An internationally recognized multidisciplinary organization, the Institute for Research for Development (IRD) is a French establishment placed under the dual supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, and that of Europe and Foreign Affairs. It carries an original approach of research, expertise, training, and knowledge sharing for the benefit of territories and countries which make science and innovation one of the primary levers of their social, economic, and cultural development.

For 75 years, the Institute has focused its research on the relationship between man and his environment in Africa, the Mediterranean, Latin America, Asia, and in the French tropical overseas territories.

IRD's scientific work focuses on the contemporary dynamics of societies and public policies, major pathologies, and nutrition; ecosystems and resource management in the context of climate change. Currently, 4 researchers and an international volunteer are stationed in Mali, which hosts more than 800 mission days per year.