Thierry Dauxois has been named chairman and CEO of CNRS, replacing Antoine Petit and taking over France’s main public research agency on 10 June 2026.
The appointment came by presidential decree after a ministerial recommendation, formalising the leadership handover at an institution that shapes national research priorities and funding strategy. Dauxois is a CNRS physicist who has led CNRS Physics since July 2021, after serving as vice-president for research at ENS Lyon from 2020 to 2021.
For CNRS, the change sets the tone for its next strategic cycle. The new leadership will now have to balance institutional continuity with pressure on research performance, scientific autonomy and state policy alignment.