France Lures Away 5 Colorado Climate Scientists

BOULDER, CO -- Five Colorado climate scientists are among the 18 chosen by the French academy for multi-year awards in the Make Our Planet Great Again contest, announced in June by French President Emmanuel Macron, in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. The contest announced the French government will provide funding for 50 scientists for 3-5 year project grants paying $1.8 million each.

Out of 450 researchers eligible to apply for the grants, 255 submitted applications and 90 were invited to submit proposals, according to Science Magazine.

The Colorado scientists who have been chosen in the first round are:

• Barbara Ervens, Moving from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder, Colorado, to the Institute of Chemistry of Clermont Ferrand.
• Joost de Gouw, Moving from the University of Colorado in Boulder to the Institute of research on catalysis and the environment of Lyon.
• Christopher Cantrell, Moving from the University Colorado in Boulder to the Interuniversity Laboratory of Atmospheric Systems in Créteil.

• Benjamin Sanderson, Moving from the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, to the Climate, Environment, Couplings and Uncertainties Laboratory in Toulouse.
• Philip Schulz, Moving from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, to the Research and Development Institute for Photovoltaic Energy in Paris.

"Colorado's loss is the world's gain," said Governor John Hickenlooper in a statement published in the Boulder Daily Camera. "We are not surprised that almost 40 percent of the French 'climate scholars' are from Colorado. We are happy for their recognition. But we also hate it. Colorado's remarkable success is in no small way the result of our talent, and the innovation created on a regular basis."

Read more about the researchers in the Daily Camera here.

Image via Pixabay