Working
in partnership
Partnerships
around the world
International
French overseas territories
Metropolitan France
Annual report 2008 s
s Agreement signed with INPE (National Space
Research Institute) in Brazil on 23 December, on
"science and technology cooperation in the field
of space-based applications".
s 7th international symposium on Andean geodynamics;
Nice, France.
s Conference on “Diaspora, nation and difference:
populations of African descent in Mexico and Central
America”, in Mexico.
s Study of the Humboldt Current, major upwelling
ecosystem off the coasts of Chile and Peru.
s Conference on scientific diasporas, in Argentina.
s Conference on metal pollution and its impact on
the environment, health and society, in Bolivia.
s CARAÏBE-HYCOS program involving nine countries:
management and protection of water resources on
Caribbean islands.
s International conference on the Amazonian environmental monitoring system for sustainable development, in French Guiana.
s Conference on biodiversity in Cayenne, French Guiana.
s Training seminar in the use of evaluation and management tools for coastal marine environments, in Cuba.
sInstitut de recherche pour le développement
6 sites
317 researchers, engineers and technicians
68 individual fellowships awarded
3 emerging Southern teams supported
s Headquarters agreement signed with the
Republic of Senegal and agreement with
Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar renewed.
s Draft agreement between the Hewlett Foundation,
AIRD, IRD and AFD signed on 22 January: €2.4
million for research into the impact of migration
and reproductive health on poverty reduction.
s Migration monitoring units established in
Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso.
s Workshop on Malian migration, in Mali.
s RIPIECSA program: West African research teams
submit 25 projects on adapting to climate
change.
s HIV: Triple recognition for the IRD’s HIV/AIDS
and Associated Diseases laboratory. Recognised
by WHO as a SupraNational Reference Laboratory.
Facilities mainly in Senegal and Cameroon.
s Conference on sharing innovative farming
methods, in Burkina Faso.
WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA
8 sites
185 researchers, engineers and technicians
51 individual fellowships awarded
11 emerging Southern teams supported
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s In Morocco, an intergovernmental agreement
and a framework agreement with the Hassan II
Academy of Science and Technology signed.
s Creation of a new international joint research
unit on mathematical and computer modelling
of complex systems, UMMISCO, based mainly in
Morocco and France.
s First international workshop on ecology and
management of phytoparasitic nematode
communities in southern Mediterranean
ecosystems, in Tunisia.
s Conference on fringe communities in cities
(migrants, refugees and exiles in Middle
Eastern cities, in Syria.
s Ninth African conference on applied mathematics
and informatics research, in Morocco.
s International congress on genetics, molecular
biology and biotechnology, in Morocco.
MEDITERRANEAN
3 sites
50 researchers, engineers and technicians
17 individual fellowships awarded
5 emerging Southern teams supported
Partnerships around the world
4 sites
72 researchers, engineers and technicians
16 individual fellowships awarded
2 emerging Southern teams supported
s Unesco adds the kaya sacred forests of Kenya
to the world heritage list.
s Ninth international congress on infectious
diseases, in Kenya.
s Agreement signed with the French Centre for
Ethiopian Studies, giving IRD staff in Ethiopia
a specific status.
s International entomology congress, in South
Africa.
s Joint chair on international migration and city
governance created with the University of the
Witwatersrand, South Africa.
s Creation of a centre of remote sensing excellence,
with the French central government, the
La Réunion regional authority and the University
of La Réunion.
s Study of Aedes albopictus, the “tiger mosquito”,
one of the main vectors of chikungunya, at the
Centre for scientific research and surveillance on
emerging diseases in the Indian Ocean (CRVOI).
s Sixth international congress on marine sciences
in the western Indian Ocean, in La Réunion.
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EAST AND SOUTHERN AFRICA AND INDIAN OCEAN
Key figures
and main events
6 sites
204 researchers, engineers and technicians
18 individual fellowships awarded
3 emerging Southern teams supported
s Cooperation agreements with the universities of Khon
Kaen and Kasetsart in Thailand and with the French
University Centre (PUF) in Vietnam.
s Conference on health in Vientiane: geographical and
epidemiological approaches, in Laos.
s Unesco lists the New Caledonian lagoons as a world
heritage site.
s New Caledonian molecular biology platform starts up.
s International conference on aromatic and medicinal
plants, in New Caledonia.
s Eleventh Pacific Science Inter-congress: “The
countries of the Pacific and their ocean environment
facing local and global change”, in French Polynesia.
s Conference on ciguatera and its biotoxins, in New
Caledonia.
