Why Irish eyes are smiling Horizon 2020

This year's surprise success stories of the Eu's Horizon 2020 program included in the list of the 50 top-performing universities had access to four Irish universities. But how did they do it?

University World News last week, according to the analysis, NEW Gal way in Ireland to more than 25, University College Cork (30) were together with the University College Dublin (31) and Trinity College Dublin (38th).

Together they received a contract worth € 62 million (US $ 66.6 million) financial decisions were made on June 24 this year, Horizon 2020, or the H2020. However, in four of the Seventh Framework Programmer (2007-13), or FP7 was listed among the 50 high-performing universities.

What forward lies behind this collective leap? This is the result of a national mobilization against H2020? What strategies have been used by universities and research by the European Union to participate in the competition, how do you interact with the other participants? What tools are used?

When looking at the response of Irish science policy agenda can be found at several levels. Our focus here, "Horizon 2020 applications for the engine," the role of universities - which, according to university research strategies of the border, but the novelty of the research is a great project Horizon 2020, the transfer function better as if Ireland can give clues?

High Key Role

Irish universities and 164 of the 318 contracts, or 52% at the end of July 2015 are listed in the E-cord at the base of Ireland, H2020 318 contracts involved. Norway percent compared with 26%, Finland 31%, Germany 30%, Sweden 49%, Denmark 55% and 40% in the Netherlands.

The universities play a more important role in providing contracts Ireland H2020 that is clear, therefore, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands compared to.

Irish universities in 2014, a remarkable success in the European Research Council, or ERC, the program chalked - especially startup grant category - H2020 significantly extended the column "good science" part. Irish more than € 30 million worth of business in 2014, has 18 ERC grants.

The ten grants from the seven leading consolidator grants and grants for the project Pool Holm, professor of history at Trinity College, Dublin, has been awarded an environmental "assessment and synthesis of dynamics and the importance of the revolution in the 1500s and the economic power of the North Atlantic fish, demography and politics" in the 1600s reshaped alignments.

In addition, the proof-of-concept for the ERC in their commercial contracts the opportunity to develop their ideas has been awarded ERC grants were awarded to Irish researchers.

Beginning in 2014, the grant category, up from 20 in FP7 Ireland, took second place among the countries of the EU-28.

Irish universities to coordinate several major cooperation projects H2020. University College Cork coordinates - to develop business opportunities in the offshore renewable energy, water, marine biotechnology and sub-seabed mining projects "Blue Economy Marine Investment MARIBE unlocking the potential of our seas."

"Stakeholder Action, Education and Skills Development Energy System through the transition," mapping out the transition of power in a number of European communities have been awarded € 3.46 million, the largest energy project in Cork H2020 coordinates.

Another example of a successful university-industry collaboration Real Value project attracts leading academic partners University College Dublin. Glen Diplex Irish multinational company with a consortium led by the coverage of the whole energy supply chain, (Ireland partners, € 7.2 million) in the European energy market through the use of € 12 million project aimed at improving the efficiency and value of advanced information and communication technologies, or ICT.

Trinity College Dublin H2020 ICT project in Leipzig, Oxford, universities and companies in Austria and Poland, € 4 million to be "aligned Quality Engineering Software and Data-centric" coordinates, coordinates the project swimming - Information Semantic Web modeling of energy-efficient buildings - Cork Tyndall National Energy-efficient buildings, including a call for national co-operation with the Institute funded the project.

The new national ambition

Irish EU contribution of € 621.46 million was for research and FP7 budget, the total number of shares was 1,939 as of 2014; Ireland Ireland's research was ranked 28 EU states. The € 621.46 million of the total EU contribution to 13 the total number of participants in FP7 1,939 shares in terms of the budget, as it was in 2014, Ireland took 13 of the 28 EU states.

In recent years, several research strategies focus on creating centers of excellence in research universities. This aligns closely with key government and the EU's policy is based on the creation of a critical mass of expertise.

Working with the National Research Priorities These strategies include: First Progress Report (June 2014); Horizon 2020: University Research and Innovation report (December 2013) of Excellence; and the EU Framework Programmed for Research and Innovation (2014-2020) - Ireland in the Strategy and Target Report (December 2013).

Science Foundation Ireland, or SFI, the ERC schemes to increase the participation of Irish and Irish-based researchers an excellent host for the organization to attract researchers, funded by the ERC, "ERC SFI Support Program" was presented. This additional amount equal to 20% of the prize winner with the ERC Ireland will host the € 300,000 already eligible to receive a maximum of 2014, the ERC call; and up to € 150,000 prize, with an Irish host organization is eligible to receive from the 2015 ERC call.

ERC researchers over the years have been adopted by any of the awards scheme can receive up to € 1 million for the financial institution to work for an Irish host.

Dr Michael Ryan, President of EU Affairs Science Foundation Ireland, Ireland, is actually a member of a number of countries, known as the ERC wins and coordination of large projects, there is a second off the back, told University World News, which is a key element of the proposal and are usually funded proposals.

"Science Foundation Ireland, we have a couple of years ago, put in place, with the two main mechanisms of the ERC," ERC Support Program "and" ERC Development Program - was put in place, both of which apply to the ERC incentivize research community.

"The old won the award in Ireland or the Irish may have been receiving assistance awarded to ERC, the Host University / research project officer, or RPO provides additional overhead. The latter (usually a lack of available funds) ERC deemed fundable but not funded ERC is appealing.

"We ERC will fund the abbreviated version of the application - on the condition that the applicant reapplies - reviewer comments focused on the output. We are now seeing this strategy labors bear fruit."

Centers of excellence as a driver

Ryan SFI since 2012 has invested in various universities / research centers repos significantly mainly to finance 12. The financial condition of receiving the Ministry of Finance - Research Centers funded by the industry.

"We need these centers Horizon 2020 [tasks] placed," Ryan says. "We have an impact on each of them and identify opportunities for application within Horizon 2020 and the European Commission in charge of the EU Coordination Manager is installed. Each They KPIs [key performance indicators] must meet a strict set of metrics to back off there.

"A lot of it centers universities / ropes and industrial cooperation between the experience."

In October 2014, Minister of Research and Innovation Skills, Damien English, large-scale EU funding for Ireland will be great to set a new national launches.

He led SFI chief scientific adviser Professor Mark Ferguson established a dedicated team of 15 senior scientists and € 1.25 billion of EU finance H2020 set ambitious national targets.

Horizon 2020 framework program of the High-Level Group charged with monitoring progress and is made up of representatives from all financial agencies and government departments. It is an offshoot of the group consisting of a tight group to promote Ireland and its products can be developed to offer specific proposals potentially great strategic importance to the recommendations of the Strategic Research Group.

"This industry and academia together to discuss potential strategies and government agencies to act as a platform to bring it." Ryan "the grouping, has proved very effective"

Professor Mark Ferguson, co-chair of the High Level Working Group, Ireland is to win some big EU Horizon 2020 research projects. The application ecosystem caused by the winner - a multinational, local and SME - "against strong competition, we identify the key areas to mobilize and Ireland between academic and industrial research expertise all need to take time, to achieve this.

"Harnessing experience across all relevant government departments and agencies, we hope to catalyze even determine winning bids. It is designed for the financial industry, especially as a great opportunity."

He then calls the first one hundred H2020 offers an important contribution to the improvement of English, Irish universities have success.

"NUI Galway, Ireland collaborative approach between universities exemplifies a noteworthy projects involving the highest success rate of Horizon 2020 funding," he said.

Ostia-arthritis of the knee is one of the projects using adult stem cells for the treatment of large-scale clinical trial in collaboration with the University Sports Surgery Clinic in Dublin, Ireland, including SMEs.

NUI Galway Institute for Regenerative Medicine, or Remedial, a project coordinated by Professor Frank Barry, almost cost of € 6 million has been funded in Europe by the end of 2015 and the trial is expected to continue.

Professor Tim O'BRIEN Remedial and led by NUI Galway Medical Devices Research Center of the multi-million clinical trial in diabetic complications, Orbison Galway-based therapy, a spin-out from NUI Galway, Northern Ireland and Europe are partners in the project will play a key role.

Both projects, the Dublin-based SME, Pintail Ltd, to ensure effective cooperation between the partners and the management and delivery of projects funded support.

"NUI Galway strong performance in the social sciences, biosciences, that was a lot of sectors," the minister said.

Doris Alexander, research development manager, Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, Trinity H2020 and his research diversification strategy and its progress across the industry "for his approach to symbiosis" hard targets "as a result of the perception that global engagement, told University World News relations strategies. "

He says: "Trinity's mechanism, primarily in the base within the college, as well as a 'proposal boot camp", custom-made, including the design and roll-out initiatives through the college application and ERC provides deep support for coordinators. "

The provision of innovative research projects focus on providing one-on-one on the basis of these initiatives, the outcome / impact is managed.

"It's early in the H2020, but initial indications of any other high-level institution in Ireland Trinity, our approach is more successful with providing up to date indicates that the ERCs," says Alexander.

Professor Orals Feely, research, innovation and impact, the Vice President of University College Dublin, UCD commitment to research and innovation, Horizon 2020, with good progress in a very good way to help with maps that told University World News.

"Our academic community has been engaged in Horizon 2020, and we have very strong thematic areas and also supports built-in built on the development of our talent pipeline. We are also delivering success through partnership, the industry is engaged in creative and flexible ways."

Dr Imelda LAMBKIN, Horizon 2020, paying off the national director of Enterprise Ireland, the Irish approach, building on investments in research and innovation, Horizon 2020, to apply for assistance, and to provide this level of support hands.

"Irish researchers and companies to respond and show that they can compete with the best in international," she says.

More performance

Irish Universities Association will be able to improve the performance of universities under the Horizon 2020 has a number of measures:

• Foster research and innovation to facilitate the more competitive by harnessing the expertise and promoting cross-organizational;
• "industry leadership" to seek cooperation from the private sector to maximize the return of industry associations (IBEC, name, etc.) and the establishment of partnerships;
• Horizon Center for Technology Transfer Office has been strengthened with the establishment of a national infrastructure using technology transfer, commercialization opportunities arising from the project in 2020 to improve the work;
• Horizon 2020 to develop a more collaborative ventures in Northern Ireland, InterTradeIreland and Invest NI to work in partnership with universities and companies;
• Horizon 2020 is designed for large-scale centers / EU development funding strategies;
• European Research Council to fund the very high potential to attract people who are already successful ERC applications development target and nurture them. And to promote the application of high-scoring numbers are not funded, but the quality of the candidates is not funded analysis applications;
• reward those involved in the ERC to provide an incentive to protect the institutional level;
The co-financing postdoctoral fellowship positions in structured doctoral programs and Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions provide a great opportunity for the COFUND • Target;
• (advisory groups and Horizon 2020 estimate for fiscal 2020 calls for participation) Experts encourage university staff and technology platforms to put themselves forward as a team to deal with a significant impact on program content;
• Horizon 2020 strategy and research vice presidents / deans to help sub-group of the Irish Universities Association Research Officers Group, a select group of policy and strategy.

Michael Ryan is not a substitute for another, that is to say, the National Science Foundation Ireland and the EU financial funding, said he believes that there are synergistic and complementary.

"Ireland has a much broader product offering in Europe could prove highly effective in promoting the drawing of EU funding. In Ireland, the SFI, we are accelerating industry leadership in larger projects, as well as all higher education institutions committed to the preservation of the programs have focused on performance."