CNRS Informatics has built strong connections with a network of laboratories from countries at the forefront of information science for a long while now. The Institute is forging strong links with research actors in emerging countries thus strengthening its position within today's globalized science.
Thanks to the cooperation tools set up by the CNRS, CNRS Informatics's researchers work in collaboration with information science laboratories on all continents.
Through its offices and its international research labs (IRL), the CNRS is one of the few research organizations in the world to have permanent representations and permanent research structures abroad. To support its international policy, CNRS Informatics has several collaborative tools at its disposal. The Institute is thus involved in:
Like the other CNRS institutes, CNRS Informatics benefits from support from the European Research and International Cooperation Department (Derci) for its international development.
In parallel with these structures, CNRS Informatics encourages researchers and academics in its laboratories to spend medium- to long-term periods abroad. Each year, about ten members of the Institute are assigned to the international joint units for a period of six months to two years
CNRS Informatics participates in the development of research and the training of young PhD students in countries with high levels of economic growth such as India, Mexico and Singapore.
CNRS Informatics is also present in developing countries with the associated international laboratory Datanet for big data research in Morocco and the Web Sciences international research network in Brazil. Numerous international scientific cooperation projects and joint research projects also promote exchanges between universities and foreign laboratories.
Depending on the maturity and history of the cooperation envisaged, various types of mechanisms are possible:
For these structures which are long term (IRL, IRP and IRN), there is no call for projects, their creation is discussed directly at CNRS Informatics level with the International cell.
Nevertheless, there are other types of actions promoting international cooperation through regular calls for proposals:
CNRS Informatics seeks to intensify partnerships with high-growth emerging countries by participating locally in the development of research and the training of young doctoral students. CNRS Informatics is also present in developing countries.
At the same time as the implementation of international structures like IRL, IRP and IRN, CNRS Informatics encourages researchers and academics of its laboratories to make medium or long-term stays abroad, typically in IRLs. For example, mobility can be based on a rescue's to join a CNRS delegation (as part of the annual national campaign).
Discover the testimonies of three researchers who have experienced international mobility:
Caroline Chaux: international mobility at CNRS during the pandemic
Yann Ponty: "Travelling between France and Canada has been extremely energizing"
Guillaume Chapuy: "Moving abroad is another way of questioning yourself"
This page intends to provide a reading of the Horizon Europe (HE) programme from a researcher perspective.
All official texts about HE are composed of fully cryptic jargon and acronyms. Here we try to introduce the main concepts without much of those, leaving an explanatory part on jargon to the end. As a consequence, the information provided here may not be always formally correct. For fully and formally correct descriptions of HE, good sources are the European Commission page of Horizon Europe and the same kind of page at the French Ministry, while the ultimate source is the European legislation that established the programme.
Horizon Europe (HE) is a programme that funds research across the European Union and some other countries, known under different names, like Associated Countries and others. Think of the French ANR and its funds opportunities. In the case of HE, the funds are disbursed by the European Commission itself, or by a number of joint undertakings between the Commission, Member States, and Industrial partners (see Partnerships further down), or yet by a number of European agencies, depending on the part of the programme to which the project belongs. Don’t get inhibited by the many acronyms of such agencies, like REA, ERCEA, HADEA, etc., as these are just administrative bodies executing the budget.
HE has several subprogrammes and each of them is designed to fund a specific type of research, according to their respective Work Programmes. Here are the main ones, listed by the type of research you may wish to develop at the European level.
Work Programmes are the official documents describing the call for proposals for each of the subprogrammes. They are usually published every two years. They are where you’ll find all the information you need in order to start your proposal.
Information about the Work Programmes can be found at the European Commission's funding portal, and all the calls for proposals can be found at calls.
Now that you know more or less where to look for the funding opportunities that most suit your current research goals, let us tell you how to map the above introduction into the documents you’ll find about HE.
Horizon Europe is presented as three pillars and one transversal component, as follows.
