Salut à tous !
Voici la traduction que je propose pour la lettre (voir ci-dessous). Le style est un peu poussif par endroits, et (pour éviter qu'il ne le soit partout !) j'ai dû altérer un chouïa le sens de quelques formulations. Remarques et corrections bienvenues ! Je compte envoyer ça (+ le dossier de presse, également traduit en anglais) aux reporters de Nature et Science demain après-midi (=> si vous avez des corrections à apporter, faites-le avant !).
--
Hervé
***
Open letter by the CNRS recruitees of 2008
We, the CNRS recruitees of 2008, express our strong support to this public research agency. The CNRS is famous worldwide and, thanks to its structure and to the way it is operated, it could keep its independence and its freedom of thought from the political and economical powers in every academic discipline.
This is the main reason why the CNRS keeps attracting researchers from all over the world: we have seen the French and foreign research systems as insiders and we have been subjected to a constant evaluation; hence we are entitled to appreciate the qualities of the CNRS, compared to its international counterparts.
While we should be happy to join this agency, we feel that we have to express publicly our strong concerns caused by the current reforms and the deep structural modifications of our agency. These reforms aim at transforming an independent and widely praised research operator into an obedient granting agency, whose scientific goals are dictated by the economical and political powers. In particular, we want to blame the consequences of this evolution that already affect our daily research:
- Workforce and fundings have been largely reduced. In 2009, the number of recruited CNRS researchers is dropping by 25% and 250 positions have disappeared in universities, while the number of students is constantly growing. Instead, we note an increasing casualization and a growing number of short-term contracts, in particular for young researchers and for administrative and technical employees.
- These short-term contracts and almost all of the research expenses are now funded by the ANR (National Agency of Research) calls for proposals. These are largely technology-oriented and re-negotiable every year, depending on the lobbying fluctuations. Hence the current reforms result in a control by political powers and large companies that was never seen before. Moreover, through the "LRU" law, the state is now stopping to finance universities, making them more dependent to private funds and local administrations.
- The only budget increase in research is the "research tax cut", which reduces taxes on some companies when they invest in their own research and development departments. It is not subjected to any evaluation. This "fiscal present" is considerably large and strongly increasing: from 1.5 billion euros in 2005 to 4 billion euros in 2009. 80% of this money will go to the largest French companies. Why such a costly reform, without any evaluation of its impact?
So these reforms are dangerous for the creativity of research and they threaten whole academic fields, that are not profitable. The study of causes and consequences of social inequalities does not yield any profit. But do we want to stop gathering and transmitting this knowledge? Computer science and genetics were not profitable 60 years ago. Shouldn't they have been funded at that time? If the risks linked to the activity of a company or a local administration have to be evaluated, how impartial and objective will be a researcher who is paid, recruited and controlled by this company or administration?
Hence, we are not demonstrating for the defence of some corporatistic advantages. We want to contribute to the excellence of French research by joining an agency whose strength and independence are praised worldwide. We have the will and the ability to participate to the improvement of the way the CNRS is operated, but we will resist with all our strength to prevent its dismantlement.
