The French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), an internationally recognised multidisciplinary organisation working primarily in partnership with Mediterranean and inter-tropical countries, is a French public establishment under the joint authority of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research and the Ministry of Foreign A€airs and International Development.

IRD is a French public research institute working for the development of Southern countries, reporting to the Ministries responsible for research and overseas development. IRD is managing for more than sixty years research, consultancy and capacity building activities in Africa, the Mediterranean basin, Asia, Latin America and French overseas territories. IRD researchers address major development challenges regarding environment, sustainable development of living resources, social studies and health

Via its network and presence in fifty or so countries, it takes an original approach to research, expertise, training and knowledge-sharing, to the benefit of countries and regions that make science and innovation key drivers in their development.

A rich community of over 7,000 people including 820 IRD researchers and 1,228 IRD engineers and technicians
35% of agents working outside mainland France
56 joint research units under IRD co-supervision
Almost 4,000 publications per year