Legal framework and object of the Foundation

The Foundation “Montpellier Agronomy and Sustainable development” was created on February 21st, 2007 on the initiative of three initial founders: INRA, CIRAD and Montpellier SupAgro. scientific Foundation of co-operation, it constitutes the legal support of a network of research units, the network set of themes of advanced research (RTRA) “Agronomic research and sustainable development, South and the Mediterranean” .

The Foundation has the aim of supporting and to promote the development of projects of international level (research programs and formation by research) in the field of agronomy and sustainable development, while being interested in the problems of North like South.

Tally scientific of the RTRA

The network registered its scientific priorities in the great following world stakes:

• an increasing demand of use of the plants, at food and nonfood ends;

• the adaptation of the crop plants to the climate change;
• prevention of the risks: diseases and ravageurs of the plants, risks related to the public health of food, erosion of the natural resources, risks social…

The RTRA is an interdisciplinary network high level research teams, organized in two narrowly articulated fields:

• the intégrative Biology of the plants , taken in the broad sense term: genetics and the génomique one, improvement of the plants, ecophysiology; diseases and ravageurs of the plants, the integrated protection of the cultures, the ecology of the populations;

• Dynamic socio-techniques of the innovation : agri-environmental innovations, agro-alimentary innovations, social innovations and social management of the innovation.

The sets of themes concerned are centered on the Plant: the plant, of gene to the whole plant; the plant in its environment; the plant, its foodstuff and its uses food and non.

Units of the network

In 2007, the RTRA gathers 29 research units , of which 19 mixed Units of research (UMR) and 10 clean units .

Approximately 750 scientific frameworks are concerned:

• 750 scientific frameworks resulting from the organizations initial founders (470 frameworks based in Montpellier and Avignon and 80 researchers posts some in overseas French and abroad)

• 200 scientific frameworks of the organizations partners members of the labellized UMR (CNRS, IRD, Université of Montpellier I and University of Montpellier II, Université of Avignon and the Countries of Vaucluse, Ciheam-Iamm)

Objectives of the Foundation

The Foundation aims at:

• to increase the opening , the international attractivity and the notoriety of the pole montpelliérain in particular in attracting foreign researchers high level and while contributing to the development of international collaborations

• to stimulate collaboration between the research units of the network

• to reinforce the offer of formation by research in particular bound for the student of the South and the Mediterranean

With this intention, the foundation can bring its support for the reception of foreign scientists high level , with the financing of stations of post-doctorands and doctorands , to contribute to the development of structuring technological projects (technical platforms, divided tools…), to support schools sets of themes and scientific demonstrations of international level , like various other actions ( discharges of teaching , support with the assembly of international projects …).

External bonds: