The aim is the creation of new research infrastructures, the promotion of cooperation between R&I ecosystem bodies and the support of young researchers.
The Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) announced three new calls with a total budget of €18.5 million, with the aim of creating new or upgrading existing research infrastructures and employing new researchers in companies in Cyprus.
"Research Infrastructure" Program
The first two calls are part of the "Research Infrastructures" Program which aims to strengthen the competitiveness of Cyprus and responds to the need for new specialized infrastructures in strategic priority areas, which will be accessible to all interested parties. Within the framework of the Program, Projects can be financed which concern the acquisition of state-of-the-art technology equipment to upgrade the research capacity of an existing unit or the creation of a new one.
Among the ambitions of the new Program is the creation of development cores of new centers of excellence with significant prospects, the formation of a critical mass of researchers in cutting-edge fields and the creation of jobs for young scientists. In addition, the promotion of research cooperation at a national level as well as the expansion of the possibilities of the involved bodies to attract additional competitive funds for Research and Innovation (R&I) from other financial sources is set as a key priority.
The projects are expected to be implemented by consortia of bodies, one of which comes from the private sector. With the aim of facilitating the creation of joint ventures, the Foundation has a partner search tool, which is available on the RIF website. It is a simple way to create new collaborations and inform interested parties about the available collaboration opportunities within the framework of the RIF Programs.
The first call "Research Infrastructures of Strategic Importance" has a budget of €12.5 million, with a maximum funding per project of €2.5 million. It concerns the financing of projects aimed at the creation of new large-scale research infrastructures, which will be used for the implementation of a research project by the Collaboration Network.
The second call "Small-Scale Research Infrastructures" with a budget of €5 million concerns the financing of projects aimed at creating new or upgrading small-scale research infrastructures, which will be used for the implementation of a high-level cutting-edge research project. The maximum funding per project is €700,000.
The Program is co-financed by the Republic of Cyprus and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), within the framework of the Political Cohesion Program "THALEIA" 2021-2027.
"PhD in Industry" program
The “PhD in Industry” Program aims to promote meaningful collaboration between business and members of the research/academic community. It is based on the collaboration of researchers, universities and industry, and combines scientific research and the cognitive expertise of researchers with the practical application of knowledge in industry.
The funding concerns the implementation of a research project by young researchers who are employed by companies in Cyprus and who are registered doctoral level students in a Cypriot academic institution.
The Program is financed by the Republic of Cyprus with a total budget of €1 million and the maximum funding per project can reach €150,000.
In the next period, a series of actions will be announced to inform interested parties about the invitations and the conditions for participation. For more information, those interested can visit the website of the Institute of Research, www.research.org.cy.