Annual report 2008 s
International
The network the IRD has formed with Southern scientific
communities through its presence in more than fifty countries
makes it one of the leading development research actors in
Europe. The site policy is a novel approach by which the Institute
is building a stronger regional organisation for its scientific
activities and its network of 23 centres and offices abroad. An
IRD representative in each of the five tropical regions manages
operations there. The new system has resulted in a thorough
examination of the best ways to set in motion a real research
partnership dynamic to meet each region’s main development
challenges.
International partnerships
consolidated
Mediterranean
North Africa and the Middle East are a priority region for the IRD
and a strategic priority for Europe, particularly through the French
initiative towards a Union for the Mediterranean. The main research
themes on which our Mediterranean partnerships were working in
2008 were: Water and agrosystems; Plant biotechnology; Urban and
local governance; Health. In Morocco, two major framework research
agreements were signed. A new international joint unit based in
Marrakech was formed − UMMISCO, working on mathematical and
computer modelling of complex systems. UMMISCO has secondary
facilities in Senegal, Cameroon, Vietnam and France.
East and Southern Africa and Indian
Ocean
Rice fields/Madagascar.
Through its work in this region the IRD is putting into practice its
intention to establish a balanced presence in Africa. An agreement
was signed with the French Centre for Ethiopian Studies, conferring
an official status on IRD researchers in Ethiopia. A joint chair on
international migration and urban governance was created with
the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. The IRD held
an international scientific conference on water research as part
of the EU-South Africa summit in Bordeaux. The regional projects
implemented with support from the IRD centre in La Réunion
exemplify the scientific dynamic now under way in the Indian Ocean.
West and Central Africa
Cooperation in this region was strengthened, with the pooling of
resources and closer relations with universities. A headquarters
agreement with the Republic of Senegal and two agreements with
the University of Dakar were signed. The meeting between the
Universities of Dakar, Bamako and Ouagadougou, the Conférence
des Présidents d’Universités and the IRD in Dakar marked a key
step in inter-university cooperation and the introduction of new
international Master’s degree courses. A framework agreement
was signed with the University of Lagos in Nigeria – a practical
step towards working more with English-speaking countries, as the
Institute hopes to do.
Latin America
The IRD started to implement its policy of sharing its administrative
infrastructure with other bodies. A joint IRD-CNRS structure was
created in Chile. In Brazil, the IRD signed three major agreements,
one on fluviatile geodynamics in Amazonia with the CPRM1; one
on hydrological monitoring of rivers from space with the Brazilian
Cooperation Agency; and one on exchange of satellite data with the
INPE2. The latter agreement was signed by the director general of
the IRD in the presence of the presidents of both republics, as part
of the France-Brazil strategic partnership. The IRD’s continued work
in the region’s emerging countries – Brazil, Chile and Mexico – is
partly designed to foster South-South cooperation with their less
developed neighbours such as Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. With this
in view, the Institute is developing major theme clusters that are
important for the whole region, such as the platform on vectorborne diseases at INLASA3 in Bolivia. A partnership agreement was
also signed with Peru’s Institute of Geology, Mining and Metallurgy.
1
CPRM: Companhia de
Pesquisa de Recursos Minerais
2
INPE: Instituto Nacional de
Pesquisas Espaciais, Brazil
3
INLASA: Instituto Nacional
de Laboratorios de Salud
Fishing/Peru.
sInstitut de recherche pour le développement
Asia
Research themes were restructured around specific scientific
platforms such as the one on infectious diseases at Mahidol
University in Thailand. Partnerships with universities were
strengthened, particularly in Thailand, by renewing cooperation
agreements with the Universities of Khon Kaen and Kasetsart and
with the French University Centre in Vietnam. Regionalisation,
applications and training are core concerns for the IRD’s work in
the region.
A lead role in coordinating
European projects for the South
The Institute’s participation in European programs fits into its
general strategy. It is designed to drive forward knowledge in areas
of science that are of global import, to help build the European
Research Area, to foster scientific cooperation between Europe and
Southern countries and to make optimum use of its expertise at the
service of development.
