IFRA : activity report from registration date at the "Registre des Associations" of the court ("Tribunal d'Instance") of Mulhouse (September 6, 1999) to June 2001.

- June 6, 1999 : Constitutive General Assembly.

- June 16, 1999 : deposit at the "Tribunal d'Instance" of Mulhouse of the statutes of the IFRA, its Charter, the list of founder members, the composition list of the direction committee signed by its members, and the account of the constitutive general assembly of the 5th of June, 1999.

We thank Mrs Pascale Jolly, secretary of the UDBA 68 ("Union Départementale du Bénévolat Associatif du Haut-Rhin", Sausheim), for her very useful advice for our statutes elaboration. 

- August 30, 1999 : retirement adhesion (obligatory) to the group Médéric Prévoyance (Strasbourg), through intermediary of Mr Laurent Bonicel, delegate to companies.

- September 6, 1999 : effective registration at the "Registre des Associations" of the "Tribunal d'Instance" of Mulhouse under the references : Volume : LXXVI (76) Folio n° 101.

- Contact with Mr Hubert Wirth, from Allianz Insurances, Mulhouse. We have decided to let in abeyance an association insurance (civil liability), until our activities take a shape which would necessitate it.

- Creation of the Internet site of the IFRA (Philippe Huetz). First hosted by Xoom.com (cancelled), then by Evhr.net (Est VideoCommunication, Mulhouse, cancelled), currently by Respublica.fr ( http://perso.respublica.fr/ifram/ ). The name "IFRAM" was chosen in anticipation of the change of the name of our association.

- Definition of the projects of each member :

+ theoretical study of protein folding, interaction of ultrasounds with biological matter (Philippe Huetz) ;

+ elaboration of new gene transfer synthetic vectors (Abdennaji Adib) ;

+ study of the molecular nature of the changes which occur in healthy tissues during their transformation in ill tissues, with means of infrared and optical spectroscopies (Abdeslam Bentaleb) ;

+ study of stroke functional recovery by elaboration of neuronal networks computer models (Damien Bochelen).

Alain Hilberer and Christin Choma joined us but did not yet define a project.

- Beginning of July, 1999 : Abdennaji Adib meets a young researcher who could build his small company in a lab corner at the Louis Pasteur University of Strasbourg (ULP). He thus sends a letter to Mr Jean-Yves Mérindol, President of ULP, requesting for an access to a research laboratory of the university in order to be able to start certain experiments linked with his project. Mr Mérindol replies the13th of July 1999 with a letter whose content is the following : "I have examined with much interest your letter in which you ask the Louis Pasteur University for a logistic support to your research activities. I regret to let you know that the conditions of access in our research laboratories are limited, firstly for legal reasons to our staff and regularly inscribed students, secondly for security reasons, research activities often submitted in the scientific field to risks of accident."

- End of June beginning of July 1999 : mailing of 83 letters (Philippe Huetz, Damien Bochelen) to see if alsacian companies linked with a scientific field would be interested in technology watch or scientific consulting. This in order to evaluate the viability of a development of this kind of services within the IFRA.

We obtained one unique answer, from Mr Philippe Gay, agricultural engineer, ex-research director at Novartis, with whom I had a long discussion at the IFRA headquarters.

Despite having addressed him several e-mails, we did not get any news from him any more. His silence suggests his interest was essentially a worry, for he wanted to develop in his retirement time the same type of activities ("GMOs consultants"). He nevertheless kindly indicated us interesting contacts.

I sent, the 23rd of June 2000, an e-mail to the DRIRE-Alsace ("Direction Régionale de l'Industrie, de la Recherche et de l'Environnement", drire-alsace@industrie.gov), which had worried about the few concerns of alsacian companies for the Internet tool, informing it about the result of this investigation. No reaction of the DRIRE.

Following the sending of our mail to the society IFRA ("Institut Français de Recherche Analytique"), we have been contacted by telephone, then by letter, by Mr E. Esber, Assistant Director of this society, indicating us that our association and Internet site have got the same acronym. In order to avoid any disagreement and commercial harm, he asks us to rapidly modify the name of our association. Besides, he mentioned at the phone with me the possibility of a financial aid.

