The French polar institute forges a range of partnerships, operating in polar research but also environmental or international management or even geopolitical issues.
CNFRA –French National Committee for Arctic and Antarctic Research
The Comité National Français des Recherches Arctiques and Antarctiques (CNFRA) is an Association under the 1901 law (declaration of 29 June 1995, published in the Journal Official of 19 July 1995).
The purposes of CNFRA are as follows:
- promoting French scientific studies and research in the Arctic regions, Subarctic, Antarctic and Subantarctic regions;
- ensuring representation of France on the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR:) and its specialist groups;
- favouring international cooperation and supporting French researchers’ interactions in international programmes;
- providing a forum for developing scientific programmes;
- contributing to communication and dissemination of information on scientific research undertaken in the polar and subpolar regions.
CNFRA headquarters is at Cofusi, the French Committee for ICSU (International Council for Science), at the French Academy of Sciences, Paris.
CNFRA Science Days
Multidisciplinary Science Days are held each year in conjunction with the French polar institute. They aim to promote French polar research and give the opportunity for encounters between scientists working in polar and sub-polar environments. They are also a remarkable opportunity to bring science out from the laboratory walls by catalysing dialogue between specialists and the public. To encourage this they are open for all. Programmes and summaries of science day talks and events can be downloaded from: http://www.cnfra.org/journees-scientific-du-cnfra.
French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF)
The French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Terres australes et antarctiques françaises) constitute an Overseas Territory, set up in 1955 under the law of 6 August of that year. It operates as an administratively and financially autonomous authority. The TAAF covers the Crozet Islands, the Kerguelen Islands, the islands of Saint-Paul and Amsterdam, Adelie Land and the Scattered Islands of the Indian Ocean: Glorioso, Juan de Nova, Europa and Bassas da India in the Mozambique Channel and Tromelin to the north of Réunion Island.
For further information see: http://www.taaf.fr/
No permanent population exists in the Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands, Saint-Paul and Amsterdam, but scientific research stations have been established. The TAAF administration handles the stations’ operational management, while the French polar institute has charge of the scientific projects being developed there.
The polar institute’s missions and the challenging nature of sites where it operates crucially involves forging special international relations with other national polar institutes. Four major bilateral agreements have hence been signed, with:
The Italian Programma Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide (PNRA)
under the partnership created in 1993, for the construction, then the management of a new French-Italian permanent station located far onto the Antarctic Plateau: Concordia station. See https://www.italiantartide.it/
The Alfred Wegener Institut (AWI)
Germany, involving the pooling of German and French infrastructures at Ny Alesund, Svalbard, setting up the AWIPEV station [http://www.awi.de/en/home/]. In 2003 the Arctic scientific base at Ny-Alesund joined up with the facilities of the Alfred Wegener Institute für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI), to form the Franco-German research station AWIPEV at Ny-Ålesund. This is a spacious centre for hosting personnel, providing scientific services and equipment, giving the opportunity to conduct research in different fields -especially in life sciences and atmospheric sciences.
- Web site of AWIPEV station: http://www.awipev.eu/
- For further information on AWI: http://www.awi.de
The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD)
in Australia, to facilitate cooperation in logistical operations between the two organizations; this agreement also aims to promote joint scientific ventures between the two countries in the Antarctic and on the subantarctic stations (2012). http://www.antarctica.gov.au/
The Belgian Federal Public Planning Service / Science policy (BELSPO)
with the idea of strengthening scientific and logistical collaboration in the Antarctic and preparing joint operations in the Arctic. https://www.belspo.be/
Other agreements involve the French polar institute’s cooperation with its Korean and American counterparts. Another major joint operation should be highlighted: an agreement signed with the European Space Agency (and our Italian partner, PNRA). This involves developing research holding specific interest for the agency, relating to human adaptation to long-distance space flight and technology of certain kinds of onboard equipment systems (wastewater treatment plant for example). For ESA, the characteristics and systems of Concordia station makes it an exceptional terrestrial model for carrying out such research. http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Concordia.
Other than these bilateral agreements, the French polar institute takes part in several international forums. These include:
European Polar Board (EPB)
Launched in 2004, EPB brings together funding agencies and national polar organizations of 19 European countries including Russia. Its objective: to develop a multi-year Action Plan under the auspices of the European Union to strengthen European polar research by forging new synergies and optimization of resources. http://www.europeanpolarboard.org/
Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP)
This international association, formed in 1988, brings together the national operators of support and delivery of scientific research in the Antarctic. COMNAP . It coordinates logistical means deployed in the Antarctic, through its permanent scientific committee SCALOP (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Logistics and Operations). It also has different working groups whose objectives are to smooth the organization of expeditions at international level and data exchange concerning Antarctic. Such exchange, one of the priorities under the Antarctic Treaty, leads to the progressive compilation of databases in each country developing activities in the Antarctic. https://www.comnap.aq
The JCADM (Joint Committee on Antarctic Data Management), initiated by SCAR and COMNAP, has the aim of bringing together and facilitating access to these databases. The French representative of SCAR is the National Committee for Arctic and Antarctic Research (CNFRA).
Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR)
The international effort for scientific cooperation in the Antarctic during the International Geophysical Year generated in March 1958 the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR). http://www.scar.org/
SCAR, a non-governmental organization, under the authority of ICSU (International Council for Science), acts as a forum pulling together scientists from all countries having research programmes in the Antarctic. The committee’s mission is to foster planning of research and smooth efforts for international scientific cooperation in this part of the world. A research plan refocusing member countries around a selection of unifying themes was adopted:
- The Antarctic and the Earth climate system
- Long-term climate trends in the Antarctic
- Evolution and biodiversity in the Antarctic
- Environment of Antarctic subglacial lakes
- Interactions between solar wind and terrestrial atmosphere
ATCM The Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting:
CEP The Committee for Environmental Protection
(established under the Madrid Protocol)
http://www.ats.aq/f/ep.htm
IASC International Arctic Science Committee
http://www.iasc.info/ Founded in 1990, IASC is a non-governmental organization aimed at facilitating cooperation in the Arctic in all research fields. Consisting of 18 member organizations, the Committee meets once per year. The IASC Secretariat was based in Oslo, but is now in Potsdam, Germany.
Ny-Ålesund Science Managers Commitee (NySMAC)
Forum of Arctic Research Operators (FARO)
Alsace
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Strasbourg – IPGS (Université de Strasbourg/EOST, CNRS/INSU)
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien – IPHC (Université de Strasbourg I, CNRS)
- Service des observatoires magnétiques (Université de Strasbourg/EOST, CNRS/INSU)
Aquitaine
- Ecologie Comportementale et Biologie des Populations de Poissons – Ecobiop (INRA, UPPA)
- Environnements et Paléoenvironnements OCéaniques – EPOC (Université Bordeaux 1, OASU, CNRS/INSU, EPHE)
- Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique Bio-Inorganique et Environnement – LCABIE (UPPA, CNRS)
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Santé et Qualité de Vie (Université Bordeaux 2)
- Société, Environnement, Territoire – SET (CNRS, Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour)
Auvergne
- Laboratoire de géographie physique et environnementale – GEOLAB (Université de Clermont-Ferrand II, CNRS)
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Physique – LaMP (OPGC, Université de Clermont-Ferrand 2, CNRS)
- Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans – LMV (OPGC, Université Clermont Ferrand 2, CNRS, IRD)
Bourgogne
Bretagne
- AgroCampus Ouest (Ministère de l’Agriculture)
- Biologie des Organismes et des Populations appliquées à la Protections des Plantes – BiO3P (INRA, Agrocampus, Université Rennes 1)
- Département des Géosciences Marines (Ifremer)
- Domaines Océaniques (UBO, IUEM, CNRS, OSU)
- Ecosystèmes – Biodiversité – Evolution – ECOBIO (Université de Rennes I, CNRS)
- Géosciences Rennes (Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, CAREN)
- Institut de Géoarchitecture (Université de Bretagne Occidentale)
- Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer – IUEM (UBO, CNRS, IRD)
- Laboratoire d’Océanographie Spatiale (Ifremer)
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Environnements Extrêmes – LM2E (CNRS, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, IUEM, Ifremer)
- Laboratoire de Physique des Océans – LPO (CNRS, Ifremer, UBO/IUEM, IRD)
- Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Environnement Marin – LEMAR (Université de Bretagne Occidentale, CNRS, IRD)
Centre
Champagne-Ardenne
Franche-Comté
- Chrono-Environnement (CNRS, Université de Franche-Comté, INRA, INRAP)
- THEoriser et Modéliser pour Aménager, THEMA (Université de Besançon, Université de Dijon, CNRS)
Haute-Normandie
Île-de-France
- Archéologie des Amériques – ARCHAM (CNRS, Université de Paris 1, MAE)
- Astroparticules et Cosmologie – APC (CEA, CNRS, Université Paris VII, Observatoire de Paris)
- Astrophysique, Instrumentation et Modélisation – AIM (CEA, CNRS, Université Paris 7)
- Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques – BOREA (MNHN, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université de Caen Normandie, IRD, Université des Antilles)
- Centre d’Etudes des Langues Indigènes d’Amérique – CELIA (CNRS, IRD, Université Paris 7, INALCO)
- Centre de Neurosciences Paris-Sud – CNPS (Université de Paris 11, CNRS)
- Centre de Recherches Historiques – CRH (CNRS, EHESS)
