Our Missions
The missions of the DST include:
A continuous watch of science policy, scientific and technological activities in the United Kingdom
The promotion of scientific and technological collaborations between France and the United Kingdom
The promotion of French science
The DST also supports the co-operations between universities of both countries including student mobility. This activity is shared with the Culture Department of the Embassy.
Continuous watch on science policy, scientific and technological activities in:
Life and biomedical sciences, biotechnologies
Engineering sciences, energy, transport and environment
Science and technology of information and communication
Physical and material sciences, chemistry and mathematics
Humanities and social sciences
Innovation
Information comes from various sources (personal contacts, British sites, reports and journals) and is rewritten in our French newsletter entitled « Les Actualités Scientifiques et Technologiques au Royaume-Uni ». The newsletter is published in both hardcopy and e-format, the latter by the French Agency for Diffusion of Technological Information (ADIT) where it can be read & downloaded free of charge.
Promotion of scientific and technological collaborations
The main objectives of the DST are to encourage coordinated actions by French and British partners and to promote, if appropriate, excellent new scientific and technological collaborations in the frame of the European Research Area.
Therefore, the DST aims to promote bilateral scientific exchanges, in all areas of science, bearing in mind the important research areas shared by the two countries. Several programmes including financial support have been launched. Examples are joint research Inserm units or teams, CNRS European partnership units (LEA) or coordinated research networks (GDRE), development of Clinical Investigation Centres and synergy of action in the field of tropical diseases focused on emerging countries.
The Department particularly supports schemes facilitating mobility of students and young scientific researchers as well as the establishment of scientific and research networks between France and the United Kingdom. For example, the DST has launched a « joint PhD » scheme: in this scheme, a PhD student shares his/her research time between two universities (one university and and one supervisor in each country) and is granted after carrying out his /her work a joint doctorate from the two partner universities. Today, about 20 British universities have accepted to join this “Joint PhD” scheme.
The DST also contributes to the development of collaborations and mobility of mature researchers - in both countries - between public bodies and private companies and encourages development of partnerships between French and British organisations in the areas of Innovation and Technology in order to strengthen technology transfer in all directions.
Promotion of French science
In partner seminars with British institutions the Department may invite top French scientists to give lectures in the United Kingdom. It organises directly or in partnership with British institutions meetings and events of interest to the general public.
The daily life in both countries is linked to many scientific questions as shown by the increasing number of journal articles, comments or round tables organised: environment, greenhouse effect, global warming, renewable clean sources of energy, nuclear power and fusion, computer safety and privacy, public health, food quality, neurodegenerative diseases, stem cells or recovery of old documents among others. Started in autumn 2005, the DST organises a series of bilateral seminars on such subjects: one British and one French expert working in the same domain but with different approaches are invited to present their works. Questions from the audience follow in order to enhance a real debate and the exchange of ideas on these matters.
To promote French science the Department posts on its web site results published by excellent research teams in all areas of science and technology. It also highlights contributions by French scientists to advances of science and technology and to the major international issues.