AIARC is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) membership corporation, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, USA, and was established in 1992 to administer and manage personnel benefits for internationally recruited staff and expatriates working at member Centers.

AIARC provides day-to-day service and support to its member Centers to include financial accounting, recordkeeping, resolution of claim issues, vendor negotiation and management, legal research, and employee communications. AIARC’s activities are governed by a Board of Directors composed of representatives from member Centers. 

To provide comprehensive benefits to the Center employees, AIARC partners with the following internationally recognized companies chosen by the Board:

Medical

• Cigna International, based in Antwerp, Belgium, provides services for most medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug claims for the Plan’s participants. Cigna partners with Cigna Healthcare (Cigna) in the United States to provide the Plan’s U.S. Open Access Plan (OAP) network for medical providers and the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) network for dental providers. Cigna also handles claims for outpatient prescription drugs received in the United States.

Emergency Medical, Security and Travel Assistance Services

• International SOS, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, handles AIARC’s emergency medical, security, and travel assistance services.

Death and Disability

• Utmost Corporate Solutions, based in Guernsey, Channel Islands, underwrites the coverage for life, accidental death and dismemberment, and long-term disability benefits.

• Chubb, based in Warren Township, New Jersey, USA, underwrites the insurance for the employer-sponsored business travel accident insurance benefit.

Retirement

• Zurich International Life (Zurich), based in Douglas, Isle of Man, provides the retirement platform for non-U.S. taxpayers through the IARC Retirement Plan Trust located in Guernsey, Channel Islands.

• Vanguard, based in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, USA, provides the IARC U.S. 403(b) Retirement Plan platform for U.S. taxpayers.

Mission

AIARC supports and leverages the resources of international agricultural research organizations by providing centralized management of specialized global personnel functions to include payroll, employee benefits, risk management, and compliance to reduce administrative time and costs. This pooling of resources provides the AIARC member organizations with benefits and services that would not be available or economical if performed individually.

Vision

AIARC is dedicated to providing international agricultural research organizations with high-quality benefits, competitive prices, and exceptional customer service to enable member organizations to focus on their missions—achieving sustainable food security and reducing world poverty.

Teamwork is the cornerstone to our success.

A harmonious collaboration between AIARC staff, members, and vendors creates a synergistic partnership for all. We will treat each other with mutual respect, fairness, and integrity at all times.

Inclusiveness allows us to make better decisions.

AIARC is a global organization that encourages and appreciates various backgrounds, diverse expertise, and multiple perspectives.

Our standards are exceptionally high.

We are stewards of our members’ financial affairs and take this responsibility very seriously by being ethical, honest, and fiscally responsible.

Transparency is our norm.

AIARC will abide by all laws and public disclosure requirements. We will openly communicate with members while keeping personal information confidential.

Our members deserve to be satisfied.

AIARC strives to provide each member with positive client interactions and experiences. We will listen and respond to each member in a timely, competent, and professional manner.

Our success allows members to focus on their missions.

AIARC will constantly strive to add value by lessening the administrative burden and leveraging the pooled resources.

A Board of Directors, who is elected by the membership, governs the association, and the chief executive officer oversees the operations of the association. The following is a current listing of the Board of Directors:

• Dr. Simon Heck, AIARC Chair, Director General, CIP
• Kick Geels, AIARC Vice-Chair, Director of Finance, CIMMYT
• Syon Niyogi, Corporate Services Director, IWMI
• Michael Gerba, Chief Operating Officer, ILRI
• Carla Lazarte, Director, Global Talent Development and Performance, CIP / One CGIAR
• Josephine Mailu, Head, Human Resources, AATF
• David Richter, External Director, Independent
• Jeffrey T. Hungate, President & CEO, AIARC

AIARC member organizations include twenty-two international agricultural research centers with staff located in 87 countries. To be eligible for AIARC membership, an organization must have a headquarter’s agreement with a host country and have been accorded privileges and immunities under a legislative order from that host country. In addition, the organization must be a 501 (c) 3 organization registered with the U.S. Government.

The following are the members of AIARC:

CGIAR

• CGIAR System Organization, Montpellier, France

Affiliated Members (CGIAR Centers)

• Africa Rice Center, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
  
• Bioversity International, Maccarese (Fiumicino), Italy
  
• Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bogor, Indonesia
• International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Beirut, Lebanon
  
• International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Cali, Colombia
  
• International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Telangana, India
  
• International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, D.C., USA
  
• International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria
  
• International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya/ Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
  
• International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Texcoco, Mexico
  
• International Potato Center (CIP), Lima, Peru
  
• International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Banos, Philippines
  
• International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Battaramulla, Sri Lanka
  
• World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya
  
• WorldFish, Penang, Malaysia

Non-Affiliated Members (Non-CGIAR Centers)

• African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), Nairobi, Kenya
  
• Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Nairobi, Kenya
  
• AVRDC — The World Vegetable Center, Shanhua, Tainan, Taiwan
• International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
  
• International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi, Kenya
  
• International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Muscle Shoals, Alabama, USA