Vol. 473 No. 6
269 Mr. E. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the reason third-level researchers who are looking for partners to form a research network cannot benefit from financial support for their search for partners as industrial concerns looking for partners can. [2038/97]
In an effort to boost participation in EU framework programmes by Irish companies, Forbairt extended their feasibility study scheme for Irish companies to those seeking to develop collaborative research partners. To date about £250,000 in funds has been disbursed to some 47 companies. This scheme is not open to third-level entities. However, third-level researchers can, in addition to the measures listed below, benefit from support under the national research support fund measure 4 to collaborate with European researchers on new international research collaboration projects of specific Irish interest. In 1996, a total of 72 researchers were funded from the £240,000 provided for this purpose.
The EU framework programme on research and technological development and demonstration is the principal means through which Irish researchers can collaborate with other European researchers. Since its inception in 1984, Irish third-level researchers have developed a huge network of contacts with universities, research institutes and other potential collaborative partners across Europe. The whole process of identifying and locating new partners for new projects has been further strengthened through the EU Innovation Relay Centre (IRC) mechanism, familiar to all third-level researchers, with its network of contact points in all the member states including Ireland.
COST, or Co-operation in Science and Technology, also provides a framework for European co-operation in the field of scientific and techncial research. COST provides funding to meet the co-ordinating expenses of each action, including contribution to workshops, conferences and publications. COST is dominated by third-level researchers.
Third-level research by its nature tends to be organised in teams and to be collaborative and interactive with ongoing exchanges between researchers through attendance at conferences and contributions to scientific journals. Overall, therefore, there is a well established and thriving system of networks within the third-level system.
Irish researchers have been extremely successful in exploiting these networks and in obtaining funds from the frame work programmes. The value of contracts awarded to the third level sector from 1995 to date under the current fourth framework programme amounts to 48.58 MECU-IR£38.86 million.
