Paris. For the first time in ten years, the French government is proposing to decrease the level of funding for civilian research. Proposals submitted to parliament last week envisage a reduction of 1.4 per cent next year -- or 3.3 per cent in real terms, taking inflation into account -- from FFr53.1 billion (US10.3 billion dollar) to FFr52.3 billion (US10.2 billion dollar). This proposed reduction will have relatively little impact on publicly funded research establishments, and has so far generatedrelatively little reaction from researchers and their unions, partly because it was not unexpected. But proposals from the state secretary for research, Frangois d'Aubert, to tackle the problem of recruiting young researchers have done little to allay concern among scientists still reeling from a freeze imposed last year.
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