Five new Excellence Initiatives (Idex) recipients were announced earlier this month as part of France’s €35 billion ($46.2 billion) Investments for the Future stimulus package, which includes €21.9 billion for R&D and universities. The five universities—Aix-Marseille, Toulouse, Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université and Sorbonne Paris Cité—join the previous Idex selections: Strasbourg, Idex Bordeaux and Paris Sciences et Lettres. Candidates were chosen based upon a plan of how they would boost their international rankings. Up to two more universities may be selected. Idex universities will receive a total of €7.7 billion in funding. However, the amount of money the latest recipients will get is unknown. The amount received through the €1 billion Labex program for individual labs will be subtracted from the Idex awards. Also, part of the money will be placed in a Treasury account generating 3.4% interest, enabling longer-term planning. In addition, projects at two clusters, Lyons-St. Etienne and Paris Novi Mundi Université, which were not selected as Idex recipients, will also receive some Idex funds. Other components of Idex include Operation Campus to pay for improvements at older university campuses and €1 billion in funds for scientific instruments.

Source: Science Magazine