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| French Institute of Research for Development | |
|---|---|
| Name | Institut de recherche pour le développement |
| Native name | Institut de recherche pour le développement |
| Established | 1943 (origins), 1998 (current form) |
| Type | Public research institute |
| Headquarters | Marseille, France |
| Director | (see Organisation and Governance) |
| Website | (not included) |
French Institute of Research for Development
The French Institute of Research for Development is a public research institute focused on scientific cooperation between France and countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific, working on issues affecting human development and environmental change. It links field sites, such as those in Dakar, Nouméa, Lima and Antananarivo, with academic partners like Université Aix-Marseille, Sorbonne University, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, and international organisations including United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, and United Nations Development Programme. The institute conducts interdisciplinary projects across biomedical, ecological, social and engineering sciences and collaborates with networks such as World Bank, European Commission, International Development Research Centre, and Agence Française de Développement.
The institute traces roots to colonial-era institutions and post‑World War II research bodies like the Office de la recherche scientifique et technique outre-mer and later restructuring that involved actors such as René Dumont, Pierre Boulanger (agronomist), and administrations in Ministry of Overseas France. Reforms in the 1990s, influenced by debates in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and policy shifts under presidents like François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac, led to the formal creation of the current structure in 1998, aligning with initiatives from Agence française pour la recherche sur le développement international and coordination with Institut Pasteur. Over decades the institute adapted to global events including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Millennium Development Goals, and later the Sustainable Development Goals, progressively redefining priorities after crises such as the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and epidemics like Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa.
The institute’s mandate articulates objectives shared with actors like United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, International Labour Organization, and regional bodies such as the African Union and the Pacific Islands Forum. Its mission spans applied research, policy advice, technology transfer and capacity building, aligning with legal frameworks such as those promoted by the European Union and bilateral treaties with states like Madagascar, Senegal, Peru, and Vanuatu. The institute emphasises interdisciplinary approaches combining methods from teams affiliated with École pratique des hautes études, Institut de recherche pour le développement (historical units), Collège de France and field partners including Makerere University, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, and University of the South Pacific.
Governance involves French ministries including Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and interactions with agencies like Direction générale de la mondialisation, du développement et des partenariats and Agence Nationale de la Recherche. Leadership and advisory boards include representatives from institutions such as Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Institut Pasteur, Université de Montpellier, IRD Institute advisory committees, and international stakeholders like United Nations delegations. Scientific units are organised into disciplinary departments that collaborate with laboratories recognised by entities such as Comité national de la recherche scientifique and partner universities including Université Paris Cité, Université Clermont Auvergne, and Universidad de Chile.
Research themes intersect with topics addressed by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Convention on Biological Diversity, World Health Organization, and Food and Agriculture Organization. Core programmes include tropical health research linked to malaria, HIV/AIDS pandemic, and tuberculosis surveillance in cooperation with Institut Pasteur de Dakar and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention frameworks; biodiversity and ecosystem studies in areas such as Amazon rainforest, Madagascar dry deciduous forests, and Coral Sea reefs collaborating with organisations like Conservation International; agricultural development and food security projects linked to International Rice Research Institute, CIMMYT, and Bioversity International; and urbanisation, migration and social change comparative studies with partners like Institut national d'études démographiques, Oxford University, and University of Cape Town. Programmes often integrate methodologies from laboratories connected to Max Planck Society, Smithsonian Institution, and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle.
The institute maintains bilateral agreements and field stations across continents with linkages to entities including Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation (Madagascar), Government of Senegal, Government of Peru, and regional research centres such as CIRAD, IRD Nouméa Research Station, and IRD Dakar Research Centre. Field stations are located near ecological and cultural hotspots like Amazon Basin, Sahel, Andes Mountains, New Caledonia, and Comoros, enabling joint projects with universities such as University of Antananarivo, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, and global programmes run by United Nations Environment Programme and Global Environment Facility.
Training initiatives include doctoral co‑supervision with universities such as Sorbonne Université, Université Libre de Bruxelles, University of São Paulo, and scholarship schemes in partnership with Erasmus Mundus, Chevening Scholarship networks, and bilateral French cooperation through Campus France. The institute runs professional training for public health officers, conservation managers and planners, collaborating with World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, Réseau francophone international, and regional training institutions like African Institute for Mathematical Sciences.
Funding sources combine French public allocations mediated by ministries such as Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, grants from supranational bodies like the European Commission, project funding from World Bank and Agence Française de Développement, and competitive research grants from agencies such as Agence Nationale de la Recherche and foundations including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and Rockefeller Foundation. Budget allocations are influenced by multilateral agendas including Sustainable Development Goals and bilateral cooperation agreements with countries including Madagascar, Cambodia, Senegal, and Peru.
Category:Research institutes in France