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I) SCIENCE (Mathematical and Theoretical Physics)

 Mathematical Physics, at the interface between Physics and Mathematics, aims to develop and deepen physical theories in a rigorous conceptual and mathematical framework. The emphasis on rigour is less important in Theoretical Physics, in which theoretical ideas can thus be more largely developed.
 
1. Henri Poincare prize sponsored by the Daniel Iagolnitzer Foundation
 
This prestigious prize, created in 1996 in collaboration with the IAMP (International Association of Mathematical Physics, is awarded by the IAMP during its main international congresses (so far in 1997, 2000 and 2003) to eminent scientists in Mathematical Physics for life-time contributions, as also to younger scientists having produced most remarkable works in Mathematical Physics.
 
2. support to main international conferences:
 
      - IAMP congresses: supports to the London (2000) and Lisbonne (2003) congresses, partly devoted to scientists from developing countries (and, in the past, Eastern Europe)
 
      - support to the International Conference on Theoretical Physics, Paris, UNESCO (July 2002), which has been an exceptional event in this domain (with 1200 participants)
 

3. other recent actions
 
       - support to the "Seminaire Poincare", which is a recent analogue, in physics, of the well known "Seminaire Bourbaki" in Mathematics. It presents general lectures on topics of particular interest around twice a year, to the intention of a large scientific community in the Paris area.
 
       - planned supports to the international conference "STRINGS 2004" which will take place in Paris, at the College de France, next June, and to the symposium "RIGOROUS QUANTUM FIELD THEORY", which will also take place in Paris next July.
 

II) SCIENCE AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
 
Actions in this domain are already included in Part I (support for the participation of scientists from developing countries to main international conferences).
 
The main action is a new partnership with the IAMS, African Institute of Mathematical Sciences. The IAMS, created in 2002 in South Africa, aims to contribute to the development of basic and applied branches of science in Africa through high level predoctoral courses for selected students from African countries, and a Centre for basic scientific research (with invited scientists coming partly from Africa and partly from other countries). It benefits from the support of South-african Universities, as also from Cambridge and Oxford Universities in England, and French Universities of the Paris area such as Paris-11. It has received an enthousiastic African and international approval.
 
DIF has been directly involved in particular with the introduction and development of the "francophone" part of the IAMS.
 
Another action in 2003-2004 has been a support to the CICUP, Centre Interuniversitaire pour la Coopération avec les Universités Palestiniennes, intended to support palestinian scientists (invitations in France,...)
 
A new partnership has started this year with the "Chaire Internationale de Physique Mathematique" organised with some success in recent years in Cotonou, Benin, a francophone African country.
 
More generally, DIF aims to participate in particular to further actions which might be useful for the scientific development in Africa.
 

III) MISCELLANEOUS ACTIONS
 
Main partner: the Academie-Festival des Arcs.
 
This Academie-Festival takes place each year in July in the Alps mountains (Les Arcs 1800). It includes high level music courses in various domains during the day for selected students, and free concerts for the local public each evening during two weeks. This festival combines excellence and an exceptional conviviality.
 
The support from DIF has been mainly devoted to the participation of young talented musicians who are not yet largely known and have the possibility to give concerts alone or with well established professionals. A number among them have later on started promising international carrers.
 
A (small but hopefully useful) support has been given on the other hand to the french "Association des Laureats du Concours General" to support meetings of laureates from various ages and domains (prizes of the Concours General are the most famous awards attributed to students at the pre-University level).