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A wide range of practical applications and chemical productsDuring the nineteenth century, the number of known compounds rose from several dozen to hundreds of thousands and thenumber of reactions from just ten to several hundred. Every industry came to rely on chemistry to produce raw materials frommetal ores and to transform metals and alloys. The manufacture of cement, lime, and plaster; the refining of oil and sugar; and theprocessing of natural textile fibers all depend on chemical processes, as do the production of fertilizer, glass, macromolecules,explosives, medicines, perfumes, paints, dyes, antibiotics, insecticides, detergents, and more. Other industrial applications ofchemistry are found in appliances; swimming pools; optical technologies; and the cabins and cockpits of airplanes, automobiles,ships, and trains—the examples are countless.

Cross-disciplinarity, ethics, and sustainable developmentThe discipline’s traditional organizational scheme—molecular, physical, and mineral chemistry—has evolved with the developmentof new disciplines and cross-disciplinary applications. Advances in biology have introduced numerous new specialties—amongthem biochemistry, which studies chemical reactions within biological entities such as cells or between biological entities (such asproteins and other biomolecules); medical applications; synthetic biomaterials; and bio-inorganic chemistry.

Physics is also closely linked with today’s chemistry through thermochemistry, thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, electrochemistry,radiochemistry, sonochemistry, homogeneous catalysis, and the chemistry of solutions. Specialties include surface chemistry andthe application of quantum mechanics to chemistry, which has given birth to quantum chemistry.

Chemistry today favors an ethical and responsible approach in the areas of human biology, with medical chemistry andimmunochemistry, and the environment, with the notion of “green chemistry” (agrochemistry, environmental chemistry, thechemistry of clays and zeolites, phytochemistry, and so on). Advances in modeling software have made possible the developmentof digital or computational chemistry.

Researchin Chemistry in France

French chemist Antoine Lavoisier (1743-1794) laid the foundations of chemistry as the science of thetransformation of matter. A long line of great French chemists followed in his footsteps—notable amongthem Claude Berthollet (1748–1822), Louis-Joseph Gay de Lussac (1778–1850), Marcellin Berthelot(1827–1907), and Louis Pasteur (1822–1895). France’s chemical industry (including pharmaceuticals)is the world’s fifth-largest, after those of the United States, Japan, Germany, and, recently, China. Franceis also the world’s third-largest exporter of chemical and pharmaceutical products. In terms of spending onresearch and development, the chemical industry (again including pharmaceuticals) is the leadingmanufacturing sector in France and the country’s top export industry.

8 Nobel prizes awarded to French chemistsThe Nobel prize in chemistry has been awarded since 1901. The first French winner wasHenri MOISSAN (1852–1907) for the discoveryof fluorine and its properties. In 1911, Marie CURIE garnered the prize for the discovery of the elements radium and polonium.In organic chemistry, Victor GRIGNARD and Paul SABATIER developed a method for the hydrogenation of organic compounds thatearned them the prize in 1912. In 1935, the prize went to Frédéric and Irène JOLIOT-CURIE, who synthesized new radioactive elements.Jean-Marie LEHN, a professor at the Collège de France and holder of the chair in the chemistry of molecular interactions, shared the1987 prize with Americans Donald J. Cram and Charles Pedersen for the development and use of molecules capable of selectiveinteraction. In 2005, Yves CHAUVIN, research director at the French Petroleum Institute (IFP) and a member of the French Academy ofsciences, shared the prize with Americans Robert Grubbs and Richard R. Schrock for the development of the metathesis method inorganic synthesis.

Biochimie, biothérapie, biologie moléculaire, infectiologie (B3MI) (ED516)Affiliated with Université Paris Descartes, the department performsresearch in fundamental areas of chemistry and in biotechnologies andbiomedical applications for pharmaceutical and biotechnologicalindustries.http://b3mi.ed.univ-paris-diderot.fr

Chimie moléculaire de Paris Centre (ED 406)This Doctoral Department at Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris 6)operates 7 host laboratories in partnership with the École NormaleSupérieure and the École Supérieure de Physique et ChimieIndustrielle, both in Paris.http://www.ed406.upmc.fr

Chimie de Paris Sud (ED 470)Housed at Université Paris Sud 11, this Doctoral Department coverspractically all fields of chemistry except radiochemistry. More than 20host teams welcome doctoral candidates for research in organic andbio-inorganic chemistry, molecular andmacromolecular glycochemistry,materials, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, and other fields.http://www.ed-chimie.u-psud.fr

