Introduction

Among the Consulate’s most important priorities are research-based cooperation. Both France and the American Southeast share the benefit of excellent universities and research centers. Contacts and exchanges between them already exist, but they can be developped and furthered. In this context, an Attaché for University and Scientific Cooperation has recently been appointed to the French Consulate in Atlanta. Jacqueline Signori’s task will be to identify new possibilities for collaboration in the domain of research, most notably between American clusters located within the region and their French counterparts.

Objectives

The Office of Science and Technology has a dual role :

* to aid in strengthening the role of French science and technology in the United States,
* to disseminate in France information on American research and development policy as well as current events in science and technology.

The Office of Science and Technology operates in close conjunction with numerous French institutions: research organizations, universities and engineering schools, centers for technology transfer, incubators, businesses… and by different means: promotional actions, Franco-American collaborative development, and information collection.

Methods of action

The multiple branches of the Office of Science and Technology are located nationwide, and the spectrum of activities covered by the research organizations and agencies represented within allow a responsiveness on many grounds.

Scientific and Technological Watch, led by the Office of Science and Technology, is based on the examination of numerous sources of information on the Internet and in the press, as well as complementary information on the strategies of different players. This information is obtained thanks to the Office’s network of contacts within R&D decision-making circles. Diverse publications contribute to accomplishing this task: specialized informative periodicals, essays and reports on specific subjects.

Organization of experts’ assignments and seminars allows reciprocal information between the French and Americans and opens the gates to now collaborative efforts.

Exchanges for young scientists and engineers

* European Career Fair

The European Commission is partnering with the MIT European Club to organize a dedicated Science & Technology (S&T) space at the MIT European Career Fair in 2007. The space will promote Europe as a great place to pursue a career in S&T, be it in industrial research, research organizations, academia or science policy. It will present the best that Europe has to offer, in all its diversity: public, private, national and international. EU Member States will promote participation by their national research organizations and companies engaged in research.

* The Chateaubriand Fellowship

Each year, the Office of Science and Technology finances and co-finances fellowships allowing Ph.D. candidates and recent recipients at American universities the opportunity to pursue their research in a prominent French laboratory for a period of up to one year.

Locations

In order to establish an effective base of observation of American activity, the Office of Science and Technology has several branches located across the United States. Outside of the main office in the French Embassy in Washington D.C., the Office of Science and Technology has offices within the French consulates in Boston, Chicago, Houston , San Francisco, Los Angeles and soon to be in Atlanta.

Partners

Finally, the Office of Science and Technology houses the United States representatives of several French research organizations and associations. In this way, the attachés of the CNRS, CNES, INSERM, and the representative of OSEO Anvar, come to strengthen the team at the Office of Science and Technology.

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