National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health: 40 projects selected, 6.5 million euros mobilised for the 2019 calls for research projects
Today, ANSES is publishing the list of projects selected as part of its two 2019 calls for research projects for the National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health, with the first for projects on a general theme, and the second on the theme of "radiofrequencies and health". Following the selection process, 40 projects will be given funding totalling 6.5 million euros.
ANSES operates the National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health (PNR EST), financed from budgets delegated by the Ministries of the Environment and Labour, as well as funds from partner institutions. In this context, each year the Agency issues two calls for research projects, essential tools for developing scientific knowledge with which to support public policy-making and health risk assessment work in its field of competence.
For the second year running, an additional budget of €2 million from the Ministry of Ecological and Inclusive Transition will provide specific support for projects on endocrine disruptors.
In 2019, 306 projects were submitted in response to the two calls for projects. After a rigorous selection process based on the assessments of a scientific committee, 40 projects were selected. Thirty-five projects will be funded by ANSES (€5.5 million), two projects are being supported by the multi-agency thematic institute for cancer (ITMO Cancer) from the AVIESAN alliance as part of the national Cancer Plan (€0.4 million), and three projects by ADEME (€0.6 million).
The research projects selected in 2019 relate to one or more types of environmental exposure:
- twenty projects concern chemical agents, including 11 projects on endocrine disruptors financed mainly by the specific budget allocated to this theme. Four specifically address issues of neurodevelopment and neurological disorders;
- six projects concern physical agents, including four on radiofrequencies and two on light pollution;
- eight projects address questions of indoor or outdoor air quality, four of which are related to respiratory diseases;
- four projects focus on pathogen vectors and vector control;
- three projects focus on mineral fibres and nanoparticles, including one on co-exposure with endocrine disruptors.
These research projects cover ANSES's different areas of expertise, i.e. occupational health (8 projects), environmental health and cancer (7 projects), ecosystem contamination (3 projects), and the human and social sciences (1 project).
The National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health (PNR EST) aims to encourage scientific communities to produce data of use in the different phases of the analysis of risks to health and ecosystems, thereby bringing research and scientific expert appraisal closer together.
In particular, these calls for projects develop the research priorities for the national Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Cancer Plans and, by doing so, provide support for public policy-making. They are aimed at research questions posed by the ministries and State agencies affected by these topics.
As part of its efforts to promote the work financed within the framework of the PNR EST, every year ANSES organises Scientific Conferences, to enable the research teams to present their projects to stakeholders from the voluntary and professional sectors, scientists, public institutions, etc.