The Government of the Azores announced on Thursday that the first calls for funding for projects related to research, innovation and the adoption of advanced technologies have been published, which could reach six million euros.
In a statement, the executive of the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition said that the competitions, aimed at “developing and strengthening research and innovation capacities” as well as “the adoption of advanced technologies”, were launched by the Regional Directorate of Science, Innovation and Development.
“These funds, which will be implemented within three years, They correspond to around 25% of the total financing available until 2030.”, says the executive, adding that the approximately six million euros of funding planned for these programs comes from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Regional Budget.
Among the published calls for proposals is a competition aimed at supporting “excellence in research” in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, aimed at young researchers and allowing recent PhDs to develop proofs of concept based on doctoral theses “with a high potential for innovation and economic exploitation”.
The competition allows doctors to remain under an employment contract for at least three years, with a maximum amount of 160 thousand euros per project being financed, which, according to the regional government, represents “a concrete step towards the Eliminating precariousness in research careers“.
Another notice concerns the funding of two chairs (chairs for tenured professors), worth 160 thousand euros per project, which will require the hiring of “highly qualified human resources for its implementation and development.”
Also in the field of scientific research and technological development, competitions were launched to carry out projects that could reach almost 500 thousand euros in three years, and that thestrive to hire at least one PhD, with applied research as a premise.
The regional government intends that, at the end of the 2021-2027 period, the Azores will see “real convergence with the level