La Réunion Island is an outermost European region located in the South Western Indian Ocean. It was severely hit in 2005 and 2006 by a Chikungunya epidemic that affected a third of the population and led to dramatic socio-economical consequences. As a result, the CRVOI (Centre de Recherche et de Veille sur les maladies émergentes dans l’Ocean Indien), was launched in 2007 to be dedicated to the investigation of human and animal infectious diseases emerging in tropical regions. This Center complements, in a holistic approach of EIDs research, the existing laboratories of the Université de La Réunion working on plant emerging pathogens, phytochemistry, ecology, immunology and social sciences.RUN-Emerge aims at tackling the weaknesses resulting from the remoteness of this island, i.e. essentially scientific isolation and insufficient human resources. The main objectives are (i) to foster an inter disciplinary approach towards EIDs investigation, (ii) to tighten links of the Université de La Réunion with research partners from South Western Indian Ocean ICPCs working in this field and (iii) to open up the partnership to European leading groups, thereby extending the European Research Area and laying the ground for future participation to FP7 calls.