Read the following article from Silicon Republic (siliconrepublic.com) about the EU funding of Irish research. Answer the accompanying questions.
IRISH RESEARCHERS CAPTURE
€127M OF HORIZON 2020 By John Kennedy
Irish researchers and companies have captured €127m worth of R&D funding in the first year of Horizon 2020 [The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation], exceeding the national target for 2014 by 27%.
With a budget of nearly €80bn, Horizon 2020 will run over seven years from 2014 to 2020.
1. Find out the three main aims of the Horizon 2020 programme (horizon2020.ie).
2. Explain the abbreviation R&D.
‘85% of funding won in 2014 came from ICT, research grants from the European Research Council (ERC) and training grants for researchers (Marie Skodowska-Curie Actions); advanced materials; advanced manufacturing, and processing, biotechnology and agrifood,’ the Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation Damien English TD said.
Irish businesses achieved more than €35m of the total won in 2014, out of which three-quarters went to SMEs [small or medium enterprises].
The Minister continued: ‘I welcome this financial success but I am also equally conscious of the importance of Irish researchers and companies participating in the Horizon 2020 programme so that they get to collaborate and innovate with the best and brightest that Europe has to offer, therefore resulting in further excellence in our national system.’
