French mathematics enjoys a very high international profile. This openness to the world is both a sign of its success and a prerequisite for its development. The Insmi contributes to intensifying international exchanges by supporting spontaneous collaborations and by leading a network of cooperation structures with foreign academic partners. Thanks to the commitment of the researchers and teacher-researchers who are members of its units, the Insmi is present on every continent and welcomes mathematicians from all over the world to its laboratories.
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Calls for applications > Typology > International/Europe
International exchanges are essential to the development of mathematics and bear witness to the excellence of French research teams, which are part of a highly structured international landscape in which CNRS Mathématiques plays an important role.
Every year, the French mathematical school is delighted to see its members honoured with prestigious international awards in all areas of mathematics. These include the Fields Medals (where France has the highest number of winners, on a par with the United States) and the Abel Prize, with 14 and 5 winners respectively.
Discover the Fields medallists from 1950 to 1998
Discover the Fields medallists from 2002 to 2022
Discover the winners of the Abel Prize
Numerous learned societies represent mathematics at international level. These include the International Mathematical Union (IMU), which organises the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM), the world's largest mathematical gathering, during which the prestigious Fields Medals are awarded, among other prizes. The European Mathematical Society (EMS) promotes the development of mathematics and its applications throughout Europe, and organises the European Congress of Mathematics (ECM) to discuss a wide range of general mathematical topics, with a strong emphasis on scientific presentations and the presentation of a number of prizes. The International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ICIAM) promotes and coordinates applied and industrial mathematics, and is also a major prize-winner. Each country also has its own learned societies, including the Société française de statistiques (SFdS), the Société de Mathématiques Appliquées et Industrielles (SMAI) and the Société Mathématique de France (SMF).
France's internationally recognised excellence means that mathematicians from all over the world come to France every year, contributing to the development and dissemination of knowledge. This may involve individual projects in response to the annual invitation programme launched by the institute (three-month stays in French laboratories), or stays linked to various chair, doctorate or post-doctorate programmes run by different organisations or universities. Very often, this incoming mobility is also linked to events such as conferences, research schools or thematic semesters, which are organised in several national infrastructures serving the entire mathematical community: the Centre international de rencontres mathématiques (Cirm), the Institut Henri Poincaré (IHP) and the Institut des hautes études scientifiques (IHES) are conference centres located in France and recognised as key locations for international collaboration. Not forgetting the International Centre for Pure and Applied Mathematics (Cimpa), a UNESCO category 2 centre, which promotes research in mathematics directly in developing countries, through research-level schools or courses, and by encouraging the creation of networks of scientists through funding for short international thematic programmes initiated by partners.
To structure its international activities, the Insmi relies primarily on the CNRS's permanent cooperation tools. In 2024 there were more than 60 ongoing initiatives, listed below. It should be noted that international actions of very different types are added from time to time at the initiative of the CNRS and/or its scientific partners.
International Research Laboratories (IRL) are laboratories abroad whose legal framework is the same as that of mixed research units (UMR) in France. They are managed under joint supervision by the CNRS and one or more foreign organisations in the country where they are located. The Insmi has a large number of IRLs in which long-term mobility and assignments are possible, as well as missions to participate in their scientific activities.
International Research Networks (IRNs) are networks organised around a theme in several regions of the world, or around several themes in a particular region of the world. They structure a community, in particular through the organisation of workshops, seminars and thematic schools by French and foreign partners.
International Research Projects (IRP) are designed to make new international collaborative projects possible or to consolidate research collaborations already established as part of short programmes. The main purpose of these projects is to organise working meetings or seminars and to supervise students.
International Emerging Actions are developed on topics raised by the community. They are PI-PI projects. Their aim may be to explore new areas of research or to prepare for a future IRP or IRN by organising visits, working meetings and events around a shared scientific project.
Opportunities for collaboration exist with special partners through calls for proposals relayed by the Insmi via this website or by the Correspondents in the laboratories. These initiatives, which vary in duration, are aimed at different audiences and have the advantage of being launched on a rolling basis.
The involvement of mathematicians from Insmi-related units in European framework programmes, in particular the European Research Council, raises the profile of French mathematics and promotes scientific excellence and cooperation in Europe. European projects offer numerous funding opportunities and are a springboard for recognition and excellence.
Consult the list of ERC winners from Insmi laboratories
The Insmi's strategy is based on the CNRS "Europe" roadmap.
Horizon Europe is the EU's framework programme for research and innovation for the period 2021-2027. With a budget of €95 billion, it is based on 4 pillars:
More than 75,000 post-docs, PhD students and other staff are employed in the research teams of the selected projects.
More than 200,0000 articles have been published and more than 85 nationalities are represented among the recipients.
This pillar is endowed with €25 billion and supports basic research projects with human resources and infrastructure, through the ERC (European Research Council) and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), as well as Research Infrastructures (ESFRI).
Organised into clusters, this pillar proposes projects in which mathematics can also be present in areas relating to
Within these 6 clusters, 5 Mission areas have been identified:
This pillar aims to support innovation in conjunction with the national and local levels. It also addresses the need to organise European innovation ecosystems. It creates a European Innovation Council (EIC) and support for the European Innovation Ecosystems and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).
The aim of this pillar is to increase participation in the Framework Programme by Member States or associated countries that are considered to be "less successful", and to attract talent, promote its movement and prevent the brain drain outside the European Union. This pillar strongly encourages transnational collaboration. This is where calls for projects such as COST, Widening, ERA, etc. come in.
