Impressive €70m In EU Marine Grants for Irish Science Projects

20th August 2014

#marineinst – In the six years between 2007-2013, 111 Irish research groups (including SMEs) have participated in 210 competitive EU-funded marine projects; winning over €70 million in grant-aid.

"These figures", said Marine Institute, Chief Executive, Dr Peter Heffernan, "are even more impressive when one realises that the drawdown by the Irish marine research community (€48 million) from the prestigious Framework 7 Programme (2007-2013) represents a very significant proportion of the national FP7 drawdown (€600 million) across all sectors and that Irish participation in EU funded marine projects (e.g. FP7, INTERREG-IV, etc.) supports over 220 marine science based positions".

The recently published New Connections II (2014), along with its predecessor New Connections (2011), illustrate the success of the Irish marine research community in competitive EU-funded programmes over the periods 2007-2010 and 2011-2013 respectively.

Together, they represent a directory of Irish participation in cooperative EU funded research, development and innovation projects, describing the research undertaken, identifying those innovative Irish marine researchers, from the public and private sectors, who work at the frontiers of marine knowledge and fly the flag for Ireland as an island of research and innovation and a gateway to the North Atlantic.

Irish marine policy, Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth (2012), is now well aligned with EU Maritime Policy (e.g. EU Strategy for the Atlantic (2011) and the EU Atlantic Action Plan (2014-2020) and the implementation of EU Maritime Policy, including research, will be supported by EU competitive funding programmes; including Horizon 2020, INTERREG-V, LIFE and EMFF. "This", said Dr Heffernan, "represents a great opportunity for Ireland".

New Connections II (2014): A Review of Irish participation in EU Marine Research Projects 2011-2013.pdf is available to download from the Marine Institute website: http://hdl.handle.net/10793/980

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