Chimie Physique et Chimie Analytique de Paris-Centre (ED 388)Affiliated with Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris 6), this DoctoralDepartment is active in several disciplines: theoretical chemistry andmodeling, spectroscopy, analytical chemistry, electrochemistry, “softmatter” and divided systems (nanoparticles, colloids), and theinterface of physics, chemistry, and biology.http://www.ed388.upmc.fr

Chimie, procédés, environnement (ED 206)Co-accredited with 4 institutions (Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1,École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Institut National des SciencesAppliquées de Lyon, and IFP School), this Doctoral Department conductsresearch in the analytical sciences; molecular, organic, and inorganicchemistry; catalysis; the physical chemistry of interfaces; processengineering; polymer chemistry; environmental chemistry; andsustainable chemistry.http://www.edchimie-lyon.fr

Chimie et Sciences du Vivant (EDCSV) (ED 218)Affiliated with Université Joseph Fourier (Grenoble 1), this DoctoralDepartment conducts research in the fields of cellular and molecularbiology, structural biology, molecular chemistry, and physical chemistry incooperation with laboratories affiliated with three major national researchbodies—the CNRS, INSERM (medical research), and CEA (atomic-energyresearch).http://edcsv.ujf-grenoble.fr

École Doctorale Jean-Henri Lambert (ED 494)Located at Université de Haute-Alsace in Mulhouse, this DoctoralDepartment consists of 9 host laboratories organized into two groups:(i) chemistry, physics, and materials, and (ii) engineering sciences.http://www.ecoledoctorale.uha.fr

École Doctorale Lorraine de Chimie et Physique Moléculaires (ED 412)The Doctoral Department houses all of Université de Lorraine’sresearch units in the fields of molecular chemistry and physics. Thedepartment’s many research areas include organic, bio-organic, andmacromolecular chemistry; theoretical chemistry and physics; physicalchemistry of surfaces and interfaces; photochemistry andphotophysics; and the physics and chemistry of fluids, interfaces, andcomplexly structured matter.http://www.sesames.uhp-nancy.fr

École Doctorale Normande de Chimie (ED 508)At Université de Rouen, this Doctoral Department works with newconcepts and methods—theoretical, synthetic (new reactions, parallelsynthesis), and analytical (bidimensional electrophoresis, atomic forcemicroscopy). It also works on new tools for use in health (fluorescence,MRI, radiotracers, biofilms) and with materials (biopolymers, colloidalsystems, macromolecular materials).http://www.univ-rouen.fr/DONC/0/fiche_SGR__structure/

Matière, Molécules, Matériaux en Pays de la Loire (3MPL) (ED 500)This Doctoral Department affiliated with Université du Maine has 10research units that perform research on materials, oxides andfluorides, molecular and macromolecular organic chemistry, polymers,colloids, and interfaces.http://3mpl.univ-angers.fr

Médicament Toxicologie Chimie Environnement (ED MTCE) (ED 436)This Doctoral Department affiliated with Université Paris Descartes(Paris 5) covers domains ranging from chemistry to clinical research invarious disciplines, among them genomics, proteomics, combinationalchemistry, and assessment of the physiological, pharmacological, andtoxicological effects of compounds. Three disciplinary groups arecovered: (i) organic, mineral, and industrial chemistry; (ii) cellular andmolecular aspects of biology; and (iii) biomolecules, pharmacology,and therapeutics.http://ecole-doctorale-medicament.univ-paris5.fr

Physique et Chimie-Physique (ED 182)Housed at Université de Strasbourg, this Doctoral Departmentengages in research efforts in subatomic physics, biomaterials,condensed matter physics (with implications for the nanosciencesrelated to the properties of unique objects), functional materials(optics, magnetism, and spintronics), and mesoscopic physics,combining the contributions of physics and chemistry at the interfacewith the life sciences (biomedical imaging, biomaterials, polymericmaterials).http://edpcp.u-strasbg.fr

Physique et Chimie des matériaux (ED 397)Affiliated with Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris 6), this departmentstudies the contributions of physics and chemistry at their interfacewith the life, earth, and environmental sciences. Major researchthemes include reactive materials, catalysis, organic-inorganic hybrids,functional materials (optics, magnetism, biomaterials), polymericmaterials, nanostructures (nanomagnetism, spintronics), andmesoscopic physics of granulars, aggregates, and surfaces.http://www.ed397.upmc.fr

