≈ The UMR create a real synergy between research and teaching activities when the scientific subjects are defined in relation with both the Division’s key focus areas and educational projects. The intellectual communities thus built are beneficial to the development of both research and teaching, favouring teaching structures where the research scientist of tomorrow will be trained. All our research units can host students from our partner organisations and they participate in education by research. By talking about our institute to others, students (5-years post-bac and beyond) who do internships with us help create a reservoir of young scientists for the institute. All the Division’s research units are implicated in the doctoral schools of neighbouring universities and engineering schools. Scientists participate actively in teaching activities, including undergraduate, graduate or continuing education, by teaching classes and making visits but also by helping conceive programmes of study and being completely in charge of curricula.

≈  The units of the Animal Genetics Division also participate in merging research structures all over France (the Genopoles of Toulouse and Rennes, IFR in Rennes and Limoges) therefore benefiting from an improved integration in a local or regional scientific community. Our scientists find in these merging structures intellectual enrichment and an easier access to material and experimental facilities. At Toulouse, one of our scientists directs the Genopole. These structures are particularly useful for the development of genomic programmes that require access to high-throughput technologies. They also allow access to financing from the Regions or the French Research Ministry and valorise the Division’s investments in expensive co financed equipment. They also help make our research in animal genomics better known in France. Our scientists and engineers therefore benefit from exchanges and accomplishments outside of INRA.

≈ Our ties with the CEA are old and are visible through the presence of several of their scientists in GABI at Jouy. These scientists play a central role in the Division via their activities (genome mapping of the pig, immunogenetics) and by the CRB. We collaborate with the CEA in an important manner on studies on melanoma and TSE as well as in high-throughput genomics with the Institute Génomique d’Evry (CNS, CNG). Our relations with INSERM are not as vast and only concern melanoma biomedical models. Two scientists currently working at Cochin and Necker intend to reinforce our relations with this organisation in genetics.

≈ In the field of aquaculture, our collaborations are based on bilateral relations between the research team GenAqua, belonging to the GABI unit at Jouy, and IFREMER at Palavas, with whom a GDR “Genetic fish improvement” has been founded. Other partnerships also exist between IFREMER and CIRAD. Our programmes with the CIRAD, involving one of our scientists, often concern genetic analysis of exotic resources made available or donated by the CIRAD.

≈ In the past, the Division’s research teams have responded to public service calls made by the Ecology, Agriculture and Research Ministry or by the Ministry of Foreign Affaires or those made by the Haras, the GIS Prions or the BRG. Although some of these still exist, now most offers appear via the National Research Agency (ANR). Genanimal, the Programme de Recherche en Alimantation, and Agriculture et Développement Durable are ANR financed programmes.

≈ The regions play an essential role in our organisation via local institutes of higher education and research. They also help finance, in particular through their role in our real estate and material investments. The regions also co finance a certain number of doctoral studies.