Abstract_Chambaud

CNRS, an European Research Performing Organization with an International Dimension

Dr. Gilberte CHAMBAUD

Director of the Chemistry Department CNRS –Paris

The Academic research in Chemistry in France is mainly concentrated in the Joined CNRS/University Laboratories (UMR) which can be found
in most of the French Institutions. It covers all fields of Chemistry, organic chemistry oriented towards the discovery of new drugs, material sciences conceiving the new substances for our everyday life commodities, including energy devices, analytical sciences oriented towards the detection of all kinds of trace impurities in the environment and so on. Connection between European laboratories has been encouraged via the instruments of the FP6, leading to establish networks involving multilateral collaborations. In Chemistry, the major outcomes are the Networks of Excellence (NoE) and the ERA-NETs, particularly “ERA-Chemistry” or “ACENET” or “ERA- INSTRUMENTS” which connect 12-16 european partner research organizations, like CNRS in France. These stimulating actions are carried on via the current FP7. It also must be emphasized that, for more than 15 years now, a Committee composed of about 17 Directors of the Chemistry Departments of the European Research Institutions, namely CERC3, is regularly discussing and implementing concerted scientific operations. No doubt that all these successful actions, financed or not by the EC, were of utmost importance for the development of European trans-national collaborations in Chemistry. We have learnt and known how to collaborate. Now, isn’t it about time to structure and optimize all our complementary actions?

This presentation will briefly introduce the CNRS, its structure and aims, as well as the involvement and the key contribution of the Department of Chemistry to a wide variety of European collaboration ventures.