The main mission of CNRS is to generate knowledge for the benefit of society.
A pluridisciplinary institution, it covers all scientific disciplines, including the humanities and social sciences, biological sciences, nuclear and particle physics, information sciences, engineering and systems, physics, mathematical sciences, chemistry, Earth sciences and astronomy, and ecology and the environment.
Structured in 10 institutes each focusing on one of these fields, CNRS promotes interdisciplinary research.
It is the main research agency in France with 33,000 staff and 1,144 research units, 95% of which are joint units with universities and industry.
CNRS in international rankings
CNRS delivers high-quality research and is consistently ranked as a top research institution worldwide.
- 1st in the Nature Index rankings;
- 2nd in Scimago Institutions Rankings;
- 4th most visible research institution on the Web;
- 5th patent applicant in France, INPI;
- 8th most innovative public research organization, Reuters.