In the first pillar the legislation that established HE put the ERC, MSCA, and the Research Infrastructures, and called it “Excellent Science”. This of course begs the question whether the other pillars are for ‘mediocre science’. The answer is not. They all focus on excellence. It’s just that the other pillars are also driven by other considerations, like industrial competitiveness or innovation.
It’s in the second pillar that we find the RIA/IA for boosting key technologies and solutions underpinning EU policies & Sustainable Development Goals on few selected areas, called ‘Clusters’. There you’ll also find something called Joint Research Centre (JRC, or CCR in French). Don’t bother. The JRC is just a department of the European Commission. It is not truly a subprogramme but appears in this pillar because it is funded by HE .
The third pillar is the one driven by “Innovation”. You’ll find the EIC there.
The COST Actions mentioned above belong in the “Widening” part of the transversal component.
Lastly, but not least, in Pillar 2, HE has also the notion of Partnerships, which are an integral part of the programme and bring together players from the economic world and the academic world, along with the European Commission, in order to help and/or implement the execution of the Work Programmes.
One last word on an important jargon. Above we mentioned ‘technology maturity’. Horizon Europe is very specific about that and call it Technology Readiness Level, known as TRL. Levels go from 1 to 9, depending on the distance the technology stemming from your research is from market deployment (9 is closest). The following definitions of TRLs are given by HE, recognising that there are important differences between technological fields:
A rough correspondence can be established between the HE Pillars and expected TRLs, with lower TRLs usually pertaining to Pillar 1 and higher TRLs usually pertaining to Pillar 3, with Pillar 2 usually expecting mid TRLs. However, exceptions to this rule-of-thumb abound and one cannot establish a clear rule regarding expected TRLs by sub-programme. For example, the EIC, in Pillar 3, aims to fund projects both in low TRLs (EIC Pathfinder) and high TRLs (EIC Transition and EIC Accelerator).
If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact your laboratory’s Correspondant Europe (each UMR CNRS has one such person).
We do hope that this information helps you finding your way in the HE jungle. If you see some way to improve this page, or any question, please send us an email.
IRL are laboratories located in partner universities which bring together researchers, students, post-doctoral students, engineers and technicians from both the CNRS and partner institutions in other countries.
IRLs are international research structures in which joint research is carried out on shared scientific directions. They provide structure in a specific location for the significant and lasting presence of scientists from a limited number of research institutions from France and other countries (just one partner country).
IRLs include establishments which bring together scientists belonging to different units and international units - joint research units with partners abroad (UMI) and service and research units (USR) located abroad. They are set up when backing from a dedicated operational research structure (SOR) is required.
IRLs last for 5 years.
The IRL frenCh austRalian labOratory for humanS/ autonomouS agents teamING (CROSSING) aims at proposing solutions so that humans, artificial intelligences (AI) and autonomous systems collaborate together, effectively and ethically.
Established in Australia, and launched in early 2021, it associates the CNRS, the IMT Atlantic with three major Australian universities (Adelaide University, University of South Australia, University of Flinders) as well as Naval Group, European leader in naval defense.
A strong focus is on multidisciplinarity, in order to interact with industries such as health, defence and «Industry 4.0».
See also:
The IRL French-Israeli Laboratory on Foundations of Computer Science (FILOFOCS) is created for five years (2019-2023) and associates five French and Israeli partners in the field of fundamental computing. FILOFOCS brings together researchers from the Institut de Recherche en Informatique Fondamentale (IRIF - CNRS/Université Paris-Diderot), a joint laboratory of the CNRS and Université Paris Diderot working in the field of theoretical computing, and researchers from three of Israel’s leading scientific institutions in this field: Tel Aviv University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Weizmann Institute of Science.
