European & International Programmes

European Research Area

The Lisbon European Council of March 2000 adopted the ambitious ten-year goal of making the European union the world's most dynamic, competitive and sustainable knowledge based economy. In addition, the Barcelona European Council in March 2003 agreed the goal of increasing expenditure on Research, Technology and Innovation in the Union with the aim of approaching 3% of GDP by 2010 and that two thirds of the increased investment should come from the private sector.

Ireland is committed to working closely with the European Commission to pursue the objective of increasing investment on R&D in the Union with the aim of approaching 3% of GDP by 2010. This objective is strategically in line with our national priority to develop a globally competitive and sustainable knowledge-based economy.

In June 2006 the Government published its Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation. The SSTI sets out initatives for Ireland in the context of the Lisbon and Barcelona strategies and represents a substantial reinforcement of the Government's commitment to significantly increased public investment in R&D, increased business expenditure on R&D and a doubling of Ireland's output of PhDs.

A Mobility Strategy for the European Research Area

The Mobility Strategy for the ERA "A Mobility Strategy for the European Research Area (2001)" and the researcher's career development policy provide a coherent framework for Member States and the Commission to create a single, open, attractive and competitive European labour market for researchers. Substantial progress has been made to reduce mobility obstacles and to enhance skills and competences for career development across sectors and disciplines.

The European Network of Mobility Centres aims to deliver practical information and assistance on all aspects of living, working in and moving to a particular country. Ireland's Researcher Mobility office provides up-to-date information and assistance to researchers (and their families) undertaking research positions in Ireland or abroad. The Mobility Portal http://www.researchcareersireland.com/ offers practical information and advice on matters such as visa entry, residence and work permits, schooling, housing, social welfare, child care and language courses.

Framework Programmes

The European Framework Programme is the EU's main instrument for funding international collaborative research projects. The Framework Programme provides opportunities for Irish industry, third level institutions and research organisations to win funding that enables them to participate with other organisations in Europe and elsewhere in cutting edge research.

European Space Agency (ESA)

The Office of Science and Technology oversees Irish participation in relation to the European Space Agency. It negotiates and promotes Irish issues at ESA Ministerial Councils and various Working Groups where policy is decided. The focus of Ireland's participation in ESA is to support the development of leading technologies for space, through the involvement of innovative Irish companies. Irish companies benefit from ESA through technology and intellectual property acquisition and market development.

Ireland’s space policy strategy comprises two key elements:

-Support for industrial competitiveness through technology development within Irish high technology companies, with a view to commercial exploitation in global aerospace and telecommunications markets

-The development of a medium to long term research capability in space related technologies

EUREKA Network

Eureka, which is administered by Enterprise Ireland, is a Europe wide, non bureaucratic network promoting "market-driven" research and development projects in all fields of advanced technology. It allows participants to launch pan-European R&D projects on their own initiative and secures them a minimum of bureaucracy and interference and a maximum of control and flexibility.

The Office of Science and Technology provides funding towards EUREKA's secretariat costs and is represented on the High Level Group and Ministerial Councils which decide EUREKA's policy and direction. Enterprise Ireland promotes the Network to Irish participants and is represented on EUREKA's National Project Co-ordinators Committee, which makes decisions on project applications.

COST (European Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical research)

COST is a Europe-wide network, comprising over 30 countries. It encourages co-operation between nationally funded basic-research activities from participating countries to address common research goals. Irish researchers are involved in approximately 96 of the 185 ongoing COST actions. COST is particularly advantageous to Irish research scientists in the access it provides to a large network of European scientists.

The Office of Science and Technology provides funding for Irish membership of COST. Ireland's position at COST Committee of Senior Official's meetings is represented by Enterprise Ireland, who have responsibility for the co-ordination of Irish participation in COST Actions.

INTAS

INTAS is an independent association which was established in June 1993 as a European initiative to promote the valuable scientific potential of the New Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union. It supports scientific research activities in the NIS and East-West scientific co-operation by funding joint high-quality research projects which aim to advance scientific knowledge for the mutual benefit of NIS and INTAS Member States.

The Office of Science and Technology is represented on the General Assembly of INTAS which takes decisions on research projects submitted to it for funding.

EMBL

Since January 2004, Ireland has been a member of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). EMBL is an Inter-governmental Research Organisation (IGRO) established in 1974 by European countries to develop molecular biology throughout Europe. Membership of EMBL enables researchers across a range of disciplines, in both public and private research, to have access to the facilities and opportunities afforded by EMBL’s world-class facilities. This allows Europe to provide an attractive alternative to the United States as a workplace for Europe’s leading young molecular biologists.

Ireland’s membership of EMBL complements Ireland's significant investment in the biotechnology area in terms of presenting opportunities for research training, networking and enhanced international collaborations. Ireland is represented at EMBL's Council by the Office of Science and Technology and Science Foundation Ireland.

EMBC

The European Molecular Biology Conference is an international academy, which focuses on molecular biology in its broadest sense. It seeks to respond to newly developing areas which use molecular biology methods, and to attempt to describe biological events at the molecular level. Its activities are funded by 24 member states and carried out principally through the actions of approximately 1100 molecular biologists who have been elected as individual members of EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organisation). The EMBC was established in 1970 to fund the EMBO Fellowship, Courses and Workshops Programmes and to establish the EMBO laboratory.

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