International Research Projects (IRP)
An international cooperation tool shared by the CNRS, dedicated to strengthening research
partnerships.
1. What is an International Research Project?
International Research Projects are collaborative research schemes between one or more CNRS
laboratories and one or two laboratories from foreign countries. They strengthen previouslyestablished collaboration through short- and medium-term scientific exchange. They are aimed atorganising working meetings or seminars, developing joint research activity including field research,and supervising students. The French and foreign teams concerned must have already shown theircapacity to collaborate (for example through one or more joint publications). These programmes havea duration of five years.
2. Who are International Research Projects intended for?
International Research Projects are intended for staff conducting research in a CNRS or partner unit.
3. How to propose an International Research Project?
Applications should be submitted to the CNRS scientific Institute in charge of the applicant’s unit. It isrecommended that candidates contact the international relations correspondents within their
Institute as early as possible, in order to find out about the specific procedures for submitting a project.
For interdisciplinary projects, the various Institutes concerned may be informed.
4. How are International Research Projects evaluated?
Proposals for International Research Projects are evaluated by peer reviews within the CNRS scientific
Institutes based on the following criteria: scientific value of the project, interest of the international
collaboration, scientific quality and complementarity of teams, balanced distribution of scientificactivity between partners, participation of young researchers, ethics, financial justification, and past
relations between the partners.
5. What are the outlines of the institutional formalisation of International Research Projects?
Once selected, International Research Projects are the subject of institutional letters of commitment
from the French and foreign institutions willing to support them, for example by granting additional
funds in accordance with the internal evaluation and selection procedures specific to each institution.
6. How are International Research Projects financed?
In addition to the resources directly provided by the participating laboratories, International Research
Programmes receive funds specifically earmarked by the CNRS for international mobility between
teams and for organising meetings and field assignments, for a total amount comprised between€50,000 and €75,000 over the duration of the project. Managed by the CNRS laboratory overseeing
the International Research Project (lead laboratory), the CNRS funds are allocated by annualinstalments on the basis of the initial project, scientific assessments, and annual financial reports
issued by the lead laboratory and its partners.

More information and points of contact are available on the CNRS's international webpage
http://international.cnrs.fr
European Research and International Cooperation Department
CNRS-Campus Gérard Mégie
3, rue Michel-Ange 75794 Paris Cedex 16