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WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP
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IRD ANNUAL
ANNUALREPORT
REPORT2014
2014
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP
WORKING IN
PARTNERSHIP
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International partnerships
IRD is active in nearly 50 counties in the South.
Through its network of 29 representative bodies, it
forms and leads close partnerships with the scientific,
university and academic communities in the South.
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Worldwide events
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
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WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
INTERNATIONAL
PARTNERSHIPS
Inauguration of the IRD
Representation (Côte
d’Ivoire)
Tool of the French scientific diplomacy, the IRD's
network creates long-lasting links with Southern
countries.
In the Mediterranean
Traditional
agriculture in
the High Atlas/
Morocco
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IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
The Mediterranean region has long been a priority for IRD. As part of
a reinforced partnership based on various set-ups, such as the ICLs
(International Combined Laboratories), the JEAI (young teams affiliated with
the IRD), the observatories and the shared platforms, IRD is running joint
programmes focused on the main issues in this region: water management,
land use, heritage, urbanisation, pollution in coastal areas and urban
governance.
In 2014, several important events strengthened the partnership in the
Mediterranean.
In Morocco, the Fes Euro-Mediterranean University is now a partner of
the ICL MédiTer ("Terroirs méditerranéens: environnement, patrimoine
et développement” or Mediterranean regions: environment, heritage and
development), alongside Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech, Mohammed V
University in Rabat and the Insap (National Institute of Archaeological
Sciences and Heritage). A partnership was also formed with the International
University of Rabat as part of the programme entitled "Migration and
religions: social and cultural organisation of African migration in Morocco".
In Algeria, IRD signed an inter-establishment agreement with the national
centre for applied research in earthquake engineering.
The Tunisian ministry of higher education, scientific research, and
information and communication technologies and IRD joined up to
form the ICL Cosys-Med ("Contaminants and ecosystems in the southern
Mediterranean”) within the framework of a partnership agreement signed
in the presence of the French Minister of Higher Education and Research,
Najat Vallaud-Belkacem.
In West and Central Africa
West and Central Africa remains the central area for work by IRD, in line with
French cooperation strategy. The economy in this region has a growth rate of
5% and remains very vibrant, developing constantly. There are strong public
policies in support of research and higher education. However, the region
experienced a number of crises in 2014, including the unprecedented Ebola
epidemic which spread from Guinea, Sierra Leon and Liberia to threaten
the whole region. There was also the security crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The research programmes address several major themes: climate change
and its impacts, sustainable biodiversity management, forests and marine
resources, water management, infectious and emerging diseases, food safety,
maternal and child health, and safeguarding heritage. Several of these programmes lead to the development of modelling tools.
There were some major partnership events, such as the relaunch of activities
in Côte d’Ivoire after they were suspended a decade ago. This was confirmed
with the signature of four framework agreements with two universities and
two research institutes, and the reopening of IRD’s representative body in a
building on the campus of the University of Féli Houphouët Boigny, provided
by the Côte d’Ivoire Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
In Mali, IRD supported the restructuring and decentralisation of the higher
education system with the signature of five new framework agreements with
the universities. It stepped up its knowledge dissemination and promotion
activities with the co-publication of books and the organisation of several
scientific events.
In Guinea, IRD helped local institutions with the development of study on the
after-effects on Ebola, entitled "Living with Ebola: Assessment and support
for patients deemed to be cured of Ebola virus infection in Guinea".
In Senegal, partnerships with local institutions were strengthened with the
International conference on the management of fishing and the marine environment, held at the end of the year.
In Benin, the partnership with academic, hospital and scientific institutions
was bolstered with the Health Ministry’s provision of a shared site at Abomey
Calavi. Instead of being scattered across the country, all IRD’s research teams
will be able to come together here to pool resources with their partners and
lead research into strategies for the integrated fight against malaria and other
vector-borne diseases. First and foremost, the initial clinical trials of the
vaccine candidate against placental malaria were developed.
In Burkina Faso, the official launch of the ICL Patho-Bios1 on 31 January
strengthened the partnership with Inera (Environment and Agricultural
Research Institute).
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
The framework agreement signed with the Pasteur Centre in Cameroon led
to the set-up of a malaria research laboratory.
In Chad, the expertise group review of the conservation and development of
Lake Chad, commissioned by the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and
funded by the French Global Environment Facility (FGEF), was presented
to political decision-makers and a wider audience.
