Philippe Baptiste, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Space, formally announced the names of the 46 laureates — both French and international — selected in this first wave. Chosen by an expert jury from 119 applications, the scientists were recognised for the excellence of their research. They will shortly take up positions at French institutions to continue their work.
Who are the “Choose France for Science” laureates?
The profile of the successful candidates highlights France’s appeal, particularly across the Atlantic:
- 41 of the 46 laureates are arriving from the United States.
- The cohort includes 19 Americans and 13 French nationals. The remaining laureates come from Italy, Germany, Sweden, India, Poland, Chile, Ukraine, Colombia, China, Cameroon and Russia.
Most of the scientists are established researchers working in strategic fields, including climate science, health, agriculture, artificial intelligence and space studies.
Host institutions
Although the laureates will be spread across the country, the Île-de-France region and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region account for a significant share of appointments. The principal host institutions for this first intake are:
- CNRS: 15 laureates
- Aix-Marseille University: 12 laureates
- Institut Pasteur: 3 laureates
Other host institutions include Gustave Roussy, Institut des Hautes Études Statistiques, INSERM, INALCO, University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, CentraleSupélec, Paris-Saclay University, ENS PSL, ENS Paris-Saclay, INRAE, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, University of Grenoble Alpes and the IHU HealthAge.
Laureates’ perspectives
The ministry in charge of research has gathered first impressions from the programme’s initial participants, including the background and research plans of Alka Patel, an American researcher based at Aix-Marseille University.
A boost for French research attractiveness
Launched by the President of the Republic on 5 May 2025, the “Choose France for Science” initiative is designed to attract world-class scientists and strengthen France’s position in strategic disciplines. Backed by a total budget of €100 million under the France 2030 investment plan, the scheme co-funds research projects across all fields to facilitate their relocation.
For Philippe Baptiste, the programme “was a gamble — and a successful one”. The minister indicated that the initiative is set to continue.