Safe Place For Science: the University of Aix-Marseille has received the first American researchers

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The University of Aix-Marseille received the first American researchers as part of the Safe Place For Science program during a reception party in the Astrophysics laboratory of Marseille. The University had been the first in France to launch as early as March a call for applications for American researchers whose academic freedom was under threat. A dozen scientists already arrived in France for a 3-years stay as part of this program.

Aix-Marseille Université (AMU) has launched its Safe Place For Science program to provide “a safe and stimulating environment for scientists wishing to pursue their research in complete freedom”. In a context where “some scientists in the United States may feel threatened or hindered in their research”, says the AMU, the Safe Place For Science program is dedicated to “welcoming scientists wishing to pursue their work in an environment conducive to innovation, excellence and academic freedom”. The AMU presents itself as “a major player in European research”, in capacity to provide “cutting-edge infrastructures, major international collaborations and strong support for scientists working on groundbreaking, forward-looking themes.

About 40 applicants to the Safe Place For Science program

The French-speaking channel TV5 Monde, one of the many medias relaying the reception of American researchers in Marseille, explains that Aix-Marseille Université informed having received 298 applications in total, from researchers “coming from prestigious institutions such as Berkeley, Nasa or Stanford”.

Following a pre-selection process, which notably assessed how well applicants’ research projects aligned with Aix-Marseille’s research priorities, 39 candidates working in fields such as health, astrophysics, the humanities, and climate science were selected. A second group of around 20 scientists is currently being finalized, with plans for them to relocate to France starting in September.

To apply and be eligible for the program, AMU had set a number of conditions, such as:

holding a research position (with or without teaching duties);
Possess a doctorate/PhD or an doctorate/PhD in medicine, in any discipline;
Have at least two years of postdoctoral experience;
Be based in the United States for a minimum of two years at the time of application, but all nationalities were eligible.

A 15 million euros budget for Safe Place for Science in Marseille

In Marseille, the AMIDEX Foundation is providing financial support for research positions for American scientists, especially those focused on climate, the environment, health, and the social sciences and humanities. The planned budget for the program amounts to 15 million euros. It will be managed by the AMIDEX Foundation, which includes nine partner institutions: AMU, CNRS, INSERM, IRD, CEA, the Marseille University Hospitals, the Paoli-Calmettes Institute (a cancer research center), as well as schools like Sciences Po Aix and École Centrale Méditerranée.

Notably, CentraleSupélec, one of the units of the Université Paris-Saclay, has also joined the Safe Place for Science initiative, thanks to a 3 million euros seed fund dedicated to hosting researchers currently based in the United States who are working on topics aligned with the school’s strategic priorities and are looking to continue their work in France.

Scientists from 44 countries accepted in the PAUSE program

TV5 Monde also explains that in recent years, researchers from Ukraine, Yemen, Afghanistan, and more recently from Palestinian territories, “have found refuge in southern France with their families thanks to the PAUSE program, which supports researchers and artists forced into exile”. Since 2017, the national PAUSE program, backed by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, “has provided protection and opportunities for academics and artists who can no longer work in their home countries due to war, political persecution, or censorship”. The program provides refuge for durations long enough for them to integrate to society, continue their work and shelter their families, says the ministry. Since its creation, the PAUSE program has welcomed 606 foreign scientists, including 131 researchers from Ukraine, who benefit from a Ukraine solidarity emergency fund created in March 2022. In total, 146 partner institutions implemented all over the French territory receive scientists from 44 different countries.