Towards building the European development research area, AIRD
and its chairman were mandated, along with representatives
from the IRD’s parent ministries, to manage the 8th priority of the
EU-Africa action plan decided at the Lisbon summit. This 8th priority
concerns science, space and the information and communication
technologies. The CNES4 and INRIA5 are also involved. This government
decision should be seen in the light of several years of IRD efforts
with national and European decision bodies.
4
4
Multilateral agreements forging ahead
The general aim of the IRD’s multilateral cooperation work
in 2008 was to mobilise development research to find
solutions to the challenges posed by the food crisis and
the recent financial crisis. The IRD signed a plan of action
with the International Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD) to improve synergy between research and practical
rural poverty reduction work. Another agreement signed
this year was with the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA), to develop innovative synergy in such scientific fields
as health and natural resource management.
CNES: Centre national d’études spatiales.
INRIA: Institut national de recherche en informatique et en automatique.
The IRD submits proposals mainly to the EU’s Framework Programme for research and technological development. It also
submits proposals in response to calls for proposals from the
European Development Fund, the Structural and Cohesion Funds
and the Fisheries DG.
The European Commission selected some 40 of the IRD’s projects:
18 under the 6th Framework Program and 22 under the 7th. One
of these, MADE (Mitigating ADverse Ecological impacts of open
ocean fisheries) aims to propose new methods and technologies to
limit fishing damage to pelagic ecosystems. Coordinated by the IRD
and involving 13 partners from eight countries, MADE is planning
fieldwork in the Azores, La Réunion, Brazil, Italy and Greece.
[ Contact: dri@ird.fr ]
Stronger strategic partnership with
national institutions in Africa.
The IRD confirmed its positioning at the highest level by defining
its strategic orientations, by generating and consolidating regional
dynamics and by drawing up priority programs. In Morocco, the French
and Moroccan higher education and research ministries signed an intergovernmental agreement on the IRD’s cooperation work. A framework
agreement was signed with the Hassan II Academy of Sciences and
Technology, which plays a leading role in Moroccan research. In Senegal,
a new headquarters agreement was the occasion for the IRD to refresh its
especially close relationship with the Senegalese authorities. At the same
time an exemplary partnership was developing with Cheikh Anta Diop
University in Dakar (UCAD). Two agreements with UCAD were signed,
concerning the creation of four new doctoral schools and an incubator
for innovative new businesses, on the IRD-UCAD campus
in Hann.
Dengue research/Thailand.
Village in the High Atlas/Morocco.
Annual report 2008 s
French overseas
territories
The five IRD centres in the French overseas territories are stable,
long-term bases for French research in the intertropical zone.
Each one is an important source of support for the IRD’s work in
its region. They are well placed for the IRD to conduct research
on themes of common interest with neighbouring countries, and
they give those countries access to European research networks
and resources.
New Caledonia
The IRD actively contributed to the creation of a common campus
with the University of New Caledonia, Ifremer, the CNRS, Cirad and
New Caledonia’s own research bodies. The New Caledonia molecular
biology platform and an incubator for innovative new businesses
both started operations in 2008. The national research and
technology centre on Nickel and the Environment also started work.
The State, the local authorities, the mining industry federation and
the science institutions are all involved in this venture. All these
partnerships fit the priorities laid down in the IRD’s site policy:
ecosystems/natural resources and natural hazards/climate change.
Three international conferences were held on issues connected with
remote sensing, ciguatera and aromatic plants.
French Polynesia
The IRD took part in a program to achieve a more sustainable,
more professional pearl farming system, financed by the European
Development Fund and managed by the French Polynesian pearl
farming department. The first scientific coordination seminar was
held after two missions on the lagoon ecosystems. Meanwhile eight
marine areas of the Moorea lagoon, for which there is a maritime
area management plan, were studied under the French project ANRGAIUS on the governance of marine protected areas for sustainable
management of biodiversity and coastal uses.
plan continues until 2010. Work on designing innovative cropping
systems with low environmental impact was under way at the
nematology laboratory under the European Regional Development
Fund’s Operational Programs.
French Guiana
Working from its Cayenne site the IRD began to set up a common
campus with several other institutions, for research into the
biodiversity, environment and dynamics of Amazonian territories.