I verified on the INPI site (www.euridile.inpi.fr) that IFRA Institut de Recherche Analytique is well a registered trademark, the only one with acronym IFRA among 13 companies having this name. The change of the name of our association will thus be put on the agenda of our next General Assembly.

- August 6, 1999 : very nice letter from Me Nicolas Jander, attorney-at-law at the Bar of Mulhouse, whom I contacted for information about legal regime of the Association in Alsace Moselle. He indicates us that "contrary to a widespread opinion, the Association of Alsace Moselle is not submitted to the 1901 law, but to a local 1908 law. It is thus perfectly possible for such a local law association to have a lucrative aim with objective the sharing of the fruits of the activity between the members. This unless the statutes stipulate that the association has a non lucrative aim."

Me Jander joined an article giving precisions about the legal regime of an association in Alsace Moselle and advise us the reading of the book of Mr Joho : "Guide pratique des associations d'Alsace Lorraine", Colmar, 1993.

- Presentation of the IFRA to the Rotary Club Mulhouse Europe (Mulhouse, France, September 6, 1999).

After having been introduced to the Rotary Club Mulhouse Europe by Patrice Annenkoff (architect, member of the Rotary Club), a first contact took place with the members of the Rotary at the occasion of a brunch at one of the members' home. Our project having aroused a keen interest, particularly of Mr George Payeur, President of the Rotary Club section Mulhouse Europe, I was invited to present it on September 6, 1999 at the hotel Mercure of Mulhouse. Many very interesting questions were asked, demonstrating the interest of the members of the Rotary Club for our initiative. Mr Payeur in conclusion urged us to contact the administrator of the Foundation Alfred Wallach in Mulhouse, which seems to have aims similar to those developed by the IFRA. We got no direct financial aid from the Rotary.

- Interview with Jean-Pierre Hohly, administrator of the Fondation Alfred Wallach, Mulhouse, October 1999 (Philippe Huetz).

The contact with Mr Hohly was very pleasant. He advised us to restrain our support demand to the financement of one project in particular. He said that he would present us during a meeting of the Foundation members, but despite his promise to recontact us, we did not get any more news from him.

- Presentation of the IFRA to the "Conseil Général du Haut-Rhin" (Colmar, France, May 9, 2000).

Presentation of the IFRA (Philippe Huetz) at the "Hôtel du Département" at Colmar, in front of the Research group of the"Conseil Général", chaired by Mr President Constant Georg. The aim was to ask for a sum of 150000 FF in order to constitute the hardware and software equipment necessary to the realisation of two chosen projects : "Protein folding" and "Neuronal networks and functional recovery". Abdeslam Bentaleb came to Colmar, where we reviewed all the talk in detail, but he could not stay for the presentation.

Abdennaji Adib first contacted Me Jean-Jacques Gsell, general councillor of the Bas-Rhin, for we thought to start developing our research activities at the University of Strasbourg. After having sent him our file, we received an answer from Mr Paul Schmitt, vice-president of the "Communauté Urbaine" of Strasbourg, indicating that our financial support demand was investigated with regard to the intervention criterions of the "Communauté Urbaine" in the field of Higher Education and Research. It was ineligible in relation to two criterions : 1) Strasbourg community favours general impact actions linked to the quality of welcome and promotion of student life, 2) it arose a problem of territoriality given the fact that our association is localized in Mulhouse ! But : "the missions allotted to our structure as well as its regional dimension may eventually concern the "Conseil Régional d'Alsace", very present in what concerns support to research, transfer of technologies and professional integration of young graduates".

We thus sent a request with complete file to Mr. Adrien Zeller, President of the "Conseil Régional d'Alsace". Up to now, we got no answer.

To try to overcome the territoriality problem, we then contacted Mr Constant Georg, President of the "Conseil Général du Haut-Rhin".

