The 2023 Work Programme
Drawn up in consultation with scientific communities and institutional stakeholders in research, the 2023 Work Programme incorporates France’s research priorities and considers the contributions made by the five national research alliances, the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the Conference of University Presidents (CPU), and the priorities of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR). It expresses part of France’s research efforts to support our society in the face of major challenges, in line with the themes defined in the “Horizon Europe” plan of the European Commission or the United Nations’ “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs).
The 2023 Work Programme is a continuation of the 2022 Edition. It is structured around four interdisciplinary components, each with a specific scientific budget and funding instruments, calls for proposals and programmes.
Download the 2023 Work Programme
The Generic call for proposals (AAPG), the ANR’s main call
The AAPG mobilises 5 instruments to fund individual research projects coordinated by young researchers (JCJC), ambitious and innovative single-team research projects (PRME), collaborative research projects between public entities at national (PRC) or international (PRCI) level, and between public and private entities with an opening towards the business world (PRCE).
In keeping with the 2022 edition, all 56 AAPG research themes are renewed. 37 research themes are presented in 7 disciplinary areas and 19 themes reflect interdisciplinary challenges. Each theme has its own Scientific Evaluation Panel (CES).
The rule governing the automatic invitation to stage 2 of the 2023 AAPG, the projects added to the complementary list to the 2022 AAPG but not selected for funding, is also renewed. When projects are re-submitted in stage 1 of the 2023 AAPG, they are automatically invited to stage 2 without prior evaluation by Scientific Evaluation Panels, subject to eligibility.
However, slight changes were made in the 2023 edition: following the evaluation of the project re-submitted to the 2023 AAPG, panel members may access project reviews conducted during the 2022 AAPG, only if the coordinator so wishes. The 2023 AAPG is now open to follow-up projects of ANR-funded projects, and high-risk projects with little preliminary results.
Specific programmes and calls for proposals of the 2023 Work Programme
Within the framework of its 2023 Work Programme, the ANR is also rolling out:
- Specific calls, excluding AAPG, such as the Flash Call to support urgent research needs, whose scientific relevance is linked to a major event or catastrophe, or the Challenge scheme to explore multiple research approaches around the same theme. The ANR also proposes specific calls corresponding to national priorities, scientific themes proposed by external (co-)funders, or to pilot or experimental calls. For example, these include the 1st joint call “Chlordecone” in partnership with the local authorities of Martinique and the Guadeloupe Region, or the PAUSE-ANR Ukraine programme, launched in 2022, to host Ukrainian scientists.
- Actions to increase the influence and attractiveness of national research in Europe and internationally: with MRSEI funding instruments and the new SRSEI programme launched in 2022, T-ERC and Access-ERC programmes, and specific calls for proposals within the framework of strategic multilateral programmes and bilateral partnerships.
- Programmes to stimulate partnerships with enterprises and the transfer of public research results to the economic world, such as the Labcom, Industrial chairs, Carnot programmes, and Astrid and Astrid Maturation schemes funded by the Defence Innovation Agency (AID).
Strategic priorities included in the 2023 Work Programme
The ANR’s 2023 Work Programme incorporates strategic priorities defined by the French State, and the implementation of governmental plans on:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Social Sciences and Humanities
- Quantum technologies
- Autism in neurodevelopmental disorders
- Translational research on rare diseases
The "production of biopharmaceuticals” and “Covid-19” priorities will not be renewed in the 2023 Work Programme. The specific calls for Covid-19 research projects are entrusted to the ANRS | Emerging Infectious Diseases, an agency under the supervision of the MESR and the Ministry of Health and Prevention. The ANR will pursue its support to Covid-19 research by funding, as part of 2023 AAPG, medium-term projects.
The priorities set out in the 2023 Work Programme are detailed within the scientific themes described in the AAPG. They will be combined with the “France 2030 Investment Plan” and the France 2030 “Priority Research Programme and Equipment” (PEPR).
In addition, the 2023 Work Programme aims to improve France’s participation in the future framework programme of the European Commission, and deepen multilateral and bilateral strategic collaborations, including French-German cooperation.
The ANR’s commitments in the 2023 Work Programme
The ANR reaffirms is commitments:
- To comply with principles of the Code of Ethics and Scientific Integrity,
- To the development of a policy to reduce gender inequalities in Higher Education and Research (ESR),
- To Open Science,
- To sustainable development goals,
- To the promotion of the Nation’s scientific, technical and industrial culture (CSTI),
- To comply with the Nagoya Protocol regarding the access genetic resources and traditional knowledge associated.
- The implementation of measures to protect the Nation’s scientific and technical potential (PPST), aimed at protecting access, within public and private institutions, to their strategic knowledge and expertise, and their sensitive technologies.
How these commitments will be implemented is specified in the 2023 Work Programme.
A Work Programme drafted in consultation and as a continuation of the 2022 Edition
The Agency relied on seven Programming Advisory Panels (CPP), which met in the first half of 2022 to draw up its 2023 Work Programme, in collaboration with scientific communities and institutional stakeholders in research.
These panels reflect the five areas of the national research alliances, and Mathematics and Physics in all its aspects. They include representatives of the ANR, the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR), other ministries, national research alliances, the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the Conference of University Presidents (CPU), and private research.
Download the ANR’s 2023 Work Programme (in french, english version will be available later)
For more information:
2023 Generic Call for proposals
News. The French National Research Agency publishes its 2023 Work Programme
