Ireland Does Well In EU R&D Fund

Irish researchers are engaging in pan-European research projects to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the EU, using funding from the largest European R&D funding programme ever, the Seventh EU Framework Programme (FP7), announced Minister Conor Lenihan T.D. on Wednesday.

FP7 runs from 2007 to 2013 and is designed to respond to Europe's employment needs, competitiveness and quality of life, funding research in priority areas such as environment, health, and IT. The €50 billion fund is seen as a major asset in the EU's fight against the current economic crisis with its ring-fenced budget growing every year by 13% until 2013.

"I am particularly pleased to see the high level of activity of Irish researchers both from academic and industry. In the period from commencement of FP7 to October 2009, 2,322 applicants from Irish-based organisations took part in proposal submissions requesting European funding. From these proposals, 546 applicants were successful, receiving €152 million, giving an overall Irish success rate of 23.51%, above the European Member State average of 21.68%.

Minister Lenihan said that the Irish success rates ahead of the overall EU average are very positive indications of the prospects for Irish participation in FP7 and are broadly in line with national targets: "The new ideas and innovations generated from these research collaborations will help create new high quality jobs."

Minister Lenihan also strongly welcomed the appointment by President Barroso of Máire Geoghegan Quinn as the Commissioners-designate for the Research and Innovation portfolio saying, "the new Research and Innovation Commissioner will play a key role in the drive to maintain and create jobs, and stimulate economic growth, in Europe."