This first entreaty ended negatively for a reason of non adequation to the "Département" intervention criterions, Mr Philippe Galli (General Director of Services, "Direction du Développement Economique et Universitaire") advised us to present a more specific research project with a view to a participation to the necessary equipments. After having modified our demand accordingly by emphasizing the projects of Philippe Huetz and Damien Bochelen, and defined thoroughly the hardware and software equipments necessary for their implementation, our financement demand was investigated with regard to its presentation in Permanent Commission of the "Conseil Général" after notice of a "Research" group, and we finally were invited to come to present our two projects to the members of this group.

The presentation was followed with scientific questions and dealing with the way we would practically organize ourselves. At the end of this meeting, the enthusiastic reactions of the present persons as well for the subjects introduced as for the ensemble of our initiative let us on the positive impression that our request would be granted.

A letter of Mr Bernard Roch ("Directeur Général Adjoint", May 18, 2000), however informed us that "…taking into account the intervention criterions of the Research Incitement Fund", it was not possible to answer favorably our demand.

One has thus to conclude that the intervention criterions of the "Département" and those of the Research Incitement Fund are not the same…!

In view of an "eventual support", he incited us to take contact with the association Alsace BioValley.

We wrote a letter to Mr Georg expressing our surprise and disappointment with regard to this decision.

- Miscellaneous / ideas :

+ search for possibilities of hosting of our Internet site with domain name.

+ Damien Bochelen and I went to the "Technopôle" of Mulhouse on an appointment of Mrs Corinne Patuel, director. Mrs Patuel made us visit the offices, and we could measure at which point an office in such an environment would be favourable for our association, as well with respect to the general functioning (fax, Internet, meeting rooms…) as for the proximity of the companies nursery (research in chemistry, physics, informatics…).

+ visit of the offices at the "Maison du Bâtiment" in Mulhouse : renting exorbitant.

+ search for a new name for the IFRA, for this name is the one of a trademark already registered at the INPI ("Institut National de la Propriété Intellectuelle") by the "Institut Français de Recherche Analytique", based in Strasbourg.

Proposition : IFRAM, for "Independent Fundamental Research Association Multidisciplinary", which is not a registered trademark.

+ correspondence with Frédéric Bataillard, a specialist in patent filing at "IXAS Conseil" in Lyon, who tells us that our Charter does not precise to whom belong the intellectual property rights (patents, marks, drawings and models, author rights (softwares, books…)) developed by each of the members of the association. He advises to envisage to add a clause and make sign a contract for the remuneration of the research works thanks to acquired rights, this in order to avoid any possible dispute.

+ copy of a document of Francis Lefebvre on associations tax system ; acquisition of the magazine "Guide pratique du contribuable" of March 2000 intitled "Associations 2000 Fiscal".

+ contact of STNEasy for a subscription for access to bibliographic references and abstracts : CA Selects (Chemical Abstracts). The prices are unaffordable : from 10 to 160 FF the request ! But this is what is best and where can be found even the oldest articles.

+ contact of ISI Europe (Mr Stuart Cooper) : the multiusers subscription from one dedicated PC (Internet access to bibliographic references) goes from 4440 $ for the access to one given scientific field to 6965 $ for 5 scientific fields, per year !

+ I negociated preferential rates for SPSS Science softwares through Stéphane Polla (in charge for France) : SigmaPlot + CurveFit 2D + CurveFit 3D for 7990 FF BT.

+ I asked for an estimate the "Optique Bach Simon" in Mulhouse, for a research binocular microscope with possibility of adaptation of a ccd camera. Price IT : 8530 FF. + Video adaptation on trinocular outlet : ccd high resolution color camera with shutter 1/10000 s : 7490 FF BT ; + computer video acquisition station including a digitizing card, an image processing utility, a measurements software : about 12000 FF BT. This is a top microscope that Mr Simon kindly made come in his shop for demonstration. The aim is to undertake research studies on dynamic oil droplets dispersion on an aqueous surface under different conditions.

+ I met in Mulhouse Claude Martel, Doctor in biochemistry, living in Wihr au Val, unemployed for now more than 5 years. She was very interested in our association but for reasons of personal (material) problems, she did not want to involve herself.

