The French National Research Agency
A public body under the authority of the French Ministry for Higher Education, Research and Innovation, the French National Research Agency (ANR) funds project-based research carried out by public operators cooperating with each other or with companies.
5 missions
are defined in the decree of 1 August 2006, amended on 24 March 2014..
To fund and promote
the development of basic and targeted research, technological innovation, technology transfer and public-private partnerships.
To implement
the programme approved by the Minister of Research, following consultation with the Ministers responsible for France’s research organisations and public higher education institutions.
To manage
and monitor the implementation of major government investment programmes in the fi elds of higher education and research.
To strengthen
scientific cooperation across Europe and worldwide by aligning the Agency’s Work Programme with European and international initiatives.
To analyse
trends in research provision and assess the impact of the funding it allocates on scientific output in France.
Operator of the Investments for the Future programmes.
Since 2010, the Agency has been the national operator managing the Investments for the Future programmes (PIA) in the fi eld of higher education and research. This role involves managing the calls for proposals, organising the selection, negotiating agreements, providing funding, monitoring and reviewing the impact of the projects and the activities of the programme that fall under this heading. Each programme is covered by an agreement between the government and ANR.
Commitments and values
Scientific integrity
- Promotion of a culture of research integrity.
- Respect for the French National Charter for Research Integrity and the Agency’s Code of Ethics and Scientific Integrity.
Evaluation
- Signature of the San Francisco Declaration (DORA) for best practices in research assessment.
- Reasoned and reasonable use of quantitative and qualitative indicators on the impact of research work.
Quality
- ISO 9001 certifi cation for project selection processes.
- Quality management programme to standardise practices, ensure the traceability of operations, capitalise on knowledge and control risks.
Open science
- Obligation to submit funded projects publications
to an open archive (open access). - Requiring all projects funded to produce
a Data Management Plan (DMP) to encourage
open research data.
Gender
- Policy to reduce gender inequality in higher education and research.
- Incorporating the sex and/or gender dimension in research projects and evaluation panels.
The Nagoya Protocol
- Respect for the principles of conserving biodiversity and local knowledge, using them sustainably and sharing the resulting benefi ts fairly.
- Requiring Due Diligence Declarations (DDDs)
for all funded projects.
Sustainable Development Goals
- Where relevant, encouraging projects to target the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda.
Scientific, technical and industrial knowledge
- Promoting scientific, technical and industrial knowledge and relations between science and society.
- Encouraging ANR grant beneficiaries and any partners of these benefi ciaries to lead and/or participate in knowledge transfer programmes targeting the general public and decision-makers.
Supporting the development of research
in all its forms
France’s project-based research funding agency, ANR has been supporting research in all its dimensions, from basic to applied, since 2005. With nearly 19,000 projects funded for a total of €8.08 billion since its foundation, the Agency addresses all scientific communities at research organisations such as universities and companies. Its mission is to support collaboration between research teams in order to promote the development of knowledge.
ANR is the only public agency funding multidisciplinary project-based research in France. Its funding helps to develop basic and applied research, encourage academic and public-private partnerships and promote European and international cooperation. Its goal is to support high-quality scientific projects and research teams to stimulate the production of knowledge and innovation.
ANR’s programme is defined by the French Ministry for Research and is aligned with national priorities and European and international research funding initiatives. Its Work Programme, drafted annually in consultation with research and innovation communities, describes the Agency’s calls for proposals and the ways in which they are evaluated and funded. These calls for proposals encourage initiative among young researchers and technology transfer between laboratories and companies, promote cooperation between French and foreign research teams and enable responses to specific or urgent research needs. A major player in the construction of the European Research Area (ERA), with an active role on the international stage, ANR offers initiatives and funding instruments designed to strengthen partnerships and increase the visibility of French research.
Called on to set up and organise calls for proposals and select projects, the Agency partners with research bodies, institutions and agencies supporting public research (AID, SGDSN, the French Biodiversity Agency etc.), regional governments and organisations supporting innovation such as Bpifrance.
ANR selects the best scientific proposals based on evaluation criteria that are formalised and published. All projects are reviewed by panels consisting of scientific figures from outside the Agency.
Every year, over a thousand French and foreign peer reviewers take up their role as panel members. In accordance with international principles, the peer reviewers undertake to respect the rules of best ethical practice and scientific integrity: impartiality, fair treatment, confidentiality, transparency, collective decision-making etc.
ANR is the only public agency
funding multidisciplinary
project-based research in France.