International - Let’s save research !
Dernier ajout : vendredi 30 avril 2004.
About 70,000 French researchers have signed an open lettre* to their government to protest against draconian cuts in the budgets of public research institutions such as INSERM and the CNRS. Measures taken by the French government during the past two years include nonpayment of the voted-upon credits that fund the daily operation of research labs and transforming half of the vacant permanent positions into short fixed-term contracts. At the same time that the French government disengages itself from the sphere of public research, it wishes to exert more control over what research is funded and how. In the view of many scientists, the consequences of these actions will be disastrous for basic research in France. An entire generation of young researchers will be lost, as they either abandon research entirely, for lack of jobs, or else emigrate to "greener" pastures. On the international scene, French science will fall behind as basic research, which also fuels applied research and technological breakthroughs, is abandoned. Another French paradox : these measures are being taken at a time when other countries, in particular the United States, are increasing their public funding of basic research.
*For the full text of the lettre in English, go to : http://recherche-en-danger.apinc.org/article.php3?id_article=222
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Deutsche Version des Appells - Internationale Unterstützung der französischen Forscherbewegung
French research is in crisis (japonese text)
