Battle lines are drawn as French researchers resign en masse

摘要

A thundering roar went up from thousands of researchers gathered outside the city hall in Paris on 9 March. Leaders of a scientific revolt emerged to announce that more than 2,000 lab heads meeting inside had voted overwhelmingly to resign in protest at the government's handling of research. The news was a massive boost for the protest movement Save Research. The 72,000 signatories of the group's petition, launched in January, had promised to resign from any management duties unless the government met their demands. These included redressing a financial crisis in research, reinstating 550 full-time research posts that have been switched to short-term contracts, and launching a national debate on reforming French science (see Nature428,105; 2004).