Our History

“Essential support for research for more than 70 years”

In the aftermath of the Second World War, medical progress was at a standstill. Only medical research had the ability to put things in motion. But it was necessary to find funding.

In 1947, Jean Bernard, one of the fathers of modern French medicine, Jean Hamburger, a no-less-illustrious doctor, and several other notable French researchers launched the Association pour le développement de la recherche médicale française. A modest association in its infancy, in 1962 it became the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (FRM) and soon took on national dimensions.

1947

Creation of the Association
pour le développement de la recherche médicale française

Jean Hamburger

Co-founder of the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale and vice-president of its Board of Directors until his death, in 1992, he was president of the Academy of Sciences in 1981 and 1982.

An exceptional clinician, he made remarkable contributions in the fields of patient resuscitation and renal transplantation.

Jean Bernard

Co-founder of the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale and a member of its Board of Directors until his death in 2006, Jean Bernard was also a member of the Academy of Sciences and the French Academy.

He did pioneering work in the field of leukemia and other blood diseases.
A renowned humanist, he chaired the first National Ethics Advisory Committee in 1983.

The Fondation owes its growth to Jean Bernard and Jean Hamburger, who drove it forward, and to Claudine Escoffier-Lambiotte, who devoted herself to it body and soul. Together, they assembled the 132 most famous French researchers in order to launch a call for private donations.

The mission of the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale is twofold: to support basic and clinical research on all diseases and to inform the public about its progress.
Completely independent, it draws its resources through the generosity of its donors.

Strict fund management was a requirement of its founders from the beginning. The founders imposed strict operating rules and a formed a Scientific Council whose members are elected by the laboratory directors of major research organizations.
This democratic representation of the scientific community, specific to the Fondation, guarantees the greatest integrity in the allocation of grants to researchers. Only project excellence prevails.

1965

The Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale is recognized as a charitable organization

Claudine Escoffier-Lambiotte

A doctor and journalist, she was editor of the health section of Le Monde for 30 years. Co-founder of the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, she was its general secretary until her death in 1996.

The FRM’s Scientific Communication Award is named after her.

We use “cookies” to identify you when you visit our website. They are really helpful and we rely on them in order to understand what you do you when you visit : how do you use our website, which articles and sections are popular etc… For more information or to deny the use of cookies, please visit this page (in French)