France takes in 46 researchers as part of Choose France for Science programme
The French Ministry for Higher Education, Research and Space (MESRE) has announced the 46 researchers who are winners of the first wave of the "Choose France for Science" programme.
The majority of winners announced on 04/02 have US (19) or French nationality (13). Most of them (41) come from US institutions, with the other five coming from Sweden, Chile, Belgium, Israel and Australia.
They were selected by a panel of judges from more than 119 applications submitted, out of a total of 2,000 applications.
Of the winners, 35% (16) have more than 20 years' experience, 30% are experienced researchers with 15 to 20 years' experience (14), and 28% are at the start of their career with less than ten years' experience (13). Only three winners are in the middle of their careers (10-15 years' experience).
Their projects are mainly in the fields of climate, biodiversity and sustainable societies (37%) and health research (30%) with 17 and 14 winners respectively.
France launched the platform "Choose France for Science" on 18/04/2026 for applications from international researchers with €100 million in funding.
The programme funds up to 50% of the costs of hosting a foreign researcher by French research organisations and universities that have launched programmes supported by it, such as Choose CNRS
National Centre for Scientific Research
, Choose INRAE
French National Institute of Agricultural Science
for Science and Choose IRD
French Research Institute for Sustainable Development
, launched respectively by the National Centre for Scientific Research, the National Institute for Agricultural Research and the Research Institute for Development.
The CNRS and Aix-Marseille University (AMU) are the two institutions that will benefit most from Choose France for Science funding, with 15 and 12 researchers, respectively.
Twenty-four winners from US laboratories in Aix-Marseille University
In addition to the 12 "Choose France" winners, who will be co-financed by AMU's own funds and national funds, AMU will be able to fund 12 other researchers with its own programme, launched in early March.
Aix-Marseille University (AMU) was the first French institution to launch a programme, "Safe Place for Science", to take in researchers from international institutions. The programme is aimed at attracting researchers from the US, with €15m in funding.
Speaking at News Tank's annual Think event in Paris on 05/02/2026, Thierry Berton, President of AMU, said: "Safe Place for Science was launched in March in response to events in the United States, particularly the Trump administration's curtailment of academic freedoms in American laboratories."
By the end of March, the university had received over 300 applications, he said: "We were initially overwhelmed by applications. We had to communicate with colleagues in US laboratories via encrypted messaging at times, because they were afraid," he added.
Berton said that it was not initially an "initiative to attract students, but rather an initiative to provide scientific asylum: to give hope to those American colleagues who joined us".
"This was amplified by incredible media coverage, particularly in the United States. I believe there were around 1,200 press articles in the United States. It really showcased AMU's appeal and international character", Berton added.
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