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The Indo French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (or CEFIPRA – le Centre Indo - Français Pour la Recherche Avancée) is a bilateral programme between India and France constituted for the promotion and financing of scientific collaboration between the two countries.
Born from an idea shared between the then Indian Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi and the then French President Mr. Valery Giscard d'Estaing, the formal decision to set up the Centre was taken in 1985. The Centre was registered as a Society under the Indian Societies Registration Act in April 1986; the Governing Body of the Centre first met in May 1987; and the Centre became functional on September 9, 1987. The centre is currently funded through an annual corpus of 3m €. India and France equally contribute 1.5m € each. The centre’s objectives are as: To promote cooperation between India and France in advanced areas of fundamental and applied scientific research. To develop cooperation through identification of scientists and scientific institutions of the two countries likely to cooperate in a profitable manner. To provide assistance in the form of grants and equipment as well as other appropriate means of support for the pursuit of advanced research. To organise workshops/seminars and other types of fora on topics of mutual interest. IFCPAR/CEFIPRA aims to promote the most cutting edge scientific research building upon both India and France’s vast expertise in the field. Over the years, IFCPAR/CEFIPRA has become the flagship body for the promotion of Indo-French scientific cooperation. Since its inception it has evaluated over 1050 projects and has supported the creation of over 380 scientific collaborations. These, in turn, have resulted in over 1800 journal articles and over 2000 exchanges visits between Indian and French scientists. IFCPAR/CEFIPRA is headed by a Governing Body, a Scientific Council and an Industrial Research Committee. The Governing Body consists of five Indians and five French nationals who oversee various aspects of the centre’s work. Two teams of five Indian scientists and five French scientists sit on the Scientific Council and the Industrial Research Committee. The centre is headed by a Director, who is an Indian scientist nominated by the Governing Body. The current director is Professor Shivaprasad. IFCPAR/CEFIPRA is based in Delhi. ACTIVITIES: Two broad types of projects are funded by IFCPAR: Collaborative research projects: Projects which have at least one scientist each from France and India working on any topic pertaining to science and technology (including medicine) are funded. For these projects, there are two application cycles annually – in April and in October. Industrial research projects: Projects involving at least one industrial partner (either French or Indian) and a research institute from the other country. Applications for these projects are accepted all year through. IFCPAR / CEFIPRA also organises Indo – French seminars in science and technology. For more information regarding the organisation, CEFIPRA projects, application procedures etc. please go to www.cefipra.org |