The campus is part of the French Guiana university cluster. Through
this work the IRD strengthened its links with Antilles-Guyane
University (UAG) and the other research bodies, refocusing its
research on three themes of interest to all of them: biodiversity and
ethno-botany; environment and territorial dynamics; human and
social sciences. A statement of intent was signed with the UAG to
“continue and strengthen the collaboration begun in the fields of
training, research and scientific and technical cooperation around
the SEAS-Guyane platform and the French Guiana herbarium”.
La Réunion
The IRD worked more actively to generate a regional dynamic
around major international programs. The European RUN Sea
Science project (nearly €1 million over three years) was launched,
to strengthen scientific capacity and develop tools for the marine
sciences in La Réunion. Through this project Europe brings an
advanced research platform to the region.
The CRVOI, the French monitoring and research centre on emerging
diseases in the Indian Ocean, moved into a far more active phase,
launching its first call for proposals for a total of €1.2 million.
The IRD signed several collaboration agreements including one,
with the French government, the Regional Council and La Réunion
University, to create a centre of remote sensing excellence.
Martinique
Atoll/French Polynesia.
The regional cooperation program CARAIBE-HYCOS started practical
operations. Coordinated by the IRD and jointly funded by the
European Union and the Martinique Regional Council and General
Council, the program involves nine countries in the region. Its aim
is to bring together and empower the institutions responsible for
managing and conserving water resources on Caribbean islands.
Meanwhile in agro-environmental research, the government action
plan on chlordecone pollution in Martinique and Guadeloupe
started work, with two projects at the soil physics laboratory at
the Martinique agro-environmental research cluster. The action
Studying the marine environment/La
sInstitut de recherche pour le développement
Réunion.
Partner to some forty higher education establishments and
research bodies, the IRD consolidated these ties in 2008, partly
by restructuring its research system through joint research
units. It also strengthened its positioning in the regions through
its involvement in competitiveness clusters and the regional
structures introduced in 2006 under the research programming
and orientation law (LOPRI).
A tighter research structure
The shift to working through joint research units is intended to make
the IRD’s work more scientifically coherent and visible. In these joint
units the IRD works with some twenty universities, twenty research
bodies, grandes écoles and other major establishments.
The Institute now has 66 research units, including 2 international
joint units, 47 joint units (UMRs), 13 research units and 4 service
units. In just one year, the proportion of joint units rose from 51.4
to 71.2%. By 2010-2011 virtually all the units will have a stronger
partnership element, involving universities particularly.
Renewed partnership dynamic
As part of the IRD’s drive to establish a national research-fordevelopment offering it is increasingly opening up its facilities
to partners. In 2008 it signed strategic agreements with the
university of Orléans and Pierre and Marie Curie University to
build inter-establishment campuses based on the IRD sites at
Orléans and Bondy. The Institute’s close links with universities led
to its involvement in several shared campus projects: Université
Montpellier Sud France, Toulouse Campus, Grenoble Université de
l’Innovation, Aix-Marseille Université and Campus Condorcet (Ilede-France).
Involvement in regional structures
To better position itself in ongoing science in the regions, the
IRD increased its participation in anchor projects based around
competitiveness clusters and the structures introduced under
LOPRI and the State-Region project contracts.
Metropolitan
France
Among these structures are the RTRAs (theme-based advanced
research networks), PRESs (higher education and research
clusters) and CTRSs (theme-based research and healthcare
centres). IRD has been involved since the creation of these
scientific cooperation foundations and is now a member of four of
them:
- founder member of two RTRAs: satellite observation in Toulouse
and agriculture in Montpellier;
- associate member of an RTRA on economics, Ile-de-France
region;
- founder member of a CTRS on health, in the south of France.
As regards the State-Region project contracts for 2007-2013,
the IRD is taking part in seven inter-establishment projects for
technology platforms and property investment in the LanguedocRoussillon, Midi-Pyrénées, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and
Rhône-Alpes regions. These projects mainly concern health,
environmental monitoring, oceanography and tropical agriculture.
[ Contact: dpr@ird.fr ]
Laboratory/Montpellier.
Climate research/Bondy.
Pearl farming/French Polynesia.
Fish study/Brest.
Annual report 2008 s