Update of December 04, 2020: Following the announcement by the Ministry for the Environment of additional funding dedicated to projects on endocrine disruptors, the text of the general call for projects is modified and the deadline for submission of projects has been postponed to January 7, 2021.
On 22 October 2020, ANSES launched its annual calls for research projects as part of the National Environment-Health-Work Research Program (PNR EST). The 2021 edition of this program includes two calls for projects: a general call for projects on the themes of health-environment and health-work and a second specific call on the theme “radiofrequencies and health”.
The National Environment-Health-Occupational Research Program (PNR EST), led by ANSES, supports research work to develop the scientific knowledge essential for risk assessment and health expertise in support of public policies.
The calls for projects launched each year cover all the environmental risk factors for human health in general or in the workplace. They also cover risks to ecosystems and the quality of environments. Thus, the funded projects make it possible to advance research and knowledge on these key issues by taking into account the emergence of new risks related to the evolution of our environment, changes in consumption or work patterns, arrival of new infectious diseases or the development of new technologies.
The first call for projects, with a generalist vocation, covers the following areas in connection with the health-environment and health-work themes:
- physical agents (noise nuisance, non-ionizing radiation, light pollution);
- nanomaterials and mineral fibres;
- cancer risks related to environmental and occupational exposures;
- chemical agents (including plant protection products);
- endocrine disruptors;
- biological agents (including the links between ecosystem degradation, damage to biodiversity and increased frequency of epidemics);
- human and social science approaches to health and environmental risks;
- emerging contaminations;
- air quality;
- waste;
- climate change ;
- vectors and vector control;
The second call for projects is dedicated to the theme “Radiofrequencies and health”, which is the subject of particular attention given the need to strengthen knowledge on this subject and to broaden the scientific community interested in it. This call for projects focuses on four themes:
- research into mechanisms of action of radiofrequencies at the cellular level;
- research into the physiological or health effects of radiofrequencies;
- electromagnetic hypersensitivity;
- characterization of exposures.
In the current context of the deployment of 5G, research on the frequency bands available in France will be a priority.
These projects are financed by ANSES from budgets delegated by the ministries responsible for the environment, agriculture and labour, and involve several co-financiers: the Ecological Transition Agency (ADEME), the multi-agency cancer theme (ITMO Cancer) of the AVIESAN alliance as part of the Cancer Plan, as well as the Ecophyto plan. A certain number of projects could also be financed within the framework of the support granted by the general directorate for food of the ministry in charge of agriculture on the theme of “vector control”.