EU €50bn research fund announced

THE Irish launch of the €50 billion Seventh EU Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) was announced yesterday by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin.

The programme will run from January to 2013 and offers Irish researchers in industry, higher education, voluntary organisations and elsewhere, the opportunity to tap into European research networks and funding.

Irish researchers have drawn down almost €200 million from FP6 to date, with higher education researchers accounting for around 70% of this figure.