The partnership agreement creating the was finalized on February 9, 2009, with the signature of the Vice-Rector, Research, of the Université de Montréal, ratifying those of the representatives of the Institut National de la Santé et de la recherche Médicale (INSERM), Université Paris-Sud 11, and Université Paris Descartes. The French and Canadian teams are directed, respectively, by Bruno Falissard, Director of INSERM's U669 Unit and Richard E. Tremblay, Director of the Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment (GRIP).

Each of the partners will have as their mission to encourage the promotion of four complementary levels across research and teaching programs:

• development of a joint research program;
• sharing of researchers and, where necessary, of members of the administrative and technical staff;
• student exchanges;
• knowledge transfer to professionals and to the general public.