International Research Laboratories are the more mature level of organization for international cooperation. They are genuine joint laboratories located within partner universities, and they bring together researchers, PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, engineers, and technicians from both the CNRS and the partner institutions for 5-years mandates. Those initial mandates are often extended so their global duration can reach 15 years or even more.

IRASEC
Based in Bangkok, Irasec is a French leading research unit dedicated to the study of Contemporary Southeast Asia. Supported by the French Foreign Affairs, it belongs to the large networks of the 27 CNRS research institutes abroad. Engaging the Humanities and Social Sciences in an interdisciplinary and comparative perspective, it analyzes the major developments that affect individually and collectively the Southeast Asian countries (Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Timor Leste) and the Asean organization. Deeply anchored in the Thai academic landscape, the center is also developing partnerships all over the region.
A team of researchers seconded from France in the region, are completed by a network of associated researchers, Master trainers, PhD students and Post doc. Irasec researchers are organizing international events with local Universities in Southeast Asian countries, associating international confirmed researchers, young researchers and PhD students from Asia and Europe. Irasec also enhances public awareness of the region through debates. It copublishes books with international academic editors, mainly in French and in English, and provides free access to its online publications (Open Editions).
The IRL IRASEC is currently directed by Dr. CLaire Thi Liên Tran.  It is one of the 75 IRL developed by the CNRS with strategic partners across the world and one of the 6 IRL in Southeast Asia. It is one of the two IRL in Thailand.

HealthDEEP
Based in Bangkok, HealthDEEP is a French leading research unit dedicated to the study of biodiversity and its links with human health. The CNRS, Mahidol University, and Kasetsart University formalized the creation of the Health, Disease Ecology, Environment, and Policy (HealthDEEP) research laboratory on 12 July 2023, in Bangkok. It will serve as a centre not only for collaborative research but also for training and dialogue with policymakers. 
The IRL is currently directed by Dr Serge Morand (Director of Research at CNRS).  It is one of the 75 IRL developed by the CNRS with strategic partners across the world and the second IRL in Thailand.

International Research Projects are collaborative research projects between CNRS and partner laboratories. They strengthen previously-established collaboration and allow to develop joint research activity, field work, experimentation, and supervising students. Their mandate is 5 years and can be extended once.

CHIRACHEM

Managed by Prof. Alexander KUHN (Institut des Sciences Moléculaires – ISM) and Prof. Chularat Wattanakit (Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology – VISTEC), the main topic of this IRP is chirality, ranging from enantioselective sensing to separation and chiral chemical synthesis. ChiraChem will be effective from 2022 to 2026.

SPECIFLY

The International Emerging Action focuses on ecology and evolution of specialized pollination by flies, with the objective of characterizing a little-known component of biodiversity.

International Research Networks will structure and gather a large international scientific community around a common theme or à research infrastructure. It promotes the organization of international workshops and seminars, as well as thematic schools. It brings together, for a duration of five years, researchers from several French and international laboratories, and several countries can be involved in one network.

PALBIODIV-ASE
The International Research Network Paleobiodiverity in South-east Asia is managed on the French side, by Dr. Valery ZEITOUN, CNRS research director at the Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie, Paris (UMR7207) with the administrative support of Angelina BASTOS. It has been launched in January 2015 and renewed in 2019.