To respond to the major global issues inherent to its scientific themes, the INSU works on numerous collaboration projects at European and international levels through a set of cooperation agreements, infrastructures and joint programmes that ensure its presence is felt on all continents.
The INSU enhances its visibility on the European scale while promoting scientific excellence, competitiveness, innovation and cooperation in Europe through its involvement in many projects supported by the Horizon 2020 programme,
The INSU has a strong presence in European consortia through the Horizon 2020 programmes involving societal challenges, the Space programme, infrastructures or Marie Sklodowska-Curie grants. Nearly 90 collaborative projects are underway in all INSU units.
In addition, INSU researchers are strongly involved in ERC (European Research Council) calls for proposals. Here is the list of ERC grant winners (in French) working in INSU laboratories.
Since the 2000s, the European Union has been working diligently to set up a European Research Area (ERA) to promote the free movement of researchers, scientific knowledge and technologies and Europe-wide research cooperation projects. The INSU's activities are fully in line with this context through its participation in successive Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development.
The scientific themes which the INSU works on require the use, development and sharing of European research infrastructures and access to these. They are supported within the framework of the ESFRI and/or Horizon 2020 roadmaps. Their national components are presented in the National Roadmap for French Research Infrastructures. Other projects are forerunners of future infrastructures or projects aimed at integrating one or more European infrastructures.
Participating in European and international prospective studies, strategic agendas, programmes and networks have become essential to help define the major scientific directions required to respond effectively to global challenges.
As an extension of its national missions, the INSU coordinates or participates in joint programming actions, the development of strategic agendas and prospective studies at the European level (in particular within the framework of Horizon 2020) and in international programmes.
Among these networks, Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) aim to establish a strategic agenda on a European scale to respond to major societal challenges. They constitute the general framework for coordinating calls for joint projects between European funding agencies.
JPI Ocean (Joint Programming Initiative Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans)
Work carried out in the framework of nine H2020 projects and one FP7 project is helping to construct the EU Arctic cluster, a network that collects the most recent results on Arctic change and its global consequences. Its objective is to provide policy-relevant guidance and information and to enable Europe to help international cooperation advance, respond to the impacts of climate change on the Arctic environment and promote and contribute to sustainable development. (Video in French)
ERA-MIN (European Research Area on non-energy MINeral resources) - Strategic agenda and joint call for proposals
Future Earth is an international research programme which has been running for 10 years. Its aim is to enhance knowledge on the environmental and human aspects of global change and find solutions for sustainable development.
In close collaboration with the CNRS European Research and International Cooperation Department (Derci), the INSU develops cooperation agreements in all areas of Earth and Universe sciences with numerous partners in other countries.
These agreements enable researchers and laboratories to exchange with the best international teams to access fields and objects for study on the scale of the planet or even the Universe.
he INSU is now present on all continents through around 80 international cooperation projects with varying levels of structuring which are funded by the Institute.
Takuvik was set up in 2011 by Laval University and the CNRS and aims to study the Arctic environment and especially the impact of current climatic and anthropogenic environmental disturbances on Arctic, marine and terrestrial ecosystems and geosystems.
To respond effectively to these challenges, INSU has set up a team dedicated to Europe and the International sphere within the Scientific Partnerships Department.
The Europe and International service supports the INSU's directors and takes part in the implementation of scientific policy for all INSU research subjects and laboratories using a wide range of tools (Horizon 2020 calls for proposals, joint programming, bi- or multilateral agreements, international programmes) in all geographical areas.
More specifically the Europe and international service's missions are to:
