With €5m in EU Horizon 2020 funding, Enterprise Ireland has launched a new programme called Career-FIT that will try to woo 50 international researchers to Irish tech centres.
Horizon 2020 funding has proved to be a successful source of funding for Irish research organisations over the past few years, and now it is being used in an attempt to attract leading international researchers.
Having secured €5m in funding under the programme, a total of 50 academics could be brought to work in Enterprise Ireland’s technology centres.
The purpose of the Career-FIT programme is to help fill the skills gap in some of the technology centres’ 482 member companies based here in Ireland.
Experienced researcher applicants who take part in the programme will work within market-focused applied research through three-year fellowships, with secondment into industry through the technology centres.
Under the Career-FIT programme, two calls will be issued to potential researchers, each of which will see 25 fellowships awarded.
The first call has an application deadline of 31 March 2017, while the second call will open in 2018.
Speaking at the launch, Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor, TD, said: “The Career-FIT programme is the first of its kind, addressing the skills shortage in industry-focused research in Irish technology centres.
“This programme will benefit both the successful academic researchers and the Irish companies connected with the industry-focused technology centres.”
Life of a researcher in Ireland
Meanwhile, Enterprise Ireland’s CEO Julie Sinnamon said: “Enterprise Ireland connects business and academic research to drive new innovative products, processes and services, helping Irish companies to develop a competitive edge in international markets.
“The Career-FIT programme will facilitate the placement of 50 international academic experts in 13 technology centres, where they will work on industry-led research of direct relevance and value to Irish businesses.
“The outputs of the collaboration will help Irish companies to build, scale and expand their reach in global market”.
Attention on the research sector in Ireland has been increasing of late, and Siliconrepublic.com recently spoke to Dublin City University researcher Paul Kelly about what life is like in the field.
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