+ an idea that we discussed at length, in particular with Abdennaji Adib : the creation of a microcompany whose aim would be the design and synthesis of molecules of the field of fine chemistry (in limited quantities), a little bit like what is doing ICMD, subsidiary of Rhodia.

+ to grow spirulin in order to produce proteins of vegetable origin with the aims to fight malnutrition, to replace animal flours.

+ different financements possibilities envisaged (non exhaustive) :

*Scientific Foundation Fourmentin-Guilbert, whose general objective is "For the influence of biology". This Foundation has decided on two major action lines : 1) catalyse and encourage initiatives for rapid advances in biology, 2) help for better public diffusion of an information of quality on the living, in particular by interesting physicists and engineers in biology and by supporting the creation and use of modern pedagogic methods for teaching cellular and molecular biology.

*Comité d'Action du Haut-Rhin (CAHR) : research/companies synergy.

*Fondation Alsace.

*"Conseil municipal" of Mulhouse.

*Association BioValley.

*Netherlands Institute of Advanced Studies.

*Rockefeller Institute.

*financement of a subscription to Current Contents by the DRIRE ?

*etc.

- News :

+ the electronic signature gets the same legal value as the paper one.

+ an interesting initiative : OSER S.A. (Ouverture Scientifique Etudes et Réalisations), Nanterre (www.oser.net), services society in research and development, created by four young unemployed doctors in 1998, whose aim is to propose scientific solutions to companies by organizing the partnerships with public and private research laboratories.

+ to follow : the new Jospin laws concerning associations.

+ the ISTI (Supercomputing Technologies) we wanted to make contact with for a collaboration and that was installed at the Technopôle of Mulhouse, does not exist any more.

+ Damien works now at the Patents Office in Munich ; Alain at Dow Corning SA in Seneffe, Belgium ; Najib decided not to give any news of him any more…

- Accounts :

Expenses : costs of publication by the court of the announcement of creation of the IFRA in the newspaper "Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace" : 761 FF ; printer costs (total) : 320 FF ; mail stamping costs (La Poste) : 68.50 FF ; miscellaneous : 45.50 FF ; rest in cash : 6.50 FF.

Publication costs were shared between founder members, the only takings being subscriptions.

At this day should thus be left : 6.50 FF in cash + 97.80 F on bank account = 104.30 FF.

Problem : the IFRA account has been closed by the "Banque Populaire Mulhouse Maison du Bâtiment" because there has not been any movement on it since July 2000 ! The bank had to plunge again in its microfiches to find back our track ! The account is now reopen and supplied with previous credit.

- Points in the agenda for the next "General and Extraordinary Assembly" :

+ change of the name of the association from IFRA to IFRAM for "Independent Fundamental Research Association Multidisciplinary".

Precisions : a search on www.euridile.inpi.fr gives back, in the "Registre National du Commerce et des Sociétés", 2 companies with the logo IFRAM : Mondial Mediation, logo IFRAM (Institut Formation Recrutement), Paris, and IFRAM Surdité Institut Français d'Acoustique Médicale, Paris. But nothing in the Trademarks File.

Concerning internet sites, IFRAM gives back : www.ifram.org, where IFRAM is the "Institut de Formation et de Recherche sur l'Apprentissage de la Médecine", declared association, without lucrative aim, of law 1901 ("Journal Officiel" of the 14th of Oct., 1998).

+ choice of the associated logo.

+ modification of the statutes :

*deletion in the statutes and the Chart of the indication of an association with no lucrative aim,

*addition of a clause precising the question of the rights of intellectual property, of the signature of a contract...

+ change of the address of the headquarters of the association.

+ reflection about a new formulation of our research directions (unique federative project whose components would be defined in function of personal affinity).

+ reformulation of the composition of the members of the committee, reduction of its number.

+ Dissolution of the association ?

+ Miscellaneous.

For the IFRA, 8th of June, 2001

Philippe HUETZ, President