The IRL International Laboratory on Learning Systems (ILLS) aims at developing mathematical tools to improve machine learning algorithms and secure their use. For example, these algorithms could be used for natural language and speech processing or for applications related to computer vision and signal processing. Established in Montreal and launched in April 2022, it associates the CNRS, McGill University, the École de technologie supérieure (ETS) de Montréal, the Institut Québécois d'intelligence artificielle (Mila), Université Paris-Saclay and CentraleSupélec.
Voir aussi :
The IRL Image & Pervasive Access Lab (Ipal) is interested in biomedical imaging, pervasive access, management and improvement of the living environment.
Ipal brings together the CNRS, CY Cergy-Paris University, Toulouse INP, Toulouse 3 University, the agency A*STAR and the National University of Singapore (NUS).
Keywords: biomedical imaging; pervasive access; management and improvement of the living environment; smart cities.
See also:
Since 2012, the Japanese-French Laboratory for Informatics (JFLI) has been a hub for remote cooperation between France and Japan. This international research laboratory organizes regular workshops and welcomes researchers in the Japanese capital for short stays, as for longer visits.
The research conducted at JFLI covers a wide range of fields: next-generation networks and the Internet of the future, cryptography, high-performance computing, software, programming models and formal methods, virtual reality, multimedia, quantum computing, etc.
JFLI succeeds the Associated International Laboratory (LIA) of the same name, created in 2009. It associates the CNRS, Sorbonne University, and the Japanese side: the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology of the University of Tokyo, the National Institute of Informatics (NII) of Tokyo and the University of Keio.
The Research Lab in Computer Science (ReLaX), located in Chennai, the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu in South India, serves as a hub for Indo-French collaborations in theoretical computer science (algorithms, logic, combinatorics, models of computation, complexity, formal methods) and its direct applications like verification, distributed systems or data science.
Founded in 2017, after over fifteen years of joint projects between French and Indian research teams, this IRL is open to the natural interactions between theoretical computer science and mathematics. It also supports industrial collaborations, with French and Indian companies.
ReLaX associates CNRS, École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Université de Bordeaux, the Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) and the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc).
An IRP is a collaborative research project set up by one or more CNRS laboratories and laboratories from one or two other countries.
These projects enable the consolidation of established collaborations through short- or medium-term scientific exchanges. Their aims are to organise work meetings or seminars, develop joint research activities including field research and finally to supervise students. Teams from France and other countries must have already proved they are able to collaborate together, for example through one or more joint publications. IRPs last for five years. CNRS Informatics currently has 12 IRPs which correspond to strategic international collaborations.
The goal of the creation of the IRP Advancing Autonomy for Unmanned Robotic Systems (AAURS) between the laboratory Informatique, Signaux et Systèmes de Sophia-Antipolis (I3S - CNRS/Université Côte d'Azur) and the Australian National University Research School of Engineering is to go beyond the state of the art in systems theory and control applied to unmanned robots. Many open theoretical problems with high impact in practical applications will be addressed to enable unmanned robotic systems to operate more reliably in complex dynamics. For example, attention is paid to environments encountered in real-world applications.
The Intelligent Systems Diagnostics and Control Approaches IRP (ADONIS), 2020-2025, focuses on intelligent systems diagnostics and control. It brings together researchers from four partner organizations: Compiègne University of Technology (UTC), Faculty of Engineering – Lebanese University (UL), CNRS France and CNRS Lebanon, with common interests and a willingness to collaborate in the areas of control, data analysis, control of uncertainties and this in several frameworks of studies, such as in particular biomedical systems and transport systems. Three UTC/CNRS research units are involved in this IRP: Heuristics laboratory and diagnosis of complex systems (Heudiasyc - CNRS/Université de technologie de Compiègne), Roberval laboratory - Mechanical, acoustic and materials research unit (Roberval - CNRS/Université de technologie de Compiègne) and the Biomechanics and Bioengineering Laboratory (BMBI - CNRS/Université de technologie de Compiègne).
