The head of France¡¯s main research funding organisation has resigned after disputes over the agency¡¯s governance and the assessment of grant applications.

Michael Matlosz, a chemical engineer, had been hit by a number of resignations from academics unhappy with the way the French National Research Agency was run.

The agency will be refocused on ¡°scientific excellence¡± and innovation, according to a from the new higher education minister Fr¨¦d¨¦rique Vidal, which confirmed Professor Matlosz¡¯s departure.

In June last year, all 20 members of a mathematics and computer science evaluation panel resigned, reported, due to complaints that their freedom to choose proposals had been hampered by bureaucracy.

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Last month, the agency dismissed the director of the biology and health division after she complained about ¡°dysfunctions¡±, such as the sidelining of top scientists in decisions, the journal reported.

quoted Bernard Hoflack, a proteomics researcher at the Technical University of Dresden, as saying that scientists at the agency were ¡°rather discontented about the way evaluations were carried out, apparently without previous consultation¡±.

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The agency has also suffered from dwindling funding levels and a grant application success rate of just 12-13 per cent.

david.matthews@timeshighereducation.com