Die Agence National de la Recherche – eine neue Forschungsförderungsorganisation in Frankreich

The article comprises an overview of the newly developed French organization for research support and its organizational structure and programmes for support. The establishement of the »Agence National de la recherche« (ANR) is one of the most important cornerstones of the latest reform of organizational research in France. Created as a juristic person, it is a governed legal entity under public law with a main emphasis on administration, her main task is the allocation of public funds for research projects. The majority of members of the administrative board represent the state. A part form this organ, there is a chief executive officer. The allocation takes place within different special programmes, which are topically attached and so called open programmes. An appeal is published for each programme. The selection process contains several stages. After a first review by external experts and a selection by the committee for evaluation, it is up to the body of control to decide. The French government tried hard to establish international standards, for example through the peer review, while implementing the ANR. In how far the work of the ANR has a favourable effect on the quality of reseach in France and whether previous problems of French research systems can be solved by the foundation cannot be clarified finally.