After many years of collaboration between these institutions, and particularly between UTC and UL since 1997, this project aims to consolidate and sustain this collaboration, to broaden its scope to new research themes, and increase its attractiveness and visibility.
See also: "Sustain and amplify Franco-Lebanese scientific collaboration"
One of the major current challenges in child-robot interaction within an educational framework is to enable effective and beneficial interactive learning over time. The robot must adapt online to different children and their progress. In return, the child should advance in their learning through interaction with the robot. The aim of this IRP, led by the Institut des systèmes intelligents et de robotique (ISIR – CNRS/Sorbonne University), is to strengthen a partnership with the Polytechnic University of Athens. In recent years, ISIR researchers have pioneered the implementation of online learning capabilities in humanoid robots during interactions with typically developing children or those with autism spectrum disorders. The goal now is to demonstrate that this provides a significant long-term educational benefit compared to pre-programmed robots.
The Geometric Deep Learning and Generative Models for 3D Human IRP (GeoGen3DHuman) between Centre de Recherche en Informatique, Signal et Automatique de Lille (CRIStAL - CNRS/Université de Lille/ Centrale Lille) and the Media Integration and Communication Center (MICC) is a joint research and collaboration in the area of Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence. The core of GeoGen3DHuman is on developing mathematically principled generative frameworks for deep learning on non-Euclidean domains such as graphs and 3D meshes. GeoGen3DHuman touches upon some of the most challenging problems in different fields such as computer vision and graphics, where generative models are very crucial. The research topic itself is very timely in terms of need and applicability of the systems targeted. This research also seeks to advance fundamental tools, that are not only of high relevance in terms of intellectual merit but also in broad impact.
Specifically, it develops techniques for geometric deep learning on 3D meshes, generative models in non-Euclidean domains and applications that use 3D models of the face and of the human body
Keywords: artificial intelligence, geometric deep learning, 3D/4D human.
The IRP Integrity of Hardware- Software Embedded Systems
in the age of Artificial Intelligence (INSIMIA) is the continuation of the project initiated with the Franco-Italian Laboratory for Research on Integrated Hardware-Software Systems (Lafisi) which allowed to establish the visibility of the LIRMM and the Politecnico di Torino in the field of testing and reliability integrated hardware-software systems, notably through consistent and high-quality scientific production. INSIMIA aims to boost the synergy between these two centres developing complementary research, to develop new research themes in the field of the integrity of integrated systems on chip, but in a research space centered on Artificial Intelligence. Particular attention shall be paid to the exploitation and technology transfer of the research results obtained under this IORP.
Created in 2020, INSIMIA brings together the CNRS, the University of Montpellier and the Politecnico di Torino.
The Joint Montpellier Stanford Laboratory (JMSL) is a partnership between the Montpellier Laboratory of Computer Science, Robotics and Microelectronics (LIRMM - CNRS/Université de Montpellier) and Stanford University. Its objective for the coming years is based on collaborations based on the three main axes presented below:
• underwater robotics,
• medical robotics,
• semantic web.
Ultimately, this collaboration aims to expand to other topics such as human-robot interactions, biomedical applications, data science, etc.
The Modern Approaches to Knowledge Compilation IRP (MAKC) is centered on knowledge compilation (KC) for problem solving. KC is a research area which aims to preprocess information to improve the time required to solve highly-demanding computational tasks (i.e., solving NP and Beyond NP problems). The main objective of MAKC is to conceive and evaluate KC tools of various kinds (mainly preprocessors, compilers and reasoners) and to apply them to solve problems from a large spectrum of areas, for instance product configuration, formal verification, probabilistic inference, machine learning, and databases.
Keywords: artificial intelligence, deep solving, knowledge compilation
The IRP Machine Learning, Network, System and Security (MLNS2) is interested in cybersecurity, which is a crucial research topic both in Cameroon and in France. It's mainly interested in two problems: the proliferation of malware on smartphones and phone call fraud that several African countries suffer from.
