Human resources
The CIRMF staff includes personnel recruited and managed directly by the CIRMF as well as personnel made available by CIRMF members.
About 150 people work at the CIRMF. Some fifty researchers and research-related technicians, of different nationalities (Gabonese, French, American, British, Mauritanian, Slovak, Congolese, Irish and more) plus roughly one hundred technical and administrative support staff, ensure the proper functioning the research centre. In addition, there are always numerous students and young researchers performing internships or scientific work (theses, dissertations, special protocols).
The activity of the researchers is evaluated by the CIRMF Scientific Council, with the exception of visiting researchers who are managed and evaluated by their home organizations or by the Government that appointed them.
Financial resources
The CIRMF’s resources include financial contributions made by the founding members and associates, grants and gifts awarded for operating expenses or investment, payments received for services provided, including research, teaching and analyses performed for governments and public and private organizations
Scientific resources
The main resources the CIRMF uses to achieve its objectives are the research laboratories, the primate centre, the organization of scientific missions to study problems relevant to its objectives, cooperation and collaboration with Governments and public and private organizations pursuing a similar goal in Gabon and abroad, organization of seminars and symposia, and publication of research papers and related applications.
Technical resources
The CIRMF campus spans 49 hectares, a unique facility in Africa with over 2500 sq. m of air-conditioned laboratories and offices.
In Franceville:
- The central buildings and annexes house the laboratories, administrative offices, a library and maintenance services.
- Two BSL-3 biosafety laboratories (Molecular and Cell Biology)
- The only BSL-4 high security laboratory in Francophone Africa. For safety reasons, this complex is isolated some distance away from the central buildings (offices, high security laboratory, maintenance facility, security cameras, 24-hour security guard). It is composed of offices and a BSL-4 high security laboratory.
- A Primate Centre, one of the largest in Africa, with type A2 and A3 animal facilities for the animals in scientific protocols. There are vast outdoor play areas for the great apes (chimpanzees and gorillas) where behavioural studies are conducted. Species indigenous to Gabon (guenons, mangabeys, mandrills) and imported species (macaques, vervets) are housed in fenced enclosures. Four wooded enclosures measuring 5 to 8 hectares are home to sun-tailed monkeys (the only colony in semi-liberty in the world) and the world’s largest colony of mandrills in semi-liberty (200 specimens). There is a medical centre where all the primates receive medical check-ups. The Centre also has a radiology room (medical imaging) and an operating room.
- A maintenance facility (biomedical equipment, garage, supplies, cold chain, deep freezer rooms and liquid nitrogen production, computer equipment).
- A residential area consisting of 20 villas, 8 duplexes and 16 studios for researchers, PhD students and interns on the CIRMF campus.
In Libreville
- An office that makes arrangements for visitors and visiting staff and coordinates receipt of imported materials and transport to the headquarters in Franceville.
- A laboratory for the diagnosis of sickle cell disease on the campus of the University of Health Sciences.
Inland: three field stations :
In la Lopé
- A large protected area (offices, housing) is located in the Lopé National Park, in central Gabon, to carry out studies on the ecology and genetics of large mammals of the rainforest.
In Dienga
- A Health Observatory and clinic is based in Dienga, a village three hours' west of Franceville by car, on the border of the Republic of Congo, to conduct field studies on the prevalence of viral and parasitic diseases and their implications for public health.
In Batéké Plateau
- A Batéké Plateau protected area is under development.
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