The Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) is the largest and most prominent public research organization in France. It employs 26,000 permanent staff (researchers, engineers, and administrative staff) and a further 4,000 temporary staff. Its budget for 2006 was 2.738 billion EUR. Image File history File links LogoCNRSMoyen. ... Public is of or pertaining to the people; belonging to the people; relating to, or affecting, a nation, state, or community; opposed to private; as, the public treasury, a road or lake. ... Research is a human activity based on intellectual investigation and aimed at discovering, interpreting, and revising human knowledge on different aspects of the world. ... It has been suggested that Organizing be merged into this article or section. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... “EUR” redirects here. ...

Organisation

The CNRS currently has 6 divisions (French: départements scientifiques): A listing of universities and major tertiary education institutions in France. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... The grands établissements are French public institutions under ministerial charter. ... Cemagref is a public research institute in France focusing on land management issues such as water resources and agricultural technology. ... The Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) is one of the most prominent scientific research institutions in France. ... The Institut National dÉtudes Démographiques (INED) is a French public establishment. ... The Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) is a French public research institute dedicated to scientific studies surrounding the problems of agriculture. ... The Institut national de recherche en informatique et en automatique (INRIA) is a French national research institution focusing on computer science, control theory and applied mathematics. ... Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm) is the only French public organization entirely dedicated to biological, medical and public health research. ... The Commissariat à lÉnergie Atomique or CEA, the Atomic Energy Commisson, in English, is a French public establishment of an industrial and commercial character whose mission is to develop all applications of atomic energy, both civilian and military. ... This article lacks information on the importance of the subject matter. ...

• Mathematics, physics, planetary sciences ("MPPU")
• Chemistry
• Life sciences
• Humanities and social sciences
• Environment and sustainable development ("EDD")
• Engineering

The last two are "transversal" divisions, meaning that the associated research groups are also associated with one of the four "core" divisions. The National Commission for Scientific Research (CN), which is in charge of the recruitment and evaluation of researchers, maintains a parallel division of scientific endeavor into 47 "sections". Research groups belong to one or more départements; the researchers themselves belong to one section. Euclid, Greek mathematician, 3rd century BC, as imagined by by Raphael in this detail from The School of Athens. ... Physics (Greek: (phúsis), nature and (phusiké), knowledge of nature) is the branch of science concerned with the fundamental laws of the Universe. ... Chemistry - the study of atoms, made of nuclei (conglomeration of center particles) and electrons (outer particles), and the structures they form. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The humanities are those academic disciplines which study the human condition using methods that are largely analytic, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural and social sciences. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Engineering is the design, analysis, and/or construction of works for practical purposes. ...

For administrative purposes, the CNRS has 18 regional divisions (including 4 just for the region of Paris).

The CNRS runs its research groups (French: laboratoires) either independently or in association with universities, other higher education institutions, or other institutions. Currently CNRS researchers are active in 1,256 research groups, 85% of which are jointly-run and also include non-CNRS researchers. The prevalence of such "mixed" research groups is an unusual characteristic of the French system.

Employment

Researchers directly employed by the CNRS are classified in two categories, in order of seniority:

• Research associates (French: chargés de recherche) (2nd class, 1st class)
• Research directors (directeurs de recherche) (2nd class, 1st class, exceptional class).

Theoretically, research directors head research groups, but this is not a general rule.

All permanent employees (both research and technical/administrative staff) are recruited through annual nationwide competitive campaigns. The selected candidates have the status of civil servants and are part of the giant fonction publique, which accounts for one-fifth of the French work force. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

International relations

The Centre is represented abroad in Brussels, Beijing, Tokyo, Hanoi, Washington DC, Bonn, Moscow, Tunis, Johannesburg, and Santiago de Chile. Nickname: Map showing the location of Brussels in Belgium Coordinates: Country Belgium Region Brussels-Capital Region Founded 979 Founded (Region) June 18, 1989 Government  - Mayor (Municipality) Freddy Thielemans Area  - Region 162 km²  (62. ... Beijing (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: BÄ›ijÄ«ng; IPA: ;  ), a metropolis in northern China, is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Ná»™i, Hán Tá»±: 河内)  , estimated population 3,145,300(2005), is the capital of Vietnam. ... Flag Seal Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location Location of Washington, D.C., with regard to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. ... Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany, located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia. ... Position of Moscow in Europe Coordinates: Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Government  - Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Area  - City 1,081 km²  (417. ... City motto: Unity in Development Province Gauteng Mayor Amos Masondo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... Satellite image of Santiago Santiago (full form Santiago de Chile) is the capital of Chile. ...

Brief history

The Centre was created on 19 October 1939 by decree of President Albert Lebrun. Since 1954, the Centre has annually awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals to French scientists and junior researchers. In 1966, the Centre underwent structural changes. The changes led to the creation of two specialized institutes: the National Astronomy and Geophysics Institute in 1967, which became the National Institute of Sciences of the Universe (INSU) in 1985, and the National Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics (IN2P3) in 1971. October 19 is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full year calendar). ... The President of France, known officially as the President of the Republic (Président de la République in French), is Frances elected Head of State. ... Albert Lebrun (August 29, 1871 - March 6, 1950) was a French politician, President of France from 1932 to 1940, and as such was the last president of the Third Republic. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Particle physics is one of the disciplines stuided at the Institut. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ...

Recently, the performance of CNRS has been brought into question, with calls for wide-ranging reforms. In particular, the effectiveness of the recruitment, career management and evaluation procedures are under scrutiny.

Leadership

Catherine Bréchignac was named President on 11 January 2006. She was previously Director General from 1997-2000.

Arnold Migus was named Director General on 18 January 2006, after the dismissal of the reformist Bernard Larrouturou.

List of Presidents

• René Pellat : 1989 - 1992
• Edouard Brezin : 1992 - 2000
• Gérard Mégie : 2000 - 2004
• Bernard Meunier : 2004 - 2006
• Catherine Bréchignac : 2006-

List of Directors General

• Jean Coulomb : 1957-1962
• Hubert Curien : 1969-1973
• Robert Chabbal : 1976-1980
• François Kourilsky : 1988 - 1994
• Guy Aubert : 1994 - 1997
• Catherine Bréchignac : 1997 - 2000
• Geneviève Berger : 2000 - 2003
• Bernard Larrouturou : 2003- 2006
• Arnold Migus : 2006-

Hubert Curien (1924-February 6, 2005) was a French physicist and a key figure in European science politics, as both the President of CERN (1994-1996) and the first chairman of the European Space Agency (ESA) (1981-1984). ...

External links

• Official website
• View Bulletin de la Société botanique de France in Botanicus.org