Organisation and Governance

The French National Research Agency (ANR) is a public administrative body under the authority of the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. Its organisation and operation are defined in the decree of 1 August 2006, amended on 24 March 2014.

The ANR is administered by a Governing Board and directed by its President and CEO. The President and CEO is assisted by one or more Deputy Directors General and a Scientific Advisory Panel. The Deputy Directors General are appointed by the Agency’s President for a renewable term of five years. At least one of the Deputy Directors General is responsible for administration.

By decree of the French President, responding to a proposal from the Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Thierry Damerval was appointed President of the ANR on 8 December 2017.

The decree of 1 August2006, amended in 2014, on the organisation and operation of the ANR
The ANR organisation chart

The Governing Board

The Governing Board rules the institution’s affairs through its deliberations and decisions. This includes pronouncing on the overall organisation of services and the Agency’s internal regulations, the orientations of its Work Programme, the policy for awarding and managing grants and the ANR’s budget and financial accounts.

Its members were appointed by the decree of 10 March 2021. The rules of its operation are set by the decree on the organisation and operation of the ANR.

Composition of the Governing Board

Président : Thierry DAMERVAL

En qualité de représentants de l’Etat :

Mme Claire GIRY et Mme Marine CAMIADE, représentantes titulaires de la ministre chargée de la recherche ;
Mme Carine BERNARD et M. Guilhem de ROBILLARD, représentants suppléants de la ministre chargée de la recherche ;
Mme Anne-Sophie BARTHEZ, représentante titulaire de la ministre chargée de l’enseignement supérieur ;
Mme Caroline OLLIVIER-YANIV, représentante suppléante de la ministre chargée de l’enseignement supérieur ;
M. Benjamin DELOZIER et M. Michel SCHMITT, représentants titulaires du ministre chargé de l’industrie ;
Mme Nathalie HOMOBONO et M. Arnaud DELAUNAY, représentants suppléants du ministre chargé de l’industrie ;
M. Alban HAUTIER, représentant titulaire du ministre chargé du budget ;
Mme Agathe ROLLAND, représentante suppléante du ministre chargé du budget.

En qualité de personnalités qualifiées représentant les grands domaines scientifiques dont au moins une issue de la conférence des chefs d’établissements de l’enseignement supérieur :

M. Mohammed BENLAHSEN, titulaire ;
M. Gilles BLOCH, titulaire ; Mme Elsa CORTIJO, suppléante
Mme Carole CARANTA, titulaire ;
Mme Marie GAILLE, titulaire ;
Mme Virginie DUPONT, titulaire ;
M. Bruno SPORTISSE, titulaire ; Mme Bernadette DORIZZI, suppléante ;
M. François HOULLIER, suppléant ; Mme Michèle ROUSSEAU, suppléante ;
M. Alain SCHUHL, suppléant ;
M. Yassine LAKHNECH, suppléant.

En qualité personnalités qualifiées du monde socio-économique :

M. Bruno MAQUART ;
Mme Marie-Noëlle SEMERIA ;
M. Philippe TCHENG ; Mme Catherine TRUFFERT.

Le vice-président du Conseil stratégique de la recherche :

M. Pascal COLOMBANI.

En qualité de représentant du personnel :

M. Jean-Michel LE ROUX, titulaire ; Mme Jannatul Mia, suppléante
Mme Sophie GRELAT, titulaire ; Mme Delphine Callu, suppléante

De plus, assistent au Conseil avec voix consultative :

Le président du Conseil d’administration de l’établissement public BPI-Groupe ou son représentant
Le secrétaire général pour l’investissement ou son représentant
Le directeur général délégué à l’administration et au budget
Le contrôleur budgétaire
L’agent comptable

Scientific Advisory Panel

As a discussion body, the Scientific Advisory Panel assists the ANR President and CEO in the strategic management of the Agency. Subjects on which the CEO requests its opinion include:

The preparation of the ANR’s annual Work Programme and the report on its implementation,
Work to evaluate research provision and analyse its impact,
The creation or abolition of the Agency’s scientific departments, together with their naming and scope,
The appointment of the heads of scientific departments and the renewal of their functions.

It may also be asked to provide an opinion by the Governing Board or the CEO. Its composition, the procedure for appointing its members and its rules of procedure are set out by the ministerial order of 10 September 2015.

Composition of the Scientific Advisory Panel

Chaired by Pierre Corvol, president of the French Academy of Sciences and honorary director of the Collège de France, the new Scientific Advisory Panel consists of:
Figures from outside the ANR, including foreign contributors selected for their scientific and technical knowledge in the Agency’s areas of activity:

Bruno Chaudret, research director of the CNRS and a member of the French Academy of Sciences;
Yuko Harayama, former executive member of the Japanese prime minister’s Science and Technology Council;
Nathalie de Noblet-Ducoudré, research director at the CEA and a member of the French Academy of Agriculture;

Figures from the business world chosen for their knowledge about the operation and constraints of national research, development and innovation funding agencies:

Valérie Mazza, science and innovation director at Limagrain group and a member of the French Academy of Technology;
Roseann O’Reilly Runte, president and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation;
Pascal Viginier, president de of the French Academy of Technology and advisor to the chairman of Orange.

Signature delegation

Signature delegation is a form of delegation of authority. It is an internal organisational method by which the President and CEO offloads a part of their responsibility by appointment a deputy who will take decisions in the CEO’s name, but only in areas that have been delegated and within the limits of the deputy’s authority.

View the list of deputies

Last updated on 02 March 2023