Last but not least, the launch of the ISM (Sahel-Maghreb Initiative) was a
key inter-regional event. At the end of 2013, IRD organised a round table on
the Europe-Mediterranean-Africa axis. At the end of these discussions, the
Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Executive Training in
Morocco, the Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research in Mali
and the special representative of the European Union for Sahel and the
president of IRD restated their commitment to far-reaching joint action to the
benefit of the Sahel-Maghreb region. In May 2014, this declaration resulted
in the launch of the ISM, with the signature of the declaration of intent for
the promotion of the ISM by the first nine sponsors2.
In Southern Africa, East Africa and the Indian Ocean
The Southern Africa, East Africa and Indian Ocean region includes some
very different countries and La Réunion, where IRD is involved in various
partnerships on the theme of climate change, sustainable development,
food safety, emerging diseases, biodiversity management, conservation
and promotion of heritage and resources, migrations, poverty and access
to water.
IRD signed its first institutional agreement with the University of Addis
Ababa in Ethiopia and renewed its scientific cooperation agreement with
the Kenyan government. In addition, a framework agreement was signed
between IRD and the Indian Ocean Commission for the set-up of the G2OI
(Indian Ocean integrated observatory). The purpose of this cross-institutional initiative is to coordinate research actions and pool research
platforms at regional level.
Significant scientific cooperation has also been initiated with Mozambique,
through two new programmes. Mozar, working together with La Réunion,
deals with infectious diseases presenting a risk of epidemic. Mozalink
works with Kenya, Madagascar and La Réunion to forge links between
Observatoire des agents phytopathogènes en Afrique de l’Ouest (Observatory for Phytopathogenic
Agents in West Africa).
2
Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Niger; National Department for Higher Education and Scientific
Research, Mali; African Union; Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation in Chad; National
Centre for Scientific Research, Mali; Observatory for the Sahara and Sahel; Conference of University
Presidents, France; Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), France, the Ministry of Higher
Education and Executive Training in Morocco.
1
marine sciences, traditional knowledge and cultural perceptions in the
Mozambique Channel. Several European programmes (European regional
development fund, European agricultural fund for rural development,
European maritime and fisheries fund) in which IRD is heavily involved
were implemented in La Réunion.
IRD also played a key role in the dialogue between Europe and Africa, especially in the field of science and innovation, with its participation in the
European Union’s institutional programmes such as ERAfrica, Caastnet+
and Rinea, from South Africa.
The year was marked by a number of pan-African scientific meetings,
co-organised by IRD. For example, in Tanzania the colloquium on
"Contemporary Evolution of African Floodplains and Deltas", in Kenya,
the conference on "Slavery in Africa: Past, Legacies and Present and in
Madagascar, Agroecology and Sustainability of Tropical Rainfed Cropping
Systems”. At the end of the year, the Johannesburg conference on "Climate
change in Africa, converging views on the outcome of research, public
policies and key initiatives” marked the start of IRD’s participation in events
in the run-up to Cop 21.
Schoolchildren/Cambodia
In Asia
Despite sustained economic growth and significant progress in the fields
of health and education, the region remains characterised by considerable
development inequalities across the continent and within each country.
These transitional societies, subject to strong anthropogenic pressures and
vulnerable to climate change, are still exposed to many natural, social and
health risks. Changing land use, intensification of production systems,
pressure on coastal ecosystems, intensive deforestation, urbanisation,
the emergence or re-emergence of infectious diseases and diseases of
civilisation, reduction in inequalities, and governance are all challenges
for development in this region and are the focus of IRD’s work.
In Laos, IRD and Institut Pasteur introduced new, joint research programmes into malaria.
In Cambodia, an institutional agreement was signed with the Ministry
of Education, Youth and Sport. In the same country, IRD, in partnership
with the Cambodian Royal University of Fine Art, the National Institute of
Oriental Languages and Civilisations (Inalco), the University Agency for
Francophonie (AUF) and CNRS founded an international French-language
master’ programme in social sciences, following the introduction of the
summer university three years ago.
Anopheles gambiae
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
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WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
In Vietnam, IRD and the French Embassy joined up to fund two research
programmes managed by IRD and designed to support the information
technologies and sciences, communications and oceanography departments at the University of Science and Technology in Hanoi.
