French priority research programme (PPR) on antibiotic resistance: Call for junior and senior researcher positions (chairs)

This program aims to implement an ambitious research program that brings together all French forces, to propose new public health strategies and measures to reduce and optimize the use of antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine in order to reverse the resistance curve, in line with international actions.

In this context, Junior and Senior interdisciplinary chairs will be funded to strengthen French research on antibiotic resistance. The priority will be to recruit researchers with expertise that will favor the development of investigations of excellence in the field antibiotic resistance.

In a first step, a national call for applications has been organized by Inserm in consultation with academic research organizations concerned with antibiotic resistance. This new call, organized by ANR, represents the second step of selection for junior and senior researcher positions.

Applicants selected in the first step are now invited to propose a research project that will be evaluated by an international jury.

In the context of this French Priority Research Programme (Programme prioritaire de recherche, PPR) on antibiotic resistance (AbR), 7.5 M€ have been devoted to support senior researcher positions (1 M€ each) and junior researcher positions (500 k€ each). These calls aim to attract, without nationality considerations,

(i) senior scientists of excellence, to develop multi-disciplinary research projects on antibiotic resistance in France, favouring a One Health approach when possible or relevant. Candidates aiming to fully integrate the French research system are encouraged. These positions will be hosted in an established laboratory on the French territory

(ii) young scientists to set up and lead a research team within an established laboratory in France and develop projects of excellence on antibiotic resistance.

The research project should also favor interdisciplinarity and create synergy between the different types of research (fundamental, environmental, clinical, translational, public health, etc., in human and veterinary medicine) whenever relevant. The objective is to stimulate and support the emergence of diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic innovations and to achieve better use of antibiotics.

The research project of the candidates will have to cover at least one of the following 4 research themes pertinent to all three health sectors (human, animal and the environment) to develop multi-disciplinary research projects on antibiotic resistance in France, favouring a One Health approach whenever relevant (see below).

Summary of the 4 research themes of the PPR:

• Dynamics and control of the emergence, transmission and spread of antibiotic resistance
   
• Optimising the use of antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine
   
• Individual, ethnological and sociological, economic, political and cultural determinants of antibiotic resistance
   
• Therapeutic innovation

Projects may start as early as the 1st trimester of 2023 for a duration ranging from 18 to 60 months for senior positions and 48 to 60 months for junior positions.

The funding is awarded to a project gathering a Candidate and a Host institution who are deemed indissociably for that project. The project funding is not transferable to a replacement candidate nor to a replacement host institution.

Only laureates selected in the “Antibiotic resistance Call for junior and senior researcher positions” operated by Inserm, are invited to submit a research project in this second step of selection. The evaluation process will be organized by ANR. Eligible projects will be evaluated by an independent Scientific Committee with an international dimension.

Indicative list of host laboratories and institutions

Complementary information

The complete details of the PPR are available on the National Antibiotic resistance Portal:

https://ppr-antibioresistance.inserm.fr/en/

Important dates

• 5th September 2022: Deadline for online submission
• 4th trimester 2022: Publication of the list of selected laureates
• From the 1st trimester, 2023: Start of the contract

Contact details

PPR directorate: direction-ppr-antibioresistance.i3m(at)inserm.fr  

Technical assistance relative to the submission and ANR platform: ppr-antibioresistance(at)anr.fr