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  3. Biology (-tech,-chem,micro-)

sujets frontières

English translation: groundbreaking/at the frontiers of the field/beyond the frontiers of knowledge

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:sujets frontières
English translation:groundbreaking/at the frontiers of the field/beyond the frontiers of knowledge
Entered by: liz askew

15:00 Sep 4, 2008
French to English translations [PRO]
Science - Biology (-tech,-chem,micro-) / evaluation of a proposed research unit
French term or phrase: sujets frontières
"Il précisera les dispositifs mis en œuvre pour atteindre ces objectifs, notamment :
-,la politique d’incitation à l’émergence de sujets innovants, à la prise de risque et ***aux sujets frontières***, l’adaptation aux évolutions dans le contexte local, national, européen et international, la réflexion et la prospective sur les créneaux scientifiques porteurs, la vision de l’évolution de l’unité à 4 et 8 ans"

Would this be subjects that at the forefront of progress or that cross over into a second discipline? I've seen hits that seem to support both possibilities for this term in other contexts.
Helen Genevier
France
Local time: 12:25
groundbreaking
Explanation:
Du cote du chercheur : Le chercheur Americain a des etudiants dans son labo qui s’interesse a son cours (cf les nombreuses visites et discussions) et qui font vivre son labo. L’Etat participe activement au financement de sa recherche, et la societe est attentive aux progres de la recherche. Reconnaissance de ses pairs, de ses etudiants, de la societe, que demander de mieux ? Et les charges administratives ? reduit a la redaction de projet pour les fondations de recherche, et la mise en place de plateforme de collaborations. Le recrutement des chercheurs : ce n’est pas une charge, c’est un seminaire, et l’eventualite de futures collaborations. La peur du controle, de l’evaluation bisannuelle ? Quasi absente, bien sur, puisque c’est l’auto-evaluation ou l’evaluation sur un projet qui domine, et non un bilan sur le passe. Enfin, le contenu scientifique est nettement plus stimulant qu’en Europe, pour une raison culturelle : Les Americains travaillent sur des sujets de "frontiere" alors que les Europeens financent abondament les sujets de "contexte". Par exemple, en biologie, les projets de screen de mutants, de genomique globale sont finances dans le cadre des Excellence Network europeens, les bourses Marie Curie, etc. alors que de tels projets, a quelques exceptions pres, font tres mauvaise impression dans une grant pour le NIH ou NSF Americain. Par contre, une recherche sur les papillons gynandromorphes trouvera un financement parce que c’est un modele de developpement nouveau et encore peu explore.

I don't think this is quite the word but..

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Note added at 17 hrs (2008-09-05 08:29:03 GMT)
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at the frontiers of knowledge...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs (2008-09-05 08:33:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Interagency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics
The quest to advance knowledge sometimes benefits research subjects. ... Because research involves advancing the frontiers of knowledge, its undertaking ...
www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/english/policystatement/context.cfm - 50k - Cached - Similar pages

research subjects that try to go beyond the frontiers of knowledge


long-winded

but I believe this could be the meaning
Selected response from:

liz askew
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:25
Grading comment
Thank you Liz and to everyone for helpful suggestions. I'm still not sure which meaning is intended here (groundbreaking vs interdisciplinary), though your first ref is very convincing. I went with a fudge (at the frontiers of the field) which I hoped could convey either.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1borderline issues
Nadia Ayoub
3 +1groundbreaking
liz askew
4convergence/crossover focuses
Glen McCulley
3adjacent disciplines
rkillings
2overlapping issues
MatthewLaSon
2front line issues
Naomi Louder


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
overlapping issues


Explanation:
Hello,

They "touch either" in French, but, in English, they overlap each other.

sujets = issues?

I hope this helps.

MatthewLaSon
Local time: 06:25
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
borderline issues


Explanation:
also used.

Nadia Ayoub
Egypt
Local time: 12:25
Native speaker of: Arabic

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lionel_M (X)
2 hrs
  -> Many thanks Lionel :)
neutral  Glen McCulley: i hear 'borderline', and i hear something slightly pejorative
15 hrs
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
adjacent disciplines


Explanation:
In the scientific/academic sense.

rkillings
United States
Local time: 03:25
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
groundbreaking


Explanation:
Du cote du chercheur : Le chercheur Americain a des etudiants dans son labo qui s’interesse a son cours (cf les nombreuses visites et discussions) et qui font vivre son labo. L’Etat participe activement au financement de sa recherche, et la societe est attentive aux progres de la recherche. Reconnaissance de ses pairs, de ses etudiants, de la societe, que demander de mieux ? Et les charges administratives ? reduit a la redaction de projet pour les fondations de recherche, et la mise en place de plateforme de collaborations. Le recrutement des chercheurs : ce n’est pas une charge, c’est un seminaire, et l’eventualite de futures collaborations. La peur du controle, de l’evaluation bisannuelle ? Quasi absente, bien sur, puisque c’est l’auto-evaluation ou l’evaluation sur un projet qui domine, et non un bilan sur le passe. Enfin, le contenu scientifique est nettement plus stimulant qu’en Europe, pour une raison culturelle : Les Americains travaillent sur des sujets de "frontiere" alors que les Europeens financent abondament les sujets de "contexte". Par exemple, en biologie, les projets de screen de mutants, de genomique globale sont finances dans le cadre des Excellence Network europeens, les bourses Marie Curie, etc. alors que de tels projets, a quelques exceptions pres, font tres mauvaise impression dans une grant pour le NIH ou NSF Americain. Par contre, une recherche sur les papillons gynandromorphes trouvera un financement parce que c’est un modele de developpement nouveau et encore peu explore.

I don't think this is quite the word but..

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs (2008-09-05 08:29:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

at the frontiers of knowledge...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs (2008-09-05 08:33:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Interagency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics
The quest to advance knowledge sometimes benefits research subjects. ... Because research involves advancing the frontiers of knowledge, its undertaking ...
www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/english/policystatement/context.cfm - 50k - Cached - Similar pages

research subjects that try to go beyond the frontiers of knowledge


long-winded

but I believe this could be the meaning

liz askew
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:25
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 75
Grading comment
Thank you Liz and to everyone for helpful suggestions. I'm still not sure which meaning is intended here (groundbreaking vs interdisciplinary), though your first ref is very convincing. I went with a fudge (at the frontiers of the field) which I hoped could convey either.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  SJLD: I do believe you're right, given that the expression is preceded by "sujets innovants" and "prise de risque"
1 hr
  -> Well, thank you very much!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
convergence/crossover focuses


Explanation:
couple 'o options for you there: means crossover between disciplines, as with bioinformatics...

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Note added at 15 mins (2008-09-04 15:16:14 GMT)
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focuses or subjects: your pick (personally i like 'focus' but much less in the plural ^^

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs (2008-09-05 09:31:26 GMT)
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Just reread your question input Helen; the forefront vs. crossover issue is a tricky one: given that it's wrapped into the 'prise de risque' pairing, you'd think 'forefront', so maybe slip a *pioneering* in there somewhere while keeping the 'crossover' idea, since judging by the overall context of your text, anything innovative is liable to be happening at the convergence of disciplines rather than in any 'pure' research...
Hope that helps fuel reflection...

Glen McCulley
Local time: 12:25
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
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1 day 2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
front line issues


Explanation:
front line - field research, very direct, up to the minute.

Naomi Louder
Local time: 06:25
Native speaker of: English
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