France's footprint on the international research landscape

SPOTLIGHT ON FRANCE

France is at the heart of many international research initiatives. What factors have led to its prominence?

Three European organisations in the same location allows scientific collaborations. Manuel Rodriguez Castellano, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF)

WHEN CHEMIST Andrew Harrison arrived in Grenoble in 2006, he didn't realise how the city's location at the foot of the Alps was instrumental in attracting the best scientists to its research institutes. “[Grenoble] is a pretty amazing place, with the highest concentration of research facilities in Europe,” says Harrison, now director of the Laue-Langevin Institute (ILL), an international research centre based in north-west Grenoble. However, he says if ILL had been based “in a much less attractive town, we would not have had the success we have had”.

Grenoble's picturesque Alpine setting is just one of the many drawcards for international researchers. France as a whole has become a significant centre and during the past few decades the country has established several international research initiatives in strategically important locations. These include an experimental fusion reactor project, ITER, under construction at the Cadarache site in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance in the south of France, the headquarters of the European Space Agency (ESA) in Paris, the World Health Organisation's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) and European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) site alongside ILL in Grenoble.

In addition, the Human Frontier Research Programme Organization (HFSPO), a multidisciplinary research funding agency, is based in Strasbourg near the border with Germany, and particle physics laboratory CERN straddles the Franco-Swiss border. All are located on French territory and all enjoy substantial fiscal support from within France.

France's research efforts have also become more international. Research institutions such as the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) and the SOLEIL synchrotron — all headquartered or based around Paris — increasingly collaborate with partners from around the world in line with the 2009-2012 national strategy for research and innovation. As well as preserving existing relationships, the strategy highlights plans for further international alliances. According to Minh Ha Pham-Delègue, director of international relations at CNRS, the main countries targeted for associations are Brazil, Russia, India and China — collectively called the BRIC countries — plus Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. Such collaborations are often initiated by scientists from these countries who have trained in France, says Pham-Delègue.

By fostering international research organisations and encouraging French researchers to cooperate with their international counterparts, French politicians have become adept at playing the winning card in the scientific diplomacy game.

Why France?

Diplomatic skills were vital during protracted negotiations between supporting member states to decide where international research facilities should be established. For example, it took three years of discussion between ITER's seven members (the European Union, Russia, China, Korea, India, Japan and the United States) before the decision was made in 2005 to build the reactor in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance. Among the deciding factors was the proximity of an existing energy research infrastructure that included the Tore Supra tokamak and CEA Cadarache, a national fusion research centre belonging to the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA). Another incentive was the French government's provision of a free site for the project and its agreement to take on the preparatory works, building the ITER headquarters and future decommissioning of the site.

Benefits in kind also helped other establishments. The HFSPO chose to set up headquarters in Strasbourg in 1989 partly because city officials offered free office space for the first five years. The agency also received financial support from the Alsace region and the national government ministries for foreign affairs and research and innovation. Now that the HFSPO has acquired its own offices, the Alsace region and Strasbourg provide an annual financial contribution, worth around €430,000 in 2010. Strasbourg is also home to the headquarters of the European Science Foundation (ESF) and the official seat of the European Parliament, which was another lure for the HFSPO.

In Grenoble, the presence of an emerging scientific hub convinced several other organisations to settle there. The founding members of the hub included the Joseph Fourier University, the ILL and the CEA. “The existing [research] infrastructure made Grenoble attractive for EMBL,” says Silke Schumacher, EMBL's director of international relations, adding that the laboratory also received incentives such as a rent-free site and tax breaks. Since then the renowned Institute of Structural Biology (IBS) has also been established in Grenoble, further enhancing the city's scientific reputation.

ESRF followed in the footsteps of EMBL, influenced by the possible synergies with other international players. “With three European organisations [in the same] location, this allows scientific collaborations, common services and sharing of some expenditures,” says Manuel Rodriguez Castellano, director of administration at ESRF.

Access to infrastructure

Many of the international facilities in France are at the vanguard of their discipline, which attracts a wealth of scientific talent. The ILL, for example, operates one of the most intense sources of neutrons in the world and hosts around 1,200 researchers from over 40 countries each year. “When you walk through the door, you bump into leaders in the field everywhere you go,” says Harrison.

