The French clay group (GFA) in short...

The French Clay Group is an association governed by the law of July 1, 1901 (n° 08223) which aims at contributing to the progress of knowledge on clay minerals, clays and clayey rocks, from a multidisciplinary point of view. The French Clay Group is part of the European Clay Groups Association (EGCA) which publishes the journal Clay Minerals and is a member of the International Association for the Study of Clays (Association Internationale Pour l'Etude des Argiles - AIPEA).

The French clay group is also one of the 27 founding associations of the French Federation of Materials (FFM) created to strengthen the image of materials in France and which, every four years, organizes a conference bringing together the French scientific community working in the field of materials.

Main activities of the French clay group

The French clay group organizes an annual meeting that aims to be a place of exchange between scientists from academia and industry, French and foreign, and a showcase of the French activity in the field of clay science. It is also a unique opportunity for young researchers (Ph.D. and post-doctoral students) to present their work in a friendly atmosphere but also to get to know and be known by the national "clay" community. The best papers presented during the conference are rewarded by prizes supported by our industrial partners. Each year the GFA grants scholarships to doctoral students so that they can participate in the annual conference as well as in European and international conferences.
Each year the French clay group awards scholarships to PhD students and post-docs to attend its annual meeting and European / international conferences.

In 2009, members of the French clay group also initiated the creation of a National Master in clay studies (MNA) and the of Erasmus Mundus IMACS (International Master in Advanced Clay Science) Master program, that recently evolved into a Master in Materials-Minerals Engineering. This program aims at training high-level specialists in the field of clay science by providing them with the fundamental bases, skills and techniques necessary to fully assimilate recent developments in these minerals and their fields of application.