French LABEX Funds Reduce Competition, Not Stratification

A study published in the journal Higher Education examines the implementation of the French “Laboratoires d’Excellence” (LABEX) project funding scheme. The research investigates how these funds, originally designed to concentrate resources on the best institutions, laboratories, and researchers, have been utilized in practice. The authors, Jérôme Aust and Ulrike Lepont, argue that LABEX funds have been used to reduce inequalities between members rather than solely supporting the most ambitious projects. This finding suggests a departure from the founding principles of the excellence initiative, which prioritizes competition as the most efficient mode of resource allocation.

The LABEX program was part of a broader trend in the 1990s and 2000s where several European and Asian countries launched excellence initiatives. These programs aimed to meet the challenge of academic globalisation and create world-class universities. The underlying paradigm shift in research policy during these decades emphasized competition as the primary mechanism for distributing resources.

Despite the competitive intent of the LABEX scheme, the study indicates that the funds were used to soften competition among participating laboratories. The resources were distributed in a way that reduced inequalities between the members of the LABEX consortium.

However, the study notes that this reduction in internal competition did not lead to a reduction in overall stratification within the French research landscape. Resources continued to be focused on researchers and institutions that were already considered the best in their fields. The LABEX objectives of concentrating resources on prestigious teams and institutes were still met, even though the internal dynamics of the project differed from the original competitive model.

The authors suggest that understanding this paradox requires exploring the relationships between the agency of the scientists, the specific characteristics of the LABEX project, and how these fit into the broader research funding landscape. A dynamic perspective is called for, as the use of funds redefines not only the instrument itself but also the agency of the scientists. To a lesser extent, it also affects the overall funding framework.

In their implementation, LABEX initiatives are kept at one remove from competition and bureaucracy. This mechanism effectively hardens stratification by ensuring that the most established and prestigious entities continue to receive significant support.

To be fully understood, excellence initiatives should be analyzed at the intersection of scientists’ agency, the characteristics of their instruments, and how they are integrated into the broader research funding system. The paper explores new avenues to understand the consequences of excellence initiatives.

Subject of Research: Implementation and outcomes of French LABEX excellence initiative funding

Article Title: A call to escape: how French excellence labs have softened competition and hardened stratification

Article References: Aust, J., & Lepont, U. (2026). A call to escape: how French excellence labs have softened competition and hardened stratification. Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-026-01804-0

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s10734-026-01804-0

Keywords: Higher Education, Research Policy, LABEX, Excellence Initiatives, Academic Stratification, Resource Allocation, French Research, Scientific Funding, University Competition, Research Governance, call, escape