Most of civil engineering structures located along or crossing a river (earthworks, dikes, bridge piers...) are subjected to the problem of scour and erosion. It is a major concern in terms of natural hazards assessment and sustainable development. However, this is a complex problem which involves different scientific areas (soil mechanic, fluid mechanic, physic, geology...). For risk mitigation, most of the existing recommendations are based on an empirical formulation. It points out the need to improve our understanding of scouring and erosion processes, develop appropriate diagnostic methods and mitigation solutions. To update knowledge on these issues and disseminate them widely, research programs have been started in France for over 10 years. This paper reports an overview of research programs which aim to bring solutions in response to these needs.