The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) is among the world’s leading research institutions. Its scientists explore the living world, matter, the Universe, and the functioning of human societies in order to meet the major challenges of today and tomorrow. Internationally recognised for the excellence of its scientific research, the CNRS is a reference in the world of research and development, as well as for the general public.
The National Centre for Scientific Research is an interdisciplinary public research organisation under the administrative supervision of the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. The French state has entrusted the CNRS with the role of advancing knowledge for the benefit of society: a national mission the institution intends to accomplish in accordance with the rules of ethics and by committing to professional equality.
With a budget allocation of €3.4 billion, the CNRS employs 32,000 people serving the interest of research, with over 1,100 research laboratories in France and abroad.
The CNRS has been run by scientists since its foundation. This form of governance has allowed the organisation to channel all its resources into research and to demonstrate its innovative spirit in terms of ethics and professional equality.
Present in all fields of knowledge, the CNRS ranks among the world’s leading research organisations, thanks to its excellent results in research and innovation.
As the only multidisciplinary French research organisation, the CNRS is a key player in international research and a recognised innovator. Excellence, freedom of research, transdisciplinarity and delivering value through the results of its research are some of the values upheld by the CNRS to serve research geared to economic and social issues.