Assessment and consultation bodies
The Institute's field of knowledge is divided into disciplines or groups of disciplines corresponding to the National Committee for Scientific Research's 40 sections.
The National Committee for Scientific Research
The National Committee for Scientific Research (CoNRS) is a collective body made up of over 1000 national and international experts which plays an essential role in French scientific life. Independence, competence, representativeness, long-term sustainability, collegiality and transparency are the CoNRS's shared values, the aim of which is to guarantee the relevance and consistency of the Committee's assessments. The scope and keywords of the research sections are discussed and updated if necessary when each four-year mandate begins.
These sections evaluate the work of researchers and research units. They analyze the current situation in science and its prospects for development at the CNRS in France and other countries. It also organizes and staffs recruitment panels for new researchers.
All researchers and laboratories are therefore classified as belonging to one of these sections.
Nine of these sections are steered by CNRS Humanities & Social Sciences.
The sections of CNRS Humanities & Social Sciences
Nine of the CoNRS's sections are steered by CNRS Humanities & Social Sciences.
- Ancient and medieval worlds (section 32)
- Modern and Contemporary Worlds (section 33)
- Language Sciences (section 34)
- Philosophy, literature, arts (section 35)
- Sociology and legal studies (section 36)
- Economics and Management (section 37)
- Social anthropology and comparative studies of contemporary societies (section 38)
- Spaces, Territories and Societies (section 39)
- Politics, Power, Organization (section 40)
Section 26 - Brain, cognition, behaviour – is steered by the Institute of Biological Sciences with a secondary administrative link to CNRS Humanities & Social Sciences.
Section 31 - Humankinds and environments: evolution, interactions - is steered by the Institute of CNRS Ecology and Environment. Some of the units in this section are part of CNRS Humanities & Social Sciences.
The Scientific Council of CNRS Humanities & Social Sciences
The Institute Scientific Council advises and assists the director of the Institute by providing its opinions and recommendations on the relevance and appropriateness of the Institute's projects and activities. Working groups may be set up to help the Institute Scientific Council carry out its tasks.
This Institute Scientific Council is informed of the Institute's positions regarding the creation and abolition of units along with all the sections' opinions thereon. It is consulted on any points of divergence between the sections' views and the Institute's positions as discussed at a meeting between the director of the Institute, the chairman of the Institute Scientific Council and the chairmen of the sectionsconcerned by any such difference of opinion.
The Institute Scientific Council is also consulted on the appointment of members of panels which deliberate on the selection of research fellows.
The Institute Scientific Council is responsible for writing prospective reports based particularly on the Situation and Outlook reports drawn up by the CNRS's sections and Interdisciplinary Commissions.
Institute Scientific Council (ISC)