Work Programme 2022

The 2022 Work Programme describes the actions and calls for proposals proposed by the French National Research Agency (ANR) for the coming year, thus giving all scientific communities and all public or private actors involved in French research, general visibility of its funding offer. It falls within the framework of the 2021-2030 Research Programming Law (LPR), which consolidates ANR's missions and strengthens its resources, and of the Recovery Plan for 2021-2022.

Developed in consultation with institutional research stakeholders (see below), the 2022 Work Programme integrates the priority research orientations of our country and takes into account the contributions of the five National Research Alliances, CNRS, the Conference of University Presidents (CPU), and the orientations and priorities of the MESRI. It serves to express part of the research efforts carried out by France to support our society in the face of the major challenges it faces, in connection with the lines defined in the “Horizon Europe” plan of the European Commission, or the “Sustainable development objectives” (SDO) of the United Nations.

Download the 2022 Work Programme

The generic call for proposals (AAPG), ANR's main call

Changes were made to the 2022 edition of the Work Programme, both in terms of the funding instruments implemented, and the content of the research themes of the Generic Call for Proposals (AAPG).

The AAPG is mobilising five funding instruments, i.e. one more than in 2021. These instruments serve to fund individual research projects carried out by young researchers (JCJC); ambitious and innovative research projects carried out by a team or a laboratory as part of the reintroduction of the “Single-team research project” (PRME) instrument; collaborative research projects between public entities in a national (PRC) or international (PRCI) context; and between public and private entities opening up to the business world (PRCE).

The research themes of the AAPG are also evolving, particularly within the field of humanities and social sciences, to better take into account the disciplinary or interdisciplinary dimensions specific to each scientific sector or shared by several of these same disciplinary sectors. The AAPG now includes 56 research themes (i.e. 6 more than in 2021), including 37 research themes presented within 7 disciplinary fields, and 19 themes corresponding to transversal issues (trans- or interdisciplinary). Every theme corresponds to a scientific evaluation panel (CES).

The specific programmes and calls for proposals of the 2022 Work Programme

As part of its 2022 Work Programme, ANR is also implementing:

Specific non-AAPG actions such as the Flash and Challenge systems, to support urgent research needs whose scientific relevance is linked to an event or a disaster of exceptional magnitude, and specific calls to respond to national priorities or scientific issues proposed by external (co-)funders. Pilot or experimental calls are also planned in this edition to meet the needs and expectations of scientific communities expressed within the programming steering committees (see below).
The MRSEI and T-ERC instruments, along with specific calls for proposals within the framework of strategic bilateral partnerships and multilateral programmes (JPI, ERA-NET and ERA-NET COFUND, multinational actions via the Belmont Forum, etc.), to increase the influence and attractiveness of national research in Europe and internationally. In addition, a new funding instrument is offered on an experimental basis in this 2022 edition: the “Access-ERC” call. It aims to support the hosting in French laboratories of young post-doctoral researchers (French or foreign doctors having defended their doctorate less than 3 years previously) wishing to strengthen their international visibility and submit a future application to a European Research Council (ERC) programme. This pilot call will concern the field of humanities and social sciences.
The Labcom, Industrial Chairs, Carnot programmes, along with the Astrid and Astrid Maturation programmes funded by the Defence Innovation Agency (AID), to stimulate partnerships with businesses and the transfer of public research results to the economic world. The 2022 Work Programme also includes a new collaborative instrument, the “Public-private research project (PRPP)” aimed at promoting the development of new public-private partnership dynamics or to allow the technological or social maturity of research projects.

Renewal of a Covid-19 priority and strategic priorities defined by the State

In the exceptional health context, the Covid-19 priority is renewed throughout the 2022Work Programme, all instruments and programmes included, to continue support actions and long-term research related to the Covid-19 pandemic and its consequences.
The strategic priorities defined by the State and the implementation of government plans below are also renewed:

Artificial intelligence
Social sciences and humanities
Quantum technologies
Autism in neurodevelopmental disorders
Translational research into rare diseases
Biomedicine production

They will be linked, where necessary, with the “Priority research programmes and equipment” (PEPR) which form part of the managed component of the 4th investments for the future programme (PIA4). Particular attention is paid to interdisciplinarity, particularly within lines of research that cut across several scientific fields. Finally, the 2022 Work Programme also aims to consolidate France's participation in the future framework programme of the European Commission, along with the intensification of multilateral and bilateral strategic collaborations, in particular Franco-German cooperation.

Commitments of the 2022 Work Programme

ANR reaffirms its commitments to respect the principles of ethics and scientific integrity, the development of a policy to reduce gender inequalities in Higher Education and Research (ESR), open science, the promotion of scientific, technical and industrial culture (CTSI), and compliance with the Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. It strengthens its values and commitments by implementing:

The application of the rights retention strategy initiated by cOAlition S. With this strategy, all publications from projects funded by ANR (at least the versions accepted for publication) must be filed with the CC-BY licence or equivalent in the HAL national open archive, immediately after publication in accordance with Plan S. This strategy aims to pave the way for full and immediate access to scientific publications resulting from projects financed by public funds.
The launch of several calls for proposals in line with the national “Science with and for Society” measures resulting from the LPR, to support research in scientific mediation and promote the development of the CSTI within research institutions and organisations. along with the dissemination of knowledge.
The protection of the nation's scientific and technical potential (PPST) on the recommendations of the Service of the senior defence and security official (SHFDS) of the MESRI: to protect, within public and private institutions, access to their strategic knowledge and know-how as well as to their sensitive technologies in order to guard against attempts to capture strategic or sensitive information that may be diverted for malicious purposes.