The Fondation Bettencourt Schueller supports and encourages researchers who contribute to France's influence in the life sciences. This is the first commitment the Foundation made when it was set up in 1987. While it focuses mainly on basic research, its purpose is to improve human health.
Support for researchers
Since the 2000s, the Foundation has expanded its area of science funding from direct support for research to training scientists.This shift is based on the awareness that research makes it possible to learn how to learn and to recognize the value of curiosity as a driver of scientific engagement and innovation.
After a period of strategic reflection, the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller wanted to enhance its commitment to researchers and step up its efforts to help French research meet the great challenges facing society to ensure that France remains a key player on the world stage. Since 2022, the Foundation has launched a new program to support great talents in life sciences research: Impulscience®. Intended for researchers in the middle of their careers, Impulscience aims to protect their freedom of innovation and offer them long-term support.
The Foundation also awards two annual prizes that encourage researchers at key points in their careers: the creation of an independent team with the ATIP-Avenir program and the recognition of exceptional discoveries with the Liliane Bettencourt Prize for Life Sciences. The Foundation also supports original and risky research projects through funding developed on a case-by-case basis. All of this support aims to create a network of biomedical excellence in French research, from the training of scientists to the creation and long-term establishment of research teams. The Foundation is also developing an ambitious network to support its laureates in order to foster new collaborations and initiatives between researchers.
A new program to support researchers in the life sciences
After a period of strategic reflection, the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller wanted to enhance its commitment to researchers and step up its efforts to help French research meet the great challenges facing society to ensure that France remains a key player on the world stage. Since 2022, the Foundation has launched a new program to support great talents in life sciences research: Impulscience®. Intended for researchers in the middle of their careers, Impulscience aims to protect their freedom of innovation and offer them long-term support.
Each year, Impulscience awards seven grants to researchers in the life sciences.The program aims to support them in developing their research projects during this crucial stage in their careers.The Foundation endows each project with 2.3 million euros for five years, a sum that includes management costs and a personal grant for the researcher.
Conditions
In 2024, Impulscience is open to researchers who:
- present an innovative life science research project,
- work as a team leader or demonstrate that they have been a project manager within a team in a public laboratory in France at the time of application or at the start of the project at the latest,
- applied and were shortlisted for a Starting, Consolidator or Advanced call for projects in 2022 in any field of research- the life sciences, physical sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities-but did not obtain funding despite the quality of their project (rated “A”, reserve list included, at the end of step 2 of the ERC evaluation),
- submitted their application at least 5 years and up to 25 years after they obtained their PhD as of January 1, 2024 (i.e., obtained their PhD between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2018). In some cases, the window of eligibility can be extended upon presentation of supporting documents.
Timetable
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Opening of the call for applications March 20, 2024
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Closing of the call for applications May 2, 2024
To find out more
- Press kit - Impulscience 2022(PDF - 9.2 Mo)
Next session
Submission of applications for the 2024 edition is now closed.