A number of important events also marked the year, such as the Legguru
scientific expedition, the largest ever undertaken in Indonesia.
The European project entitled Smiling (Prevention of Micronutrient
Deficiencies in South-East Asia), coordinated by IRD in five countries in the
region, presented its results to a large audience of scientists, international
organisations, NGOs and political decision-makers at its general meeting
in Phnom Penh.
The ICL Rice (Rice Functional Genomic and Plant Biotechnology) also
received a positive evaluation.
In Laos, the "Pharmacology" project, which aims to list, conserve and
promote biodiversity for applications in healthcare, started off with the
assignment of an IRD researcher from the UMR PharmaDev and the set-up
of a laboratory analysing natural substances within the Pharmacy faculty
at the Vientiane university of health sciences.
Smiling nutrition
project/Vietnam
In Latin America and the Caribbean
Visit of the IRD Centre by
Najat Vallaud-Belkacem/
French Guiana
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IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
Latin America continues to grow and develop, but it is still subject to substantial regional and national differences. Strong public policies benefiting
higher education and research have been introduced and consolidated in
Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Mexico and Bolivia.
IRD and its partners continued to work together on the key issues of climate
change and its impacts, natural risks, sustainable management of natural
resources and biodiversity, public policies on the fight against poverty,
and urban risks.
In Ecuador, the research and training partnership with the National
Secretariat for Research and Technology, several universities and the public
company Petroecuador concerning the main environmental health issues,
telluric risks and global changes were strengthened.
IRD joined up with the national network of local development agencies in
Colombia and Colombia’s national university via two inter-establishment
agreements.
In Peru, an agreement was signed with the National Institute of Neoplastic
Diseases for a study into liver cancer, taking into account the clinical and
epidemiological specificities in this region. New research agreements were
also formed with the National University of San Marcos in Lima (genetics
of Amazon palm trees) and the National Water Board.
In Bolivia, the institutional agreement with the university of San Adrés
in La Paz was renewed.
The visit of the IRD Centre in Cayenne by French minister for education
Najat Vallaud-Belkacem was also marked by the signature of a framework
agreement between the university of Guyane and IRD.
At the end of 2014, Haiti and France signed an agreement for the
installation of a satellite image reception platform to monitor the
environment in Haiti and the Caribbean. This project is backed by Haiti
State University.
Finally, we ought to underline the launch of a third call for projects for
the Guyamazon project for cooperation between French Guiana and a
number of Amazonian states in Brazil.
COP20 (Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change) held in Lima was one of the highlights
in the region in 2014.
A number of other key events took place during the year, such as the
implementation of co-evaluation of the Discoh and Lavi ICLs in Peru.
These actions helped consolidate the links with partner universities
and organisations, and saw the recognition of these instruments by the
Brazilian government. A new ICL was launched in Mexico, the ICL Meso
(Mobility, governance and resources in the Mesoamerican basin).
Finally, IRD co-organised several sizeable scientific colloquiums focused
on cross-border lake observatories (La Paz, Bolivia), maritime sciences
(Lima, Peru), the condition and future of the world’s big rivers (Manaus,
Brazil) and pesticides (Martinique).
In the Pacific
The Pacific Ocean and its islands provide a unique laboratory when it comes
to addressing some unusual scientific issues and developing methodologies
applicable in other regions.
The combination of biological, physical and human factors operating
within these small territories, with little protection against external
aggression, demonstrates the impact of climate change on environments
and on human populations faster than in other regions.
IRD has two centres in Oceania, one in Nouméa and the other in
Papeete. There are 121 people working here, the highest concentration
of French-speaking researchers in the region, with strategic potential for
France and Europe and forming a first-rate scientific presence.
2014 was marked by a high number of institutional events.
The seismic surveillance network ORSNET, originally based in
New Caledonia and Vanuatu, expanded to include 65 stations based in
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
5 Pacific island countries (the Salomon islands, Papua New Guinea, the
Belém in September to issue recommendations on how to improve bilateral
Fiji island, the Tonga island and the Samoa islands).
In New Caledonia, IRD, BRGM, CNRS, Ifremer, the Institut Pasteur, the
UNC (University of New Caledonia) and the New Caledonian Agronomics
Institute joined together to form the Caledonian research, higher education
and innovation consortium (Cresica).
