Service to help UCC researchers win slice of 80bn Horizon fund

University College Cork has established a project management service to help its researchers win and manage EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation funds worth nearly €80bn.

PrimeUCC is the first such service of its kind in this country.

It was launched yesterday at the college by Research and Innovation Minister Seán Sherlock.

The service will free up researchers by lessening their administrative burden and bringing in financial and other expertise as needed.

Irish higher education institutions have been very successful in competing for EU research awards, securing over 62% of the total Irish draw-down of €570m funding from the 7th Framework Programme for Research (FP7).

As the EU prepares to launch its next big research and innovation programme, Horizon 2020, UCC Research Support Services are gearing up to help the research community prepare and submit the complex, multi-partner, interdisciplinary proposals.

Where bids are successful PrimeUCC will then help staff with grant negotiation, project set-up and implementation.

PrimeUCC promises to offer the university a significant competitive advantage in competing for Horizon 2020 funding which were approved by the European Parliament last week.

Mr Sherlock said a key element of the national strategy for Ireland’s participation in Horizon 2020 is to increase engagement by higher education institutes and their associated research centres.

“I commend this new initiative from UCC and I would like to see it replicated in as many HEIs as possible.

“We are determined at national level to maximise the benefits for Ireland of Horizon 2020 and this initiative, as part of our strengthened national strategic approach, can help Ireland win over €1bn in awards under the programme.”