The SOLEIL synchrotron, based near Paris, offers a good support network for international scientists and provides access to cutting-edge equipment. Credit: SYNCHROTRON SOLEIL – CHRISTOPHE KERMARREC

A key benefit for visiting scientists is that access to cutting-edge equipment is supported by the organisations' employees. “Our scientists spend a lot of time ensuring that users [are able to run] the best possible experiment,” says Jean Daillant, general director of the SOLEIL synchrotron. The facility also encourages its employees to develop their own research. “Our target is to reach 40% of activity dedicated to our own research,” explains Daillant, a proportion that would represent an increase of more than 10% compared to current in-house research efforts.

Sources of funding

The international organisations that mainly offer financial support to scientists can create funding avenues that may not otherwise be available at a national level, such as support for cross-discipline research. “If you are a chemist and want to get a grant from a national research agency, it is very hard to get a grant [for research] outside your discipline,” explains Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker, secretary general of the HFSPO.

Although international funding can open up new research routes, securing it can be a fiercely competitive process. Before receiving help from the HFSPO coffers, for example, research projects have to undergo an international peer-review stage that Winnacker says is more rigorous than that of many national funding schemes.

State funding is also available to international scientists through national research institutions, but to win support, standards must reach a high level. The joint CNRS/INSERM Atip-Avenir life sciences and health research funding programme is one of the highly selective schemes that are open to both French and foreign scientists. “The programme is designed to support bright young scientists capable of leading their own research,” explains Philippe Arhets, deputy director of INSERM's department for partnership and external relations. Successful candidates receive a grant of around €280,000 for the first three years with the possibility of additional funding for one or two postdoctoral positions. “[It's] a good training ground before applying for European Research Council (ERC) grants,” adds Arhets. Indeed, France has been among the top three countries for receiving ERC grants since the ERC was created in 2007 (see table for top ten institutions). In addition, national institutions have always been open to hiring international researchers — currently just over 25% of employees at CNRS are from outside France.

Time at an international research organisation on a CV can boost long-term career prospects. “It is very easy to find a job [after working at ESRF],” says Rodriguez Castellano. “You need to be mobile, but there are opportunities at other synchrotron facilities.” Scientists may also be recruited by one of the French universities, which are keen to reap the rewards of international research.

Future perspectives

A scientist from the CNRS/INSERM Atip-Avenir programme studying an acrylamide gel. Credit: PATRICE LATRON, INSERM

International research in France, as in other countries, is subject to the impact of events such as the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan in March 2011. One immediate consequence was a shift in the ultra-precise alignment of the SOLEIL synchroton beam. This tiny movement echoes the more serious disruption to international research, as well to Japan's own scientists. For example, parts of the ITER reactor that were due to be manufactured in Japan have been delayed by two years and an alternative had to be found. Due to research budget constraints, the country may also need to reduce its contribution to international agencies such as the HFSPO. As most international research initiatives are funded by governments, other factors such as the current global economic downturn can also pose challenges.

To maintain stability, many international facilities are canvassing potential members. For example, ESRF is looking for support from Russia, India, South Africa and Ireland. “We trust our existing members while attempting to attract new ones,” says ESRF's Rodriguez Castellano. As well as courting additional contributors, new sources of funding are being sought. Further funding for ITER could either be integrated into Horizon 2020, the EU's eighth framework programme for research and innovation, or come from other EU funds.

Recruitment prospects

Despite the uncertainty of securing sustainable government funding, recruitment prospects in international research organisations in France remain buoyant. Those whose support is financial — without providing access to equipment — fund three- to five-year research contracts at both postdoctoral and PhD level. For example, HFSPO offers 35 project grants of between €110,000 and €150,000 each year to support collaborations on multidisciplinary research with very little bureaucracy. It also offers postdoctoral grants of around €45,000 each year to around 100 scientists going into life sciences from other fields.

The recruitment outlook in organisations providing research infrastructure, such as the ESRF, EMBL, ILL, the SOLEIL synchrotron and ITER, is also bright. Most organisations implement ongoing recruitment drives for scientists with a wide range of backgrounds, including biology, chemistry, physics, IT and engineering. ITER is expected to recruit 5,000 people by 2014, says spokesman Michel Claessens. The project is seeking scientists “from all engineering, physics, plasma physics, computer science and nuclear [engineering] backgrounds,” he adds.

At ILL, a third of positions are filled on fixed-term contracts, so there is a regular turnover of staff. “Every year we recruit a significant number of scientists,” says Harrison.

An international leader

France's long-established position as a scientific heavyweight has lured some of the most prestigious international research organisations to its territory. Its prominence as a host or major partner often creates synergies with national research activities while also allowing scientists access to prestigious research circles. A good quality of life, such as that found in Grenoble, is an added incentive.