Created in 2022, MLNS2 associates in France CNRS and several laboratories namely Laboratoire d'Informatique en Images et Systèmes d'Information (LIRIS - CNRS/INSA de Lyon/Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1), Laboratoire d’Informatique de Grenoble (LIG, CNRS/Université Grenoble Alpes), Institut de recherche en informatique et systèmes aléatoires (IRISA - CNRS/Université de Rennes 1), and in Cameroon the University of Yaoundé I and its computer science laboratories.
Keywords: security, operating system, machine learning, networks, privacy.
The IRP Operational Research and Informatics in Transport, Mobility and Logistics (ROI-TML) is interested in optimization problems (discrete and/or continuous) resulting from modern and sustainable transport, combining the movement of goods and the mobility of people.
Created in 2016, ROI-TML brings together the CNRS and the University of Valenciennes Hainaut-Cambrésis for the Laboratory of Industrial and Human Automatic, Mechanical and Computer Science (LAMIH - CNRS/Université Valenciennes Hainaut-Cambrésis), and the Centre interuniversitaire de recherche sur les réseaux d'entreprise, la logistique et le transport (CIRRELT - Université de Montréal).
The research carried out within the framework of the IRP Systems, Verification, Fundamental Training, LogIque, Statistics (SINFIN) focuses on the use of formal methods in the implementation of theories and automatic tools for modelling, verification and development of complex software.
Created in 2019, SINFIN succeeds the LIA Infinis which started in 2011. It associates the CNRS, the Université Paris Diderot, the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) and the University of Buenos Aires.
Keywords: fundamental computing, Logic, Languages, Verification and Systems
Warsaw, Paris, and Bordeaux are major research centers in automata theory, logic, and game theory. The InternIRP) Le Trójkąt aims to structure and develop these collaborations, strengthening the historical ties between France and Poland in these fields. Since the 1990s, figures like Damian Niwinski, Igor Walukiewicz, and André Arnold have significantly contributed to these exchanges. Recent successes include solving complex problems such as the complexity of reachability in Petri nets and parity games, thanks to the work of researchers from the University of Warsaw, the l'Institut de recherche en informatique fondamentale (IRIF - CNRS/University of Paris) in Paris, and the Laboratoire bordelais de recherche en informatique (LaBRI - CNRS/Bordeaux INP/University of Bordeaux) in Bordeaux. The IRP Le Trójkąt seeks to expand these collaborations beyond the Paris-Bordeaux-Warsaw triangle, involving other institutions in France and Poland. Through organizing scientific events and supporting research, the project fosters cooperation to tackle major challenges in fundamental computer science.
An International Research Network involves several partners from France and other countries and creates a beneficial forum for scientific exchanges on a given research theme.
An IRN brings together from one to three laboratories per country working under the supervision of a coordinating committee for a renewable 5-year period. CNRS Informatics currently has 4 IRNs underway:
The main objective of the AI&Cyber network is to conduct joint research activities involving artificial intelligence (AI) for cybersecurity. AI has a major impact on many areas of digital science and even more widely. Learning algorithms can help define cybersecurity systems (biometric authentication, phishing attack detection, etc.), analyze digital traces (file slicing, system supervision, etc.) and create new attacks (biometrics, distributed denial of service, etc.).
AI & CYBER associates :
Launched in May 2023,the IRN European Community Hub of Expertise in Cybersecurity Knowledge ( EU-CHECK) is an initiative to drive the European cybersecurity community to increase the multidisciplinary understanding of cybersecurity, in order to create the conditions for the emergence of secure digital systems. It explores security aspects from a multi-faceted perspective, as cybersecurity is a complex issue that needs to be approached from many different angles.
This IRN brings together researchers from 21 institutions from 16 EU countries. EU-CHECK provides a community platform where its multidisciplinary members engage in activities around three dimensions: education and training, research and innovation, and networking.