- Centre de Spectrométrie Nucléaire et Spectrométrie de Masse – CSNSM (CNRS, Université de Paris XI)
- Centre d’Etude et de Recherche sur les Littératures et les Oralités du Monde – CERLOM (INALCO)
- Groupe Sociétés, Religions, Laïcité – GSRL (EPHE, CNRS)
- Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale – IAS (CNRS, Université Paris XI)
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris – IPGP (CNRS)
- Institut Pierre Simon Laplace – IPSL (CNRS, Universités Paris 6, 7 et 12, UVSQ, CEA, IRD, CNES, Ecole Polytechnique, ENS)
- Intéractions et Dynamique des Environnements de Surface – IDES (CNRS, Université Paris-Sud XI)
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales – LATMOS (CNRS, UVSQ, UPMC, IPSL)
- Laboratoire d’Etudes Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique – LESIA (CNRS, Observatoire de Paris, Universités Paris 6 et Paris 7)
- Laboratoire d’Océanographie et du Climat : Expérimentations et Approches Numériques – LOCEAN (IPSL, Université de Paris 6, CNRS, MNHN, IRD)
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique – LMD (CNRS, Université Paris 6, IPSL, Ecole Normale Supérieure)
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement – LSCE (CNRS, CEA, UVSQ, IPSL)
- Laboratoire d’Anthropologie Sociale – LAS (CNRS, Collège de France, EHESS)
- Laboratoire Inter-universitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques – LISA (Universités Paris VII et Paris XII, CNRS)
- Origine, Structure et Evolution de la Biodiversité – OSEB (CNRS, MNHN)
- Structure et fonctionnement des systèmes hydriques continentaux – Sisyphe (CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université Paris VI, ENSMP)
- Techniques et culture (MNHN, CNRS)
La Réunion
- Laboratoire de l’Atmosphère et des Cyclones – LACy (Université de la Réunion, CNRS, Météo-France)
- Laboratoire Géosciences Réunion (IPGP, Université de la Réunion)
Languedoc-Roussillon
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive – CEFE (CNRS, Université Montpellier 1, 2 et 3, SupAgro, CIRAD, EPHE)
- Génétique et Evolution des Maladies Infectieuses – GEMI (CNRS, IRD, Universités de Montpellier 1 et 2, EHESP)
- Gestion des Sociétés, des Territoires et des Risques (Université Montpellier 3)
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier – ISEM (Université de Montpellier II, CNRS)
- Laboratoire d’Océanographie Biologique de Banyuls – LOBB (Université de Paris VI, CNRS)
Midi-Pyrénées
- Anthropologie Moléculaire et Imagerie de Synthèse – AMIS (CNRS, Université Toulouse 3)
- Centre d’Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements – CESR (CNRS, Université Toulouse 3)
- Evolution et Diversité Biologique – EDB (Université de Toulouse III, CNRS, ENFA)
- Laboratoire d’aérologie (CNRS, Université Toulouse 3, OMP)
- Laboratoire d’Etudes en Géophysique et Océanographie Spatiales – LEGOS (CNRS, Université Toulouse 3, CNES, IRD, OMP)
Nord-Pas-de-Calais
- Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences – LOG (CNRS, Université de Lille 1, Université du Littoral Côte d’Opale)
- Géosystèmes (Université de Lille I, CNRS)
Pays de la Loire
- Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique de Nantes – LPGN (CNRS/INSU, Université de Nantes)
- Laboratoire Géodynamique des Rifts et des Marges Passives – LGRMP (Université du Maine)
Poitou-Charentes
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
- Centre Européen de Recherche et d’Enseignement des Géosciences de l’Environnement – CEREGE (Universités Aix-Marseille 1 et 3, CNRS, IRD, Collège de France)
- Institut Méditerranéen d’océanologie (Université Aix-Marseille II, CNRS)
- Géosciences Azur (Université de Nice, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS/INSU, IRD, OCA)
- Institut Méditerranéen d’Ecologie et de Paléoécologie – IMEP (Universités d’Avignon, Aix-Marseille I et III, IRD, CNRS)
- Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche-sur-Mer – LOV (CNRS, Université Paris VI)
- Laboratoire de Cosmologie, astrophysique stellaire et solaire, de planétologie et de mécanique des fluides – Cassiopée (CNRS, OCA, Université de Nice)
- Laboratoire Hippolyte Fizeau [ex-LUAN] (CNRS, Université de Nice, OCA)
Rhône-Alpes
- Environnements, DYnamiques et TErritoires de Montagne – EDYTEM (CNRS, Université de Savoie)
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive – LBBE (Université de Lyon I, CNRS, INRIA)
- Institut des Sciences de la Terre – ISTerre (Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, IRD, IFSTTAR)
- Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement – IGE (CNRS, Grenoble INP, IRD, Université Grenoble Alpes)
- Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble – IPAG (CNRS, Université de Grenoble)