People complain heartily about the plight of science in the United States, which has been pummeled by graduate student shortages, the erosion of public funding and support, and the paucity of science and math interest among the nation's youth - not to mention politics. For all its problem, the France's research community faces issues that put perspective on the US situation. France has two national agencies, the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), and the National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) that support many of the countries scientists and research efforts. Established scientists have long had job security since researcher jobs are career appointed civil servant positions. People argue that this system provides stability, however the system is widely viewed as being entrenched in cronyism and bureaucracy that inhibits creativity and handicaps young scientists.
France has stressed the importance of science research in the past decade, so that now the country graduates far more young researchers than can be supported, forcing researchers to move overseas. In addition, many national high-tech companies have moved abroad to do business. The French were especially goaded by the recent relocation of several biotech firms to the U.S. Biotech is just one industry that has lost ground to global competition. In April 2004 the government averted widespread strikes by scientists protesting lack of funding by vowing to fund science at higher levels and to create more positions. The government is challenged to reorganize many aspects of its research programs to stop the science exodus, and is considering the following options to stimulate investment and bring national research in line with more competitive nations:
- Employment restructuring to address the issue of ever-increasing salaries of life appointed civic employees who draw from potential appointments and salaries of new scientists.
- Taxbreaks for investors who become involved in public technology offerings for as well as taxbreaks for technology companies that start companies in France.
- Centers of research and higher education to promote collaboration between various parties - universities, industry and ecoles - and to fund and produce more competitive research.
France recently established a new National Research Agency (ANR), modeled after the National Science Foundation (NSF) or the German Research Foundation. According to a Science article, "New French Agency Tries Out 'Anglo-Saxon Style'" (August 26, 2005), the agency received a phenomenal response from scientists in its initial call for proposals. The new agency will be autonomous, and will replace the National Fund for Science and the Fund for Technological Research that were under the Ministry of Research. France is also granting money to the Industrial Innovation Agency which will fund solar energy, nanotechnology, biotechnology and bio-fuels.
Most proposals arouse anger from one front or another. Universities oppose ideas that may undermine their autonomy. Sauvons la Recherche!, a group of activist scientists, opposes government proposals that aim to bring together applied and academic research because they believe that basic research is the foundation of science and that applied research distorts the fundamental aims of national science. The group considers cronyism the root of many existing problems.
Scientists criticize ANR fear breaking with tradition and see the new agency as a threat to INSERM and INSR. Many scientists are wary of the U.S. system and suspect that the French government intends to gut established research funding by financially supporting such industry/academia collaborations through tax breaks and incentives in lieu of putting the money to salaries and grant funding.
While France faces struggles to remain globally competitive it is not alone among European nations in this quest. Most countries are struggling to compete on research fronts with the U.S. while simultaneously struggling with growing national debt. France and Europe also face competition from China and India, which offer cheap labor that attracts national companies, but are also growing competitive enough to compete head on with European innovation.