Santé, Information, Communication, Mathématique, Matière(SICMA) (ED 373)This Doctoral Department coordinated by Université de BretagneOccidentale focuses its research efforts on three disciplines: molecularchemistry, analytical chemistry, material physics and applications,structural mechanics, mechanical and electrical engineering, andrheology.http://edsicma.univ-brest.fr

Sciences exactes et leurs applications (ED 211)Housed within Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, this DoctoralDepartment is a research leader in several areas: mathematics,chemistry, physics, biology, computer science, geosciences, andengineering.http://ed-sea.univ-pau.fr

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Sciences Chimiques – Bordeaux (ED 40)This department, affiliated with Université de Bordeaux 1, specializes inmolecular and macromolecular chemistry, ecotoxicology andenvironmental chemistry, and the chemistry and physical chemistry ofmaterials.http://www.edsc.u-bordeaux1.fr

Sciences Chimiques – Strasbourg (ED 222)Affiliated with Université de Strasbourg, this department groups 10research units and laboratories on materials, surfaces, catalyticprocesses, supramolecular engineering, molecular tectonics of solid,bioactive molecules, and macro- and supramolecular chemistry.http://www-chimie.u-strasbg.fr/edoc/

Sciences Chimiques – Aix-Marseille (ED 250)This Doctoral Department at Aix-Marseille Université covers themolecular sciences (analytical physical chemistry, environment,chirality, models, synthesis, natural products, life-science chemistry),the chemistry of radical and organometallic substances, molecularengineering and functional materials, and the biophysics ofmetalloproteins.http://www.fst.univ-cezanne.fr/departements/sciences-de-la-matiere/ecole-doctorale-sciences-chimiques.html

Sciences chimiques – Montpellier (ED 459)Affiliated with Université de Montpellier 2, the department is structuredaround 5 research units on membranes, biomolecules, theenvironment, and other matters at the interface of physics and biology.http://www.ed459.univ-montp2.fr

Sciences Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé (SCBS) (ED 168)This Doctoral Department coordinated by Université de Montpellier 2covers health-related biology and chemistry, from pharmaceuticalchemistry to clinical research, with laboratories in the fields ofgenetics, growth, biomolecules, cellular biology, and physiology.http://ecole-doctorale-cbs2.igh.cnrs.fr

Sciences fondamentales (ED 178)Housed at Université Blaise Pascal (Clermont-Ferrand 2), this DoctoralDepartment pursues research in the areas of mathematics, physics,space sciences, and chemistry (development, description, anddurability of materials; thermodynamics of solutions and polymers;

and organic, bio-organic/therapeutic, and environmental chemistry).Eight joint research units work in collaboration with the CNRS,INSERM, and other national research bodies.http://clrwww.in2p3.fr/EDSF/

Sciences et Technologies (ED 177)This Doctoral Department at Université d’Orléans spans scientific andtechnological disciplines in the areas of mathematics, computerscience, physical chemistry of the life sciences, biology, materials, andearth, energy, and environmental sciences in partnership with researchcenters that host doctoral candidates (affiliated with major researchbodies such as CNRS, INRA, IRD, and CEA).http://www.univ-orleans.fr/ed/st/

Sciences de la Matière (SDM) (ED 482)Affiliated with Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse 3), this DoctoralDepartment and its 15 research centers and laboratories work onmaterials, molecular interactions, chemical and photochemicalreactivity, agro-industrial chemistry, basic and appliedheterochemistry, the chemistry of nano-objects, and pharmaceuticalchemistry, among other areas.http://www.edsdm.ups-tlse.fr

Sciences de la Matière, du Rayonnement et de l'Environnement(ED 104)This Doctoral Department, affiliated with Université des Sciences etTechnologies de Lille 1, investigates various research topics inchemistry: organic and bio-organic synthesis, complex molecularliquids, functional polymers and organic materials, photonicnanomaterials, green and environmental chemistry, atmosphericphysical chemistry (metrology and modeling), advanced spectroscopictechniques, and metalloproteases, among others.http://edsmre.univ-lille1.fr

