2016 Research Leaders: Leading institutions in physical sciences

The 2016 Research Leaders are based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2015.

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Position Institution Share 2015 Count 2015
1 French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), France 323.06 1734
2 The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), France 67.45 541
3 Sorbonne University, France 55.71 550
4 University of Paris-Saclay, France 53.91 446
5 Grenoble Alpes University (UGA), France 42.40 347
6 Paris Cité University, France 24.84 357
7 Université PSL, France 24.56 272
8 University of Lyon, France 20.04 156
9 University of Toulouse, France 16.96 132
10 National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA), France 14.96 129
11 Aix-Marseille University (AMU), France 13.65 244
12 University of Strasbourg, France 12.99 131
13 École Polytechnique, France 12.75 142
14 University of Bordeaux, France 12.33 73
15 European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), France 11.28 66
16 University of Montpellier, France 8.49 56
17 University of Lille Nord de France, France 7.22 39
18 Institut Laue Langevin (ILL), France 6.63 39
19 National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM), France 6.32 64
20 European Space Agency (ESA), France 6.14 38
21 Institut Mines-Télécom (IMT), France 5.78 39
22 Collège de France, France 5.64 45
23 University of Lorraine (UL), France 5.19 28
24 Thales S.A., France 4.31 33
25 Institute of Research for Development (IRD), France 4.17 81
26 National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control (INRIA), France 3.78 75
27 University of Savoy (USMB), France 3.68 151
28 Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France 3.54 80
29 University of Rennes 1, France 3.13 25
30 University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard (UTBM), France 3.07 21
31 Université Sorbonne Paris-Nord, France 3.02 12
32 University of Toulon (UTLN), France 2.99 31
33 Le Mans University, France 2.98 17
34 University Clermont Auvergne (UCA), France 2.85 140
35 Superior National School of Advanced Techniques (ENSTA ParisTech), France 2.80 17
36 University of Burgundy, France 2.25 23
37 Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux (Bordeaux INP), France 2.25 17
38 CY Cergy Paris University, France 2.24 23
39 National Office for Aerospace Studies and Research (ONERA), France 2.22 8
40 Centrale Lille, France 2.18 27
41 Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM), France 2.14 20
42 Caen University (UNICAEN), France 2.09 17
43 National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), France 2.04 22
44 University Institute of France (IUF), France 2.01 19
45 University of Franche-Comté (UFC), France 2.01 14
46 National Graduate School of Engineering and Research Center (ENSICAEN), France 1.97 17
47 Gustave Eiffel University, France 1.96 9
48 HESAM Université, France 1.68 66
49 University of Nantes, France 1.66 40
50 Paris-Est Créteil University (UPEC), France 1.63 13
51 National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), France 1.62 16
52 Lille Catholic University (Catho), France 1.56 21
53 Centrale Méditerranée, France 1.51 10
54 University of Picardie Jules Verne (UPJV), France 1.37 8
55 Higher Institute for Electronics and Digital Training (ISEN), France 1.34 12
56 SUPMICROTECH-ENSMM, France 1.26 9
57 National Metrology and Testing (LNE), France 1.23 7
58 University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), France 1.22 28
59 University of Haute-Alsace (UHA), France 1.21 26
60 University of Poitiers, France 1.19 5
61 University of Orléans, France 1.12 20
62 Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (ISAE-SUPAERO), France 1.09 5
63 France Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, France 1.07 37
64 University of Tours (UFR), France 1.02 7
65 SIGMA Clermont, France 0.93 6
66 University of Limoges (ULIM), France 0.90 8
67 CHU Nice, France 0.78 58
67 EDHEC Business School, France 0.78 58
67 Centre Nationaux de Création Musicale (CIRM), France 0.78 58
67 Sustainable Design School (SDS), France 0.78 58
67 École Supérieure de Réalisation Audiovisuelle (ESRA), France 0.78 58
67 Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Nice (CRR), France 0.78 58
67 École Supérieure de Danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower, France 0.78 58
67 National School of Fine Arts at the Villa Arson, France 0.78 58
68 École Centrale Lyon, France 0.74 8
69 École Supérieure de Chimie Physique Électronique de Lyon or (CPE Lyon), France 0.72 7
70 University of Technology of Troyes (UTT), France 0.71 5
71 École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier (ENSCM), France 0.71 8
72 University of Paris Ouest (Paris 10), France 0.58 2
73 ITER Organization, France 0.58 2
74 Électricité de France S.A. (EDF), France 0.50 4
75 University of South Brittany (UBS), France 0.49 3
76 University of Angers, France 0.48 4
77 University of Évry-Val d'Essonne (UEVE), France 0.47 4
78 Saint-Gobain SA, France 0.46 2
79 Bretagne Loire University, France 0.43 28
80 Capital Fund Management (CFM), France 0.43 2
81 École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Industries Textiles (ENSAIT), France 0.43 1
82 École des Ponts ParisTech (ENPC), France 0.41 2
83 École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes (ENSCR), France 0.40 6
84 French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer), France 0.38 1
85 Cisbio Bioassays, France 0.37 1
86 Polyrise SAS, France 0.36 1
87 University of Le Havre, France 0.36 11
88 Tortoise Analytics, France 0.33 1
88 PHASICS SA, France 0.33 1
89 University of Rouen, France 0.31 10
90 Lyon University Hospital (HCL), France 0.30 3
91 École des Mines d'Alès (EMA), France 0.27 1
92 Institute Agro Dijon, France 0.27 10

Footnote

Each year, the Nature Index publishes tables based on counts of high-quality research outputs in the previous calendar year. Users please note:

  1. The data behind the tables are based on a relatively small proportion of total research papers, they cover the natural sciences and health sciences only and outputs are non-normalized (that is, they don’t reflect the size of the country or institution, or its overall research output).
  2. The Nature Index is one indicator of institutional research performance. The metrics of Count and Share used to order Nature Index listings are based on an institution’s or country’s publication output in 145 natural-science and health-science journals. The journals were selected on reputation by an independent panel of leading scientists in their fields. The list is reviewed periodically and journals may be removed or added. Articles from eLife were no longer included in the Nature Index from 2023 after the journal changed its publishing model.
  3. Nature Index recognizes that many other factors must be taken into account when considering research quality and institutional performance; Nature Index metrics alone should not be used to assess institutions or individuals.
  4. Nature Index data and methods are transparent and available under a creative commons licence at nature.com/nature-index/.
  5. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

The Nature Index database undergoes regular updating, corrections, adjustment of institutional hierarchies, and removal of retracted papers and thus the live website can differ from the frozen research leaders.


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