Journal of Science Policy & Governance
Volume 24, Issue 01 | April 30, 2024

White Paper:  ​Enhancing Collaboration and Support for the French Scientific Diaspora in the United States 

Joy J. Bianchi (1,2) 
  1. National Science Policy Network’s Science Diplomacy Fellow, USA 
  2. Postdoctoral fellow, Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, USA

​Corresponding author: [email protected] ​​​
Keywords: scientific diaspora, France, United States, cooperation, science diplomacy
https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG240103 ​

Executive Summary

The French scientific diaspora in the United States (US) is a diverse community of professionals, essential for France and the host country. Their contribution to science and innovation, in both nations, stem from bilateral collaborations and knowledge exchange. Yet, while living abroad, this group of scientists faces multiple obstacles that can interfere with their productivity and influence. This report highlights the necessity of determining how numerous stakeholders can support and actively engage with this diaspora. To identify the needs of the French scientific community in the US, data was collected during seven interviews with diaspora network managers and analyzed various aspects defining the landscape of the community: the challenges and concerns it faces, the benefits of engaging in a diaspora network, and the opportunities to support these networks. These findings enumerate the difficulties encountered by the diaspora members and the networks themselves, ranging from lack of funding and administrative roadblocks to visibility and long-term sustainability issues. Moreover, the report underscores that involvement with other international diaspora networks considerably expands and diversifies professional connections, facilitating the exchange of experiences and best practices between networks. This analysis emphasizes the needs of the French scientific diaspora and the incentives and actions for supporting it, facilitating the establishment of a set of strategic recommendations for the European Union (EU), France, and the US. Furthermore, it proposes a series of measures to improve communication and collaboration, among French scientific diaspora networks and their international counterparts. Ultimately, by providing an in-depth comprehension of the French scientific diaspora in the US and establishing recommendations to foster these networks, this report paves the way for a more interconnected future, extending beyond the scientific sphere. Additionally, this study can serve as a guide for other scientific diasporas in the US or other regions of the world.

-Read the full article through download.-

Background header image courtesy of Wikipedia
Joy Bianchi is a postdoctoral fellow, working on genomic instability and cancer immune evasion at NYU Grossman School of Medicine (NYUGSOM). In parallel to conducting research, she has been advocating for science and her peers for ten years in research institutions and has developed a strong interest in foreign affairs and science diplomacy. Joy has co-founded the first Science Policy group of NYUGSOM and became its Science Diplomacy chair. She is also a National Science Policy Network (NSPN) Science Diplomacy fellow, studying European scientific diasporas in the US with EURAXESS North America. 
​
Acknowledgements 
I would like to express my gratitude to the National Science Policy Network (NSPN) and its Science Diplomacy fellowship program for their support of this project in collaboration with EURAXESS North America. In particular, I am thankful to Patricia Gruver, the NSPN Science Diplomacy Programs Coordinator, for all her help, support and guidance during this project, as well as for her feedback on this manuscript. I also extend my thanks to Derya Büyüktanir Karacan and Jackson Howard from EURAXESS North America, for initiating this project with NSPN, defining its groundwork, and providing support and advice on this report. I am grateful to the Office of Science and Technology of the French Embassy in the United States, especially Mireille Guyader, the Counselor for Science and Technology and Clara Devouassoux, deputy attaché for Science and Technology at the Consulate of France in Los Angeles, for their assistance in identifying French scientific diaspora networks in the United States. Thank you also to Christine Ye for initiating contact with one of the networks. Finally, the utmost gratitude is due to the numerous network managers who volunteered their time and expertise to contribute to this study by providing invaluable insights.

