Research funding is an investment, not a variable for adjusting public deficits
Press release from the French National Academy of Medicine*
September 24, 2024
The public deficit of 5.6% of GDP has led the European Commission to initiate an excessive deficit procedure against France, which may require severe cost-cutting measures to restore public finances.
At a time when Parliament is about to vote on the Finance Bill and the Social Security Bill for 2025, the French Academy of Medicine warns of cuts to public research funding, which is an essential investment in our country’s sovereignty, its economic and social development, and the health of its citizens.
Contrary to what happened in neighboring countries, French funding for biology-health research has not increased over the last twenty-five years, leading to a downgrading in this field and a weakening of innovation [1,2].
The French Academy of Medicine considers that this funding should be raised to a level at least comparable to those allocated by the main European countries.
This budgetary investment must be accompanied by a reduction in structural costs and an overhaul of the research organization, in particular:
– Reduce administrative procedures, which have only increased in recent years. Time-consuming, they slow down laboratory activity and limit funding allocated to research;
– Simplify the organization of research by distinguishing site policy and national programming [3,4];
– Reform the Ministry of Health’s clinical research budget allocation procedures [5];
– Support health innovation by reinforcing mechanisms that have proven to be effective, and are essential to the country’s reindustrialization, particularly in tax matters [6];
– Strengthen European research and innovation policy to bring it closer to that of the USA and China.
References
[1] Report 21-06. Reforming research in the biological sciences and health: part I, funding. Bull Acad Natl Med 2021;205:694-702.
[2] Biomedical research renovation plan. A-M. Armanteras and M. Tunon de Lara https://www.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2024-05/rapport—plan-de-r-novation-de-la-recherche-biom-dicale-33138.pdf
[3] Report 21-07. Reforming research in the biological sciences and health: part II, organization. Bull Acad Natl Med 2021;205:703-718
[4] Towards an integrated organization of university research funding: a French-style UKRI. Bull Acad Natl Med 2024; 208:52-58
[5] How to reform hospital research funding by the MERRI of the Ministry of Health and Prevention. Bull Acad Natl Med 2024;208:414-417
[6] Report 24-01. Innovation in the healthcare sector: a proactive approach by the French government in the face of organizational complexity. Bull Acad Natl Med 2024; 208:405-413
*Press release validated by the members of the Board of Directors on September 23, 2024
CONTACT PRESSE : Virginie Gustin +33 (0)6 62 52 43 42 virginie.gustin@academie-medecine.fr ACA-DÉMIE NATIONALE DE MÉDECINE, 16 rue Bonaparte – 75272 Paris cedex 06 Site : www.academie-me-decine.fr / Twitter : @Acadmed
