ATIP-Avenir program

Give young researchers the chance to set up and run a team, promote mobility and attract young, exceptionally talented team leaders to laboratories.

Since they were set up, both these programs (Atip at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Avenir at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm)) have enabled more than 406 researchers (234 for the CNRS, 172 for Inserm) to form their own research team in the fields of life and health sciences.

In 2009, on the basis of a partnership, Inserm and the CNRS combined their two programs into one: ATIP-Avenir

Application criteria

The program has been designed for young researchers, with no nationality restrictions, who have got their science thesis (or PhD) within the last 10 years at the most, irrespective of their home organization (public science and technology institution, university, hospital, veterinary school, etc.) and whether or not they hold a permanent position. The program is also open to physicians interested in research.

Access the call for proposals and submit your application online

Host laboratories

The laboratory that will host the Atip-Avenir team must provide 50 sq.m. of premises and access to all of the laboratory's facilities.

Where there is no host laboratory, applicants may submit their applications and, at the same time, contact Inserm or the CNRS who will help them to identify a suitable site for their project.

Inserm's database on research (Bir)

Directory of CNRS laboratories

Evaluation of applicants

Through an annual call for proposals, applicants are selected in two stages:

- application-based preselection

- followed by an interview for preselected applicants

The lists of selected applicants and host structures are drawn up jointly by the Inserm and CNRS management teams.

The projects are evaluated by an international scientific committee made up of 8 sub-committees.

2015 Commitee (30.7 ko) 

An expert's opinion

Tomas Lindahl

Tomas Lindahl - Director of the Clare Hall Laboratories at Cancer Research UK

"I have been delighted to participate in the evaluation of young scientists who apply for their first independent research post. This is perhaps the most critical stage in the career of a young scientist. Until recently, this has been a real “bottle-neck” with insufficient posts for talented and promising candidates. The admirable Atip-Avenir program of CNRS/Inserm goes a long way to improve the situation in France, with stringent and strictly objective evaluations by external experts of the young scientists. A notable sign of success of the Atip-Avenir program is that it is now being followed by related research organizations in other European countries."

 

Opinions of the program's scientific managers

Christian Boitard, Director of the thematic multi-organization institute Physiopathology, Metabolism, Nutrition (PMN)

André Le Bivic, CNRS Research Director

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Jean-Marc Egly, Inserm Research Director, ex Director ATIP-Avenir Programme

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The partners: financial support

French National Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis (ANRS): http://www.anrs.fr/

French Muscular Dystrophy Association (AFM): http://www.afm-telethon.fr/

French Association for Research on Cancer (ARC): http://www.arc-cancer.net/

Agro-Industrie Recherches et Développements (ARD): http://www.a-rd.fr/

French Alliance for Research and Innovation in Health Industries (ARIIS): http://www.ariis.fr/

French Directorate-General for Armament (DGA): http://www.defense.gouv.fr/dga/

French Directorate-General for Healthcare Services (DGOS): http://www.travail-solidarite.gouv.fr/le-ministere,149/presentation-et-organigramme,294/le-ministre-du-travail-de-la,747/direction-de-l-hospitalisation-et,5620.html

French Blood Agency (EFS): http://www.dondusang.net/afficherAccueil.do

Bettencourt-Schueller Foundation: http://www.fondationbs.org/

French National Cancer Institute (INCa): http://www.e-cancer.fr/

Pierre Fabre Laboratories: http://www.pierre-fabre.com/homepage/0,4157,2072_0_0_fr_FR_0,00.html?vid=11977375

French National Cancer League (LNCC): http://www.ligue-cancer.net/#

French Interdepartmental Mission for the Fight against Drugs and Drug Addiction (MILDT): http://www.drogues.gouv.fr/

Sanofi-Aventis: http://www.sanofi-aventis.fr/l/fr/fr/index.jsp

Contacts

Christiane Durieux (Inserm)

Catherine Cavard (CNRS)

Amount allocated: €270,000 minimum for 3 years

Which breaks down into €60,000 worth of operating expenses per year

+ a two-year fixed-term contract for a post-doctoral student

+ the selected applicant's salary, if s/he does not hold a permanent position (three-year fixed-term contract)

The selected applicant can receive additional aid through a partnership.

The ATIP-Avenir funding may be extended for an extra two years after evaluation.

Having the ATIP-Avenir program - a recognized benchmark for excellence - under your belt is a magnet for other types of funding.

95% of selected applicants who did not hold a permanent position have since obtained one


The 2015 program in figures

  • 20 selected applicants
  • 12 applied from France, 8 from abroad and 8 defended their thesis in France
  • 5 out of the 42 women who applied were selected
  • 7 applicants did not hold a permanent position
  • Average age of applicants: 35 years (29-39)
  • Year of thesis defense (median): 2008 (2004-2014)

The outcome of the calls for proposals

See the list of selected applicants (in French):

2015 selected applicants (11.2 ko)

2014 selected applicants (20.4 ko)

2012 selected applicants (17.5 ko)

2011 selected applicants ( o)

2010 selected applicants (26.6 ko)

2009 selected applicants (25.1 ko)

ATIP selected applicants between 1990 and 2008 (200.2 ko)

AVENIR selected applicants between 2002 and 2008 (137.9 ko)

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