INSERM

Introduction, General Objectives

Since October 1, 1998, Inserm has sought to strengthen scientific relations with the United States by having a Scientific Attaché at the Embassy of France.

At the embassy, Inserm has three main objectives:

• Assuring an institutional presence for French scientists in the United States, in particular for post-doctorates from Inserm laboratories, but also for senior researchers who would like to start or restart working in France
• Strengthening scientific collaborations and giving them an institutional backing
• Developing a process for the reciprocal relay of information between France and the United States

Presence for French Scientists

University Visits

Numerous contacts have been established during visits to the country’s most prestigious universities in San Diego, Houston, Chicago, Ann Arbor, Boston (Boston University, Harvard Medical School, Tufts University) and Denver. Upon invitation we have given presentations on Inserm and its policies at NCI, NIH, and Houston. During these meetings, we have discussed Inserm’s recruitment policy and international training and education programs.

MD - PhD Programs

We organize numerous fairs and events to inform researchers about Inserm, to identify collaborative research propositions, and to transmit these ideas to heads at Inserm. Special attention is given to university MD-PhD programs, with the aim of having an exchange program with the program that the Inserm School is developing. To this end, Inserm has sent several representatives, accompanied by the Life Sciences Attaché from Los Angeles to some of the most prestigious schools on the West Coast (UCSD School of Medicine, Salk institute, UC Irvine, UCLA, UCSF, Seattle, et cetera). Inserm’s MD-PhD program has always been very welcomed, and it should allow young French medical students to come and study several months in American universities.

Policy on post-doctoral training

In response to the request by NIH (currently, for intramural research) to solidify the policy on post-doctoral training, we have launched the "European Career Transition Award" program. It consists of plotting out a post-doctoral training over several years: a first phase of three years, financed by the NIH, then a second phase of three to five years that would allow recipients to be reintegrated into their original institution.

Participants will receive close attention and support over the three years abroad, and at the end of this period Inserm will give them job offers. Inserm was the second European organization to sign an agreement with NIH, and the first to candidates that they reviewed. Six researchers will participate in the program.

Contact directory - Le Fil de Marianne

In coordination with the Washington, D.C., office of CNRS, we are developing a tool to help bring together Inserm post-doctorates working in the United States. We have a directory of approximately 1,300 contacts, and they receive the newsletter "Le Fil de Marianne."

Inserm - United States Partnerships

Several partnerships have been or will be put in place:

• Partnerships with NIH (cardiovascular disease, alcoholism, bone and joint problems)
• Creation of the firm Inserm research team in the US, at Baylor Institute for Immunology Research (BIR), in Dallas, and University of California Irvine
• Creation of two international associated laboratories (LIA). The LIA bring together Inserm research teams and foreign partners to work on shared projects, in order to widen and strengthen relations within the scientific community and to contribute to research
• Creation of a workshop for Inserm training at Harvard Medical School
• Mission by a group from Inserm on interdisciplinary biomedical research in biomedical research in California to put in place collaborative projects focused primarily about stem cell research

Contacts

Mireille GUYADER
Attaché for Science and Technology (INSERM)
Washington, D.C.
Specialty : Life Sciences- INSERM
Tel : +1 (202) 944-6253
Fax : +1 (202) 944-6244
E-mail : inserm-usa@ambafrance-us.org