The ANR make it easier for French researchers abroad to return to France

Once they have earned their PhD, many young researchers go abroad to do a postdoc in a foreign research center in hopes of improving their chances to be recruited by an institution of higher education or research center in France. Unfortunately, it is often not easy to return home.

It is in order to combat this unintended “brain drain" that the French National Research Agency (ANR) has just announced the upcoming "Postdoc Return" program to “motivate young highly-qualified researchers on a postdoctoral program abroad to return to France and enable them to find a position in research and higher education institutions or industry.”

The ANR will thus give these young researchers the means to conduct a research program in a host institution for a non-renewable period of three years, the time it takes to prepare for recruitment campaigns in institutions of higher education and research or find a position in one of the large industrial R&D centers.

NB: this program has just been announced but no call for applications has yet been made.