IRD and Adecal (New Caledonia Economic Development Agency)
launched the first incubator of non-specialist businesses and the first
two projects were nurtured, one on micro-algae and the other on natural colorants. A representative from the Valorisation Sud consortium
moved to Nouméa at the end of the year, under joint supervision of the
University of New Caledonia and IRD.
An expertise group review on deep mineral resources was launched in
French Polynesia.
Another highlight in 2014 was the second Oceania meeting on sustainable
development.
Finally, the oceanographic campaigns on-board Alis and scientific
expeditions such as Madeep and Kavieng in Papua New Guinea, in liaison
with the French Natural History Museum, were also high points in IRD’s
activity in the Pacific this year.
cooperation with regard to intellectual property and technology transfer
issues.
In Europe
After the satisfactory outcome of the Seventh Framework Programme for
Research and Development (FP7) in 2014, with more than €22 million
granted, 79 projects, including 12 coordinated over 7 years, IRD began
work on the first calls for Horizon 2020 (H2020). The results are promising:
11 projects funded for the 2014 call, most notably with a joint research
project on the Ebola virus epidemic and a European and African network
in the field of information and communication technologies to prepare
West Africa for the development of a computer network linking research
institutes, both coordinated by IRD.
IRD researchers also benefited from support for the launch of H2020.
Awareness-raising among research team and theme-based watch activities
led to 35 projects being prepared. In addition, information and training
days on Horizon 2020 were organised for partners in Thailand, Cambodia,
Uruguay, Peru and Bolivia.
To have greater influence on the programming of European aid for development and to position research as a factor in development, IRD initiated
meetings with France’s permanent representation of France to the EU.
As part of B.BICE+, a bilateral cooperation project with Brazil, 189 representatives from European and Brazilian stakeholders in innovation met in
In Mainland France
2014 saw the introduction of the first ComUE (communities of universities
and establishments), created as part of the law on higher education and
research of July 2013. The ComUEs are one of a number of instruments
provided for by the law on the regional coordination of training offers and
the strategy on research and transfer in universities and organisations
present locally. One of their overall aims is to continue the work of the PRES
(research and teaching units). Given IRD’s regional presence in mainland
France and the interest shown in the South by these projects, the Institute
became a founding member of three ComUEs: Sorbonne Universités (SU),
Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (USPC) and Languedoc Roussillon Université (LRU). In 2015, it will become a founding member of the Université
Bretagne Loire. In addition, IRD is an associate member of the Toulouse
Midi-Pyrénées Federal University and associate member of the Université
Grenoble Alpes.
The first meetings of the ComUE and USPC helped define the coordinated
strategies for partnership actions in the South, especially Africa and Latin
America.
In 2014, representation of IRD’s France-Nord Centre increased substantially
and diversified its partnership in the South with various actions run in
liaison with local authorities and the main research and higher education organisations in Ile-de-France. The Bond’Innov business incubator
continued its growth in partnership with the town of Bondy, Est Ensemble,
Seine-Saint-Denis and Biocitech. Its sound partnership with IRD led to
the organisation of the "Second meeting on North and South innovative entrepreneurship", bringing together more than 180 people concerned with
innovation and the South.
IRD’s France-Sud representation took part in scientific and training
partnership activities with the South, and in the research and teaching
strategy of the five regions in which its teams are based. It covers three
ComUE and a number of instruments that were awardees of the future
investment programmes (2 Idex, 11 Labex, 4 Equipex, one SATT, etc.), in
addition to foundations (especially Agropolis-Fondation), and scientific
interest groups (such as EnviRhônAlp). The representation contributes to
transfer and economic application activities.
Marquesas
Islands
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
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WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP
WORLDWIDE EVENTS
WORLDWIDE
EVENTS
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
53 staff members1 • 6,000 days of scientific missionss • 210 co-publications2
Creation of the ICL Cosys-Med
The international combined laboratory Cosys-Med brings together French
and Tunisian laboratories. Their main goal is to analyse and understand
the response of living organisms to pressure from organic and inorganic
contaminants of human origin.
For more information: www.cosysmed.com
Dug-out canoes/
Mozambique
IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA
269 staff members • 15,000 days of scientific missions • 290 co-publications
Creation of the ICL Patho-Bios
The ICL Patho-Bios "Observatory for phytopathogenic agents in West
Africa" is based in Burkina Faso and studies the main diseases affecting
rice (viruses, nematodes and bacteria).
