Before confinement, it had sparked an outcry from researchers. Finally, on Wednesday, the multi-year research programming bill, LPPR, was presented to the Council of Ministers. It plans to reinject 25 billion euros in research for the next ten years, in order to allow France to keep its place in a global scientific competition which is intensifying. Objective: to breathe new life into a system weakened by chronic underinvestment. But for many researchers, this will not be enough to allow France to catch up with its neighbors.
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"We must be supported over the long term"
Germany in particular is investing more and more. And then these 25 billion euros are earmarked, for the most part, towards short-term projects, which Patrick Lemaire regrets. "We have just, and we are very happy in my team, to publish an article in one of the major American scientific journals", explains this CNRS researcher, a biologist for 35 years. "This work is ten years for an article. We have to be able to be supported over the long term if we want to have work that has a real impact."
Many researchers also regret that only 400 million euros are allocated for the year 2021, leaving the responsibility to subsequent governments to invest in this area. On the other hand, several experts welcome the efforts made towards young researchers, because this bill provides for the allocation of more scholarships for doctoral students.