Trinity College Dublin secures first Irish Horizon 2020 funding
Trinity College Dublin (TCD) has secured the first funding award in Ireland under Horizon 2020, with the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI) receiving €175,000 to host ‘Discover Research Night’ on 26 September.
‘Discover Research Night’ invites the public to engage with research and the event will offer scientists the opportunity to provide demonstrations and other hands-on activities. The project aims to challenge the public’s perception of researchers and to promote research as an exciting career option.
Luke O’Neill, TBSI academic director and professor of biochemistry, told Business & Finance: “TBSI is delighted to have won the first Horizon 2020 award in Ireland. We look forward very much to hosting the Discover Research Night.”
Adding her thoughts, Cliona O’Farrelly, professor of Comparative Immunology, said: “This event is a wonderful opportunity for public engagement, to showcase research in Trinity, and demonstrate how research creates jobs as well as discoveries. TCD’s Global Relations Office is a key partner and many of the participating activities will be ‘live-streamed’ between collaborating research groups in Trinity and across Europe. By offering Trinity’s researchers the opportunity to present both to the public and to each other, we hope to generate new interdisciplinary ideas, opportunities and collaborations that will compete successfully for Horizon 2020 funding.”
The Irish Government aims to secure €1.25bn in funding from Horizon 2020, with TCD targeting funding of €150m almost double that awarded under FP7. TCD is currently diversifying its research strategy by focusing on securing more non-exchequer funding for research and a key part of this involves securing more funds under Horizon 2020. The university has also emphasised the importance of increasing the number of collaborative projects, co-ordinated by TCD.
Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, director of Trinity research and innovation, said: “TCD is committed to delivering on our ambitious targets for Horizon 2020 and ensuring that Trinity remains Ireland’s leading university on the international stage.”