For more information: http://patho-bios.com/presentation
Niakhar celebrates its fiftieth anniversary
The Niakhar population and health observatory in Senegal celebrated its
fiftieth anniversary. The observatory has seen a rich scientific and human
history and, for more than two generations, has enabled observations
into health, demographics, economics, society and the environment.
Ebola epidemic: IRD researchers in action
Several research projects were launched as part of the French response
to the epidemic, coordinated by the National Alliance for Life Sciences
and health (Aviesan) and Inserm's microbiology and infectious diseases
institute.
IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, EAST AFRICA AND THE INDIAN OCEAN
67 staff members • 7,100 days of scientific missions • 160 co-publications
A move towards an integrated observatory for the
Indian Ocean
IRD and the Indian Ocean Commission signed an agreement for the
set-up of a scientific observatory similar to the South Pacific Integrated
Observatory. This new organisation will focus on terrestrial and marine
environments and run research, training and assessment activities under
cooperation arrangements.
The future of the African deltas in the balance
The deltas and flood plains, deemed to be among the most productive
ecosystems in the world, are the site of multiple economic activities
depending on the flood seasons. They are subject to rapid change. In
Tanzania, participants in the conference on "Contemporary Evolution of
African Floodplains and Deltas” analysed and compared the evolution of
several African deltas and explored potential future scenarios.
Cap Bon/Tunisia
1
2
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On 31/12/2014.
2013 Web of science data, IRD documents.
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
Demographic
survey, Niakhar/
Senegal
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP
WORLDWIDE EVENTS
COP 20 in Lima/Peru
IN ASIA
94 staff members • 8,500 days of scientific missions • 263 co-publications
IRD's oceanographic research ship at work in
Vietnam
The Alis carried out two research campaigns in the Mekong and Red
River plumes, to define and validate new coastal water quality mapping
methods using optical satellite images.
Review of the European Smiling project
The results of the European Smiling (Sustainable Micronutrient
Interventions to controL deficiencies and Improved Nutritional status and
General health in Asia) project were presented in Phnom Penh. Funded
by the European Commission and implemented by IRD since 2012,
this cooperation project set out to define effective strategies to prevent
vitamin and mineral deficiencies among women and young children in
Southeast Asia. The conference helped raise awareness among public
powers and stakeholders in the health sector, so that they could integrate
the project's results into nutrition and public health policies to help the
most vulnerable populations.
For more information: http://www.nutrition-smiling.eu
Campaign on-board the Alis in
Halong bay /Vietnam
Study into micro-algae/
New Caledonia
LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN
119 staff members • 14,000 days of scientific missions • 312 co-publications
Climate change under the microscope in Lima
COP20 brought together 14,000 people from 195 countries representing
states, international institutions and civil society. IRD was heavily
involved with its Peruvian partners. Its researchers took part in 24 side
events. An exhibition (Rivers, Climates and Humans) and a book (Peru
and Climate Change) enjoyed wide exposure at the event.
Creation of the ICL Meso
This international combined laboratory is a regional research platform
for Central America (Mexico, Cuba and Haiti) and is backed by the UMR
URMIS. Its role is to understand the impact of intensive circulation (of
products and goods, individuals, ideas, knowledge, symbolic practices,
rules and standards) in Central America on power relations and the forms
of governance of spaces and resources, especially in terms of public
policies in the region.
IN THE PACIFIC
107 staff members • 4 co-publications
IRD, a founding member of CRESICA
CRESICA (Caledonian research, higher education and innovation consortium) is a body for reflection and cooperation bringing together the University of New Caledonia, IRD, the New Caledonian Agronomics Institute,
Ifremer, the Institut Pasteur, BRGM, CNRS and Cirad. Its purpose is to
strengthen inter-establishment partnerships, improve the integration of
research into public territorial policies, federate the different stakeholders
around large-scale joint projects of special interest for New Caledonia,
and pool resources to acquire equipment.
Oceania 21, the second sustainable development
summit
The South Pacific Commission and IRD played host to the Oceania summit on sustainable development, bringing together heads of state and
representatives from 15 nations and a number of experts. The themes
dealt with included conservation of the oceans, renewable energies and
conservation of resources.
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