References

  1. Anand, Nalini P., Karen J. Hofman, and Roger I. Glass. 2009. “The Globalization of Health Research: Harnessing the Scientific Diaspora.” Academic Medicine 84 (4): 525–34. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e31819b204d.
  2. Barrios-Guzmán, Carmen, and Diego de la Cruz. 2022. “The Potential Contribution of the Scientific Diaspora to Enhance Marine Science in Guatemala.” Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics 7 (June). https://doi.org/10.3389/frma.2022.898082. 
  3. Bonilla, Kleinsy, Luisa F. Echeverría-King, Milena Serafim, Tebogo Mabotha, and Derya Buyuktanir Karacan. 2023. “Editorial: Engaging Scientific Diasporas for Development: Policy and Practices.” Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics 7 (January). https://doi.org/10.3389/frma.2022.1102805. 
  4. Burchardi, Konrad B, Thomas Chaney, Tarek Alexander Hassan, Lisa Tarquinio, and Stephen J Terry. 2020. “Immigration, Innovation, and Growth.” https://doi.org/10.3386/w27075. 
  5. Burns, William J. 2013. “The Potential of Science Diasporas.” Science & Diplomacy. Vol. 2. http://www.sciencediplomacy.org/perspective/20 13/potential-science-diasporas. 
  6. Butler, Dorothy, Barbara Del Castello, Steve Elliott, Elana Goldenkoff, Isabel Warner, and Alessandra Zimmermann. 2022. “Title: Science Diaspora Networks A Report on Their Goals, Functions, and Futures.” www.scipolnetwork.org/science-diaspora-network s. 
  7. Butler, Dorothy L., Barbara Del Castello, Steve Elliott, Elana R. Goldenkoff, Isabel A. Warner, and Alessandra C. Zimmermann. 2022. “Recognize and Alleviate a Resource Management Conundrum Facing Science Diaspora Networks.” Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics 7 (June). https://doi.org/10.3389/frma.2022.898770. 
  8. Ciumasu, Ioan M. 2010. “Turning Brain Drain into Brain Networking.” Science and Public Policy 37 (2): 135–46. https://doi.org/10.3152/030234210X489572.
  9. CLDD Team. 2023. “The Journey Back Home: Overcoming the Challenges Faced by Diaspora Returning to Their Homeland.” CLDD International: Global Diaspora Resource. May 24, 2023. https://cldd.se/the-future-of-diaspora-engagement trends-challenges-and-opportunities/. 
  10. CNRS. 2021. “La Recherche Française En Déplacement Outre-Atlantique.” December 15, 2021. https://www.cnrs.fr/fr/cnrsinfo/la-recherche-fran caise-en-deplacement-outre-atlantique. 
  11. Diplomacy Network. 2023. “Challenges Faced by Diaspora.” Diplomacy Network. January 24, 2023. https://diplomacynetwork.com/challenges-faced-b y-diaspora/. 
  12. Echeverría-King, Luisa F., Reina Camacho Toro, Pedro Figueroa, Laura A. Galvis, Alejandra González, Verónica Rossana Suárez, Ivonne Torres Atencio, and Claudia Natalie Widmaier Müller. 2022. “Organized Scientific Diaspora and Its Contributions to Science Diplomacy in Emerging Economies: The Case of Latin America and the Caribbean.” Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics 7 (May). https://doi.org/10.3389/frma.2022.893593. 
  13. Kohler, Ioanna. 2010. “Gone for Good ? Partis Pour de Bon ? Les Expatriés de l’enseignement Supérieur Français Aux États-Unis.” http://www.institutmontaigne.org/publications/go ne-good-partis-pour-de-bon-les-expatries-de-lenseignement-superieur-francais-aux-etats-unis. 
  14. Lopez-Verges, Sandra, Fernando Valiente-Echeverría, Alex Godoy-Faúndez, David Fernandez Rivas, Bernardo Urbani, Juan José Berger, and Paulina Carmona-Mora. 2021. “Call to Action: Supporting Latin American Early Career Researchers on the Quest for Sustainable Development in the Region.” Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics 6 (May). https://doi.org/10.3389/frma.2021.657120. 
  15. Mesidor, Jean Kesnold, and Kaye F Sly. 2016. “Factors That Contribute to the Adjustment of International Students” 6 (1): 262–82. http://jistudents.org/. 
  16. Meyer, Jean‐Baptiste. 2001. “Network Approach versus Brain Drain: Lessons from the Diaspora.” International Migration 39 (5): 91–110. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2435.00173 
  17. Netz, Nicolai, Svenja Hampel, and Valeria Aman. 2020. “What Effects Does International Mobility Have on Scientists’ Careers? A Systematic Review.” Research Evaluation 29 (3): 327–51. https://doi.org/10.1093/reseval/rvaa007. 
  18. OECD. 2018. Good Jobs for All in a Changing World of Work. OECD. ​https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264308817-en. 
  19. Okrent, Abigail, and Amy Burke. 2021. “The STEM Labor Force of Today: Scientists, Engineers, and Skilled Technical Workers.” Science and Engineering Indicators 2021. https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20212. 
  20. Palacios-Callender, Miriam, and Stephen A Roberts. 2018. “Scientific Collaboration of Cuban Researchers Working in Europe: Understanding Relations between Origin and Destination Countries.” Scientometrics 117: 745–69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-018. 
  21. Pierre-Bruno Ruffini. 2020. “France’s Science Diplomacy.” AAAS Science & Diplomacy, June. https://www.sciencediplomacy.org/article/2020/f rances-science-diplomacy. 
  22. Prieto, Julian, and Christopher A. Scott. 2022. “Scientific Diasporas and the Advancement of Science Diplomacy: The InFEWS US-China Program in the Face of Confrontational ‘America First’ Diplomacy.” Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics 7 (October). 
  23. https://doi.org/10.3389/frma.2022.944333. 
  24. Regets MC. 2007. “Research Issues in the International Migration of Highly Skilled Workers: A Perspective with Data from the United States.” Division of Science Resources Statistics, National Science Foundation. Working paper, SRS 07-203.
DISCLAIMER: The findings and conclusions published herein are solely attributed to the author and not necessarily endorsed or adopted by the Journal of Science Policy and Governance. Articles are distributed in compliance with copyright and trademark agreements.

ISSN 2372-2193
© 2022 Journal of Science Policy & Governance, Inc. All rights reserved. The opinions, findings and conclusions from JSPG publications, additional article commentaries and related events do not necessarily reflect the views of the journal.