A little orphaned science ANR wants to support

Hooliganism, the army in ancient times, the literature of the conflict, extreme violence, the resolution of a conflict, the writing of the war of Algeria, the Nepalese people's war, the victims... The menu is not happy, but these research projects on violence may inform a good drama of humanity.

The community of social and human sciences (SHS) wakes up: the proposals made for the 2006 National Research Agency (ANR) programming reflect intact creativity. With the violence, three other chapters (learning, the new tools of SHS and white theme) promise to enrich the field of human and social research. And shifting the society and the political decisions.

The head of the SHS to ANR, Jean-Michel Roddaz, is optimistic: the first programming 2005 SHS was disappointed by a limited number of proposals. This year, the tender attracted 700 projects, more than double. An additional EUR 30 will be injected into these disciplines. "The community has made lie his apathetic image," said this specialist in Roman history at the University Bordeaux III.

The ANR said will re-launch the dynamic of the SHS, first in restoring financial resources often poor teams. Small hands or students, tickets to aircraft mission expenses, seminars, scientific equipment or computer, the researchers means not, abound outside the operating costs. Because these sciences are not supported in France, their budget represents only 5 to 6 of national research efforts against 15 in Germany and 20 in the countries of the North. A paradox, while the SHS are full-time researchers 20,000 and represent 45 of universities.

ANR fresh funding will therefore bring a bowl of air are even not scientists opposed to the interventionist approach to the Agency. "We will fund approximately 150 projects in 2006." After four years, 650 studies have been launched. "It is sufficient that a University in wins a year to double its programming," says Jean-Michel Roddaz.

Studying the Roman circus

It is also to boost the competitiveness of French researchers at European level. Apart from a few large teams, few French researchers reach for example get projects in the framework programme for European research, compared to other countries. For Jean-Michel Roddaz, this is not a problem at the level of French research. Through the coordination of the CNRS, the French excellent in ethnology and anthropology. The historian school also remains at the highest level, as in linguistics or political science.

On the other hand, the old humanist disciplines suffer too strong isolation, but also of a disengagement of the CNRS on these subjects he considers too remote of its missions. This is the case of the science of law, the history of the law, philosophy of management or literature. A little orphaned science ANR wants to support. "In the field of communication and information, there is good teams, but poorly organized." "But cannot make the impasse on these fundamental issues such as the media, propaganda, especially to a year in the presidential election", insists Jean-Michel Roddaz.

The NRO will contribute to rebalance the search field, but his third goal is also to emerge new avenues of research. Ideas abound. In its field, Jean-Michel Roddaz dream of a program on the Roman circus. A subject which meet Latinists, archaeologists, sociologists, political scientists, specialists of 3-d reconstitution, or even of researchers able to make the parallel with soccer stadiums.

In the years to come, RNI could open new topics too little discussed in France. The company offers first angles very varied in sociology, anthropology, economics, law... The countries of the South, the media or the aging also deserve their own chapters.

In the opinion of some industrialists, the SHS have a great future ahead of them. For Jean-Michel Roddaz, the strength of the SHS is to be everywhere. Concern the problem of emerging diseases such as avian influenza, or nanotechnology them as much as health or technology. The search begins to grasp this essential approach, as shown in the CNRS, which established joint programmes between his SHS Department and other departments such as the life sciences.

Other institutes, such as Inra, often involving sociologists in their projects. But their place is often more anecdotal than central. "The SHS should not only be the soul of the hard sciences supplement," warns Jean-Michel Roddaz, which supports programmes managed by the soft sciences.