# Centre de Recherche en Epistémologie Appliquée

> French research centre

**Wikidata**: [Q5062342](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5062342)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_de_Recherche_en_Epistémologie_Appliquée)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/centre-de-recherche-en-epistemologie-appliquee

## Summary
The Centre de Recherche en Épistémologie Appliquée (CREA) was a French research centre founded in 1982 and located at the École Polytechnique in Palaiseau, France. Operating as a joint research unit (UMR7656) affiliated with the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the institute specialized in epistemology before its dissolution in 2011.

## Key Facts
- **Full Name:** Centre de Recherche en Épistémologie Appliquée
- **Short Name:** CREA
- **Alternate Names:** Centre de Recherche en Epistemologie Appliquee, CRÉA
- **Type:** Research institute, Laboratory
- **Field of Work:** Epistemology
- **Founded:** 1982
- **Dissolved:** 2011
- **Location:** École Polytechnique, Route de Saclay, Palaiseau, France (Postal Code: 91128)
- **Country:** France
- **Parent Organization:** École Polytechnique
- **CNRS Research Group ID:** UMR7656
- **French National Research Structure ID:** 199719351B
- **ISNI:** 0000000121091114
- **VIAF ID:** 126615368
- **ROR ID:** 04fhvf194
- **Freebase ID:** /m/0br_jv3
- **Wikipedia Languages:** English, French
- **Wikidata Description:** French research centre

## FAQs
### Q: What was the Centre de Recherche en Épistémologie Appliquée?
A: CREA was a French research institute and laboratory dedicated to the study of epistemology. It operated as a specialized centre focused on generating new knowledge through systematic investigation in its field.

### Q: Where was CREA located and what institution hosted it?
A: CREA was located at the École Polytechnique on Route de Saclay in Palaiseau, France. The École Polytechnique served as its parent organization.

### Q: How long did the Centre de Recherche en Épistémologie Appliquée operate?
A: The research centre was established in 1982 and operated until its dissolution in 2011, spanning approximately 29 years of activity.

### Q: What was CREA's status within the French research system?
A: CREA operated as a CNRS research unit with the designation UMR7656 (Unité Mixte de Recherche), indicating it was a joint research structure affiliated with the French National Centre for Scientific Research.

## Why It Matters
The Centre de Recherche en Épistémologie Appliquée represented a dedicated institutional commitment to philosophical and epistemological research within the French academic landscape. As a research institute focused exclusively on epistemology—the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge, its nature, sources, and limits—CREA served as a specialized engine of discovery free from teaching obligations. Operating under the prestigious École Polytechnique and affiliated with the CNRS, the centre contributed to France's robust infrastructure for fundamental research. Its nearly three-decade existence provided a stable environment for investigating the foundations of scientific knowledge and applied epistemology, fields critical to understanding how knowledge is generated, validated, and applied across disciplines.

## Notable For
- Operating as a dedicated research institute exclusively focused on epistemology
- Functioning as a CNRS-affiliated joint research unit (UMR7656)
- Being hosted by the École Polytechnique, one of France's premier academic institutions
- Maintaining a formal research structure within the French national research system
- Holding multiple international identifiers (ISNI, VIAF, ROR) indicating global academic recognition

## Body

### Organizational Classification
The Centre de Recherche en Épistémologie Appliquée operated as a research institute and laboratory, classified as an organization whose primary purpose was to conduct research. Unlike universities that balance teaching and research missions, CREA existed specifically to generate new knowledge through systematic investigation in the field of epistemology. The centre was formally recognized as a distinct organizational form within the landscape of knowledge-producing institutions.

### Location and Physical Address
CREA was situated in France, specifically at the École Polytechnique in Palaiseau. Its street address was recorded as École Polytechnique, Route de Saclay, with the postal code 91128. This location placed the research centre within the broader Paris-Saclay scientific cluster, a major hub for French academic and research activity.

### Institutional Affiliations
The École Polytechnique served as CREA's parent organization, providing institutional support and infrastructure. The centre operated under the French National Research Structure ID 199719351B, which officially registered it within the national research directory. As a CNRS research group with the identifier UMR7656, CREA maintained its status as a Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR)—a joint research unit combining resources and oversight from multiple French research institutions.

### Research Focus
CREA's designated field of work was epistemology. As a research institute, it pursued fundamental inquiry into the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge. The applied orientation suggested in its name indicated a focus on practical applications of epistemological theory, potentially bridging abstract philosophical frameworks with concrete scientific and methodological concerns.

### Operational Timeline
The centre was established in 1982 and operated for nearly three decades before being dissolved in 2011. This operational period spanned significant developments in both epistemological theory and the broader organization of French research infrastructure.

### International Identifiers and Recognition
CREA maintained presence across multiple international knowledge systems:
- **ISNI (International Standard Name Identifier):** 0000000121091114
- **VIAF (Virtual International Authority File):** 126615368
- **ROR (Research Organization Registry):** 04fhvf194
- **Freebase ID:** /m/0br_jv3

The centre also had a Wikidata entry describing it as a "French research centre," with Wikipedia articles in both English and French languages.

## References

1. [Source](https://data.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/explore/dataset/fr-esr-repertoire-national-structures-recherche/information/)
2. French National Directory of Research Structures
3. ROR release v1.72