All projects involving Irish research organisations were recently awarded funding by the European Marie Curie research funding programme – International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES). The key aim of IRSES is to help researchers worldwide set-up or strengthen long-term cooperation with each other. Researchers in Ireland will now have the opportunity to spend time in research organisations in locations such as India, New Zealand and South Africa. The successful projects are in the areas of cancer diagnostics, photonics, genomics and mathematics for healthcare. These awards continue Ireland’s excellent track record in the Marie Curie Actions, with over €50 million secured since 2007, supporting around 800 high-value research jobs and studentships.
The awardees are:
- Dr Eithne Dempsey from Institute of Technology Tallaght, coordinating theSMARTCANCERSENS project, involving 10 partners in 10 countries worldwide.
- Dr Pascal Landais from Dublin City University, coordinating the UP-PI project, which links Ireland and the UK with key research organisations in India.
- Dr Donagh Berry from Teagasc, coordinating the SEQSEL project, linking Ireland with researchers in New Zealand and Australia.
- Dr Ken Duffy from National University of Ireland Maynooth, partnering in theINDOEUROPEAN-MATHDS project coordinated by Prof Carmen Molina-Paris from the University of Leeds in the UK. This award is in addition to securing funding for a Marie Curie Initial Training Network. Receiving two funding awards from the competitive Marie Curie Actions is a considerable achievement and is a good example of how researchers can use different schemes within the Marie Curie Actions to build up their research capacity.
Speaking about his project, Dr Donagh Berry from Teagasc said “I saw the IRSES funding scheme as an opportunity to get on the “EU ladder”. I had participated in EU projects before, but hadn’t the opportunity to take it to the next level of coordinating a project. I felt I had the time and skill-set to lead the project. Each partner has a different level and range of skills so it’s exciting to bring them all together.”
The Marie Curie Actions are a European Commission Funding Programme which supports researchers at all stages of their careers, across all research disciplines and in all employment sectors. The opportunities in the Marie Curie Actions range from individual fellowships for talented researchers to large-scale pan-European research training networks.
Dr Conor O’Carroll, Marie Curie National Delegate for Ireland, said “I am very pleased by this successful outcome for Ireland in the IRSES funding scheme. The Marie Curie Actions is one of the most accessible European funding programmes: whether you are an Individual Researcher looking for a fellowship, a Principal Investigator seeking to build a European research network, or a company looking to develop their research capacity, there is a Marie Curie Action for you”.
For more information contact:
Dr Jennifer Brennan, Marie Curie National Contact Point, mariecurie@iua.ie Tel: 01 6764948
Note to the Editor:
Irish Marie Curie Office
The Irish Marie Curie Office is jointly operated by the Irish Universities Association and the Irish Research Council. The office provides advice and support on preparing applications for Marie Curie funding and the management of Marie Curie awards.