Sciences pour l'Environnement – Gay Lussac (ED 523)The Gay Lussac Doctoral Department of the PRES Limousin-Poitou-Charentes includes laboratories specializing in hydrogeology; clays,soils, and alterations; paleoprimatology; human paleontology(evolution and paleo-environments); catalysis in organic chemistry;synthesis and reactivity of natural substances; microbiology of water;ecology; and evolution and symbiosis, among others.http://gaylussac.ed.univ-poitiers.fr

epartments

Astronomy and chemistry• Atacama Large Millimeter-Submillimiter Array (ALMA), astrono-mical observatory (radiomillimeter/submillimeter interferometer) inChile: http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/alma.html

Climate and atmospheric chemistry• Centre Européen Pour les Prévisions Météorologiques à MoyenTerme (CEPMMT): http://www.ecmwf.int

• Concordia, through the Institut Polaire Français, is a member ofthe International Antarctic Institute: http://www.institut-polaire.fr

• Service des Avions Français Instrumentés pour la Rechercheen Environnement (SAFIRE): http://www.safire.fr

Oceanography and bio-geochemistry• Flotte océanographique française: http://flotte.ifremer.fr• GODAE – MERCATOR: http://www.mercator-ocean.fr

Petrochemistry• European Synchroton Radiation Facility (ESFR): http://www.esfr.eu

Physics and physical chemistry• Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL): http://www.ill.eu• Laboratoire Léon Brillouin (LLB): http://www-llb.cea.fr• Laboratoire des Champs Magnétiques Intenses LCMI (GHMFL):http://ghmfl.grenoble.cnrs.fr

• Laboratoire National des Champs Magnétiques Pulsés (LNCMP):http://www.lncmp.org

• Réseau des RMN à très haut champ:http://tgermn.cnrs-orleans.fr

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Très Grandes Infrastructures de recherche (TGRI)(France’s large research organizations)

30 institutes devoted to chemical research

Affiliated with Doctoral Departments, generally within a university, these institutes house laboratories andjoint research teams that cooperate with large research bodies such as CNRS, UFR, and CEA.

• Institut de biologie et chimie des protéines (IBCP): http://www.ibcp.fr• Institut de biochimie et biophysique moléculaire et cellulaire (IBBMC): http://www.ibbmc.u-psud.fr• Institut de biochimie et génétique cellulaires (IBGC): http://www.ibgc.u-bordeaux2.fr• Institut des biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM): http://www.ibmm.univ-montp1.fr• Institut Charles Gerhardt (ICG) – Institut de chimie moléculaire et des matériaux de Montpellier:http://www.icgm.fr

• Institut Charles Sadron (ICS): http://www-ics.u-strasbg.fr• Institut de chimie de Nice (ICN): http://www.unice.fr/icn/• Institut de chimie de Strasbourg (IC): http://institut-chimie.unistra.fr• Institut de chimie de Toulouse (ICT): http://ict.ups-tlse.fr• Institut de chimie de la matière condensée de Bordeaux (ICMCB): http://www.icmcb.u-bordeaux.fr• Institut de chimie des milieux et matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP): http://ic2mp.labo.univ-poitiers.fr• Institut de chimie des substances naturelles (ICSN): http://www.icsn.cnrs-gif.fr• Institut de chimie et biochimie moléculaires et supramoléculaires (ICBMS): http://www.icbms.fr• Institut de chimie et des matériaux Paris-Est (ICMPE): http://www.icmpe.cnrs.fr• Institut de chimie moléculaire de l’Université de Bourgogne (ICMUB): http://www.icmub.fr• Institut de chimie moléculaire de Reims (ICMR): http://www.univ-reims.fr• Institut de chimie moléculaire et des matériaux d’Orsay (ICMMO): http://www.icmo.u-psud.fr• Institut de chimie organique et analytique (ICOA): http://www.univ-orleans.fr/icoa/• Institut de chimie radicalaire (ICR): http://www.pres-aix-marseille.fr• Institut de chimie séparative de Marcoule (ICSM): http://www.icsm.fr• Institut des neurosciences cellulaires et intégratives (INCI): http://inci.u-strasbg.fr• Institut de physique et chimie des matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS): http://www-ipcms.u-strasbg.fr• Institut de recherche en chimie organique fine de Rouen (IRCOF): http://ircof.crihan.fr• Institut des sciences analytiques et de physico-chimie pour l’environnement et les matériaux:http://iprem.univ-pau.fr

• Institut de science et d'ingénierie supramoléculaires (ISIS): http://www-isis.u-strasbg.fr• Institut des sciences moléculaires (ISM): http://www.ism.u-bordeaux1.fr• Institut des sciences moléculaires de Marseille (ISM2): http://www.ism2.univ-cezanne.fr• Institut européen des membranes (IEM): http://www.iemm.univ-montp2.fr• Institut Lavoisier Versailles (ILV): http://www.ilv.uvsq.fr• Institut parisien de chimie moléculaire (IPCM): http://www.ipcm.fr

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Useful links• Agence européenne des produits chimiques:http://echa.europa.eu

• Axelera, pôle de compétitivité à vocation mondiale Chimie-Environnement Lyon et Rhône-Alpes:http://www.axelera.org

• Annuaire des entreprises de la chimie et de la pharmacie:http://chimie-pharmacie.europages.fr

• Association chimie du végétal:http://www.chimieduvegetal.com

• Centre de développement informatique enseignementchimie (CDIEC): http://www.unice.fr/cdiec/

• CultureSciences-Chimie: http://culturesciences.chimie.ens.fr

• InfoChimie & ChimiePharma:http://www.industrie.com/chimie/

• Chimie 2011 (année internationale de la chimie):http://www.chimie2011.fr

• Chimie-Formulation-Matériaux, Centre régionald'Innovation et de transfert de technologiede la Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (CRITT):http://www.critt-chimie-paca.com

• Cluster de recherche en chimie, Rhône-Alpes:http://www.cluster-chimie.fr

• Docteurs Chimie:http://www.docteurs-chimie.org

• Fondation de la Maison de la Chimie:http://www.maisondelachimie.com

• Forum horizon Chimie: http://www.horizon-chimie.fr

• France Chimie, fédération française pour les sciencesde la chimie: http://www.ffc-asso.fr

• Institut de chimie - CNRS: http://www.cnrs.fr/inc/

• International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry:http://www.iupac.org

• Pôle Chimie Alsace: http://www.polechimie-alsace.fr

• Pôle Chimie Balard: http://www.polechimie-balard.fr

• Portail de l’industrie – Industries chimiques:http://www.industrie.gouv.fr/enjeux/chimie/

• Portail cours sup: http://www.chimie-sup.fr

• REACH - enregistrement, évaluation, autorisationet restriction des produits chimiques: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/chemicals/reach/index_fr.htm

• Réseau des Écoles Doctorales de chimie:http://docteurs-chimie.org

• Société Chimique de France (SCF):www.societechimiquedefrance.fr

• Société de Chimie Thérapeutique (SCT):http://www.sct-asso.fr

• Union des Industries Chimiques (UIC):http://www.uic.fr

General information• Agency CampusFrance: http://www.campusfrance.org/en

- Catalog of Doctoral Departments and programs: http://www.campusfrance.org/en>Find your program>Level Doctoral- CampusBourses, a directory of grants and scholarships: http://www.campusfrance.org/en>Finance your program

• ABG-L’Intelli’agence, promoting career opportunities for young PhDs: http://www.intelliagence.fr

• AERES, agency for the evaluation of research and higher education: http://www.aeres-evaluation.fr

• ANDèS, national association for Science PhD: http://www.andes.asso.fr

• ANRT, national agency for research and technology: http://www.anrt.asso.fr

• CNRS, the national center for scientific research: http://www.cnrs.fr

- Directory of laboratories and researchers: http://www.cnrs.fr/fr/une/annuaires.htm- CNRS quarterly magazine (in English): http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/2.htm

• EURAXESS, mobility for researchers in Europe: http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index_en.cfm

• Fondation Alfred Kastler, hospitality and support for foreign researchers in France: http://www.fnak.fr

• Ministry of Higher Education and Research: http://www.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr

• Oséo Innovation, the French innovation agency: http://www.oseo.fr

• Website for mobile European researchers in France: http://www.eurosfaire.prd.fr/mobility/

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Doctoral training in France

A complete list of Doctoral Departments in France can be found online atwww.campusfrance.org>Find your program>Level D

The online catalog provides direct links to the research units within each Doctoral Department.A bilingual (French and English) search engine enables users to obtain results by selecting fromamong 20,000 keywords and 80 disciplinary themes. Departmental profiles are also provided.