EU research grants amount to €1m a week but state R&D funds to fall

IRISH universities and businesses are getting €1 million a week in research grants from the EU, but government R&D spending will have to be cut this year, Junior Minister Conor Lenihan has declared.

More than 23% of Irish applicants for a share of the EU’s €50 billion research budget have been successful which is higher than the average.

To date, more than €107m has been awarded and the target is €600m by 2013.