make Our Planet Great Again' programme (in French) (MOPGA) the French government launched during Donald Trump's first term in June 2017. At that time, we brought around forty researchers to France and nearly a third of these now have permanent posts in France. One example would be Camille Parmesan, an American specialist in the effects of climate change on butterflies, who arrived in 2018 under the MOPGA programme and has been the director of the Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station in Moulis1 since 2023.
- 1CNRS.
France is ready to host scientists
On Friday 18 April, the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research announced the launch of a platform on which research performing organisations, such as the CNRS, and universities will be able to submit their projects to host international researchers: "France aims to position itself as a host country for those wishing to continue their work in Europe, drawing on the country's research ecosystem and infrastructure." In particular, this ‘Choose France for Science’ platform lists research projects in 7 areas1
, and the France 2030 programme will be able to contribute to the funding of these projects.
To find out more, click here: https://france2030.agencerecherche.fr/ChooseFranceForScience-2025/accueil.php
- 1Health research; Climate, biodiversity, and sustainable societies; Digital technology and artificial intelligence; Space studies; Agriculture, sustainable food, forests, and natural resources; Low-carbon energy; Digital components, systems, and infrastructure
What schemes can candidates benefit from?
A.S.: The ‘Choose CNRS’ call for applications involves all disciplines and is split up into four levels according to the seniority of the scientists. Applications need to be submitted on the dedicated platform.
For senior researchers, there's our recruitment scheme for research professors. If there's a strong demand we could consider adapting the number of posts open for competitive recruitment. So, the coming campaign could well interest top-level scientists.
For researchers who are a little less advanced in terms of seniority, the CNRS can offer around fifty junior professor chairs (CPJ) a year. We need to encourage scientists from other countries to apply for these 3-to-6 year contracts with the possibility of tenure at the end, like the method of ‘tenure track positions’ used in the United States.
Next, there's our post-doctorate offers. These could appeal to scientists who've just finished their PhDs in the United States or elsewhere and who work in fields where budget cuts have reduced the number of positions and post-doctoral contracts. The idea is to bring these scientists to France for a few years, which will enable them to create lasting links with the research communities in our laboratories. We should subsequently be able to offer some of them permanent posts.
Finally, there's a new scheme that should enable the CNRS to attract top-level scientists - the real ‘stars’ of world research - to ‘international chairs’ here. We will put a substantial budget on the table to pay their salaries and provide a stimulating environment for them.
Is a form of European coordination being planned to host these researchers?
A.S.: Europe is currently actively considering ways of financing researchers from outside Europe, for example by boosting Marie Curie grants. Also, the European Research Council (ERC) has doubled to €2 million the relocation allowance it makes to scientists from third countries who've won an ERC grant to cover start-up costs in their new EU host institution.
What can the CNRS offer scientists from other countries?
A.S.: The attractiveness of French research. Currently, a third of new CNRS entrants aren't French with 90 nationalities represented among our 28,000 scientists. Also, every year, eminent scientists from abroad agree to become CNRS Fellow-Ambassadors which testifies to the organisation's good reputation.
We'll also be making competitive salary offers for post-doctoral fellows and the French National Research Agency is providing substantial support packages for junior professor chairs which means the successful candidates can put together top-quality teams. The CNRS will give the brilliant foreign scientists who apply the resources they need to develop research programmes in France that are currently blocked in their home countries.