The French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) is in the process of refusing the resignations of research directors who handed in their notice in protest over government science policies. In response, the resigning directors are to enforce a partial administrative strike.

On Tuesday of last week (March 23), Bernard Larrouturou, director general of CNRS, met his resigning research directors in Paris. According to Alain Trautmann, spokesperson for Let's Save Research who was present at the meeting, Larrouturou said he could clearly not accept “a number of resignations, already greater than 500 and that continues to rise.”

The CNRS is one of the two largest government-run organizations that administrate biomedical research in France. The other is the National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM).

Christian Bréchot, director general of INSERM, is touring the country, meeting his research directors regionally to discuss the resignations. A spokesperson for INSERM...

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