More than ten thousand French researchers will be linked to Australia's leading research organisations, CSIRO and The Australian National University as a result of an agreement signed today.

Research on issues including salinity, water management, and agricultural production will receive a significant boost under the agreement, which promises collaboration between researchers in agricultural and land-based environmental research.

The Memorandum of Understanding between ANU, CSIRO and five peak French research centres and will enable a much closer collaboration between researchers from the two countries in environmental research, study of natural resources and agriculture.

The agreement follows years of close collaboration between a number of researchers from the two countries - and is set to significantly expand collaboration and also increase the efficiency and effectiveness of research in key areas. It will also result in an increase in exchange of researchers and students between France and Australia.

The agreement was signed by ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Chubb, CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Geoff Garrett in the presence of the French Ambassador to Australia, Mr Patrick Henault.

"This historic agreement opens the path to some very exciting synergies. It provides Australia's leading research institutions with an important entrée to France - and hence to Europe as a whole," Professor Chubb said.

"This agreement will mean the best people from our two countries will put their heads and their funding together to tackle priority issues agreed between our two countries."

Dr Garrett said: "CSIRO has a long history of collaboration with its French counterparts."

"With today's initiative I am particularly pleased to see that active collaboration expand to include work with an even wider range of French agencies and also with our colleagues from ANU."

Mr Henault said: "The combined staff of these French institutions number more than 40,000, of which around 14,000 are in the fields covered by the MOU. These closer links can only bring benefits to us all."

The agreement involves five French research bodies: the National Centre for Agricultural Machinery, Rural Engineering, Water and Forests; the International Centre for Agricultural Research for Development; the National Centre for Scientific Research; the National Institute for Agricultural Research; and the Institute for Research for Development.