The stakes of the project approach methodology for research in language studies

Research funding is more and more reliant on what is generally called 'the project approach'. The author will highlight the main features of this approach and analyse the underlying philosophy (ideology ?) by comparing it to the accepted culture in the Human and Social sciences. After pointing out the influence of exact sciences and techniques upon the funding authorities' representations, he will comment on the way this approach challenges our fields and suggest how the project approach which is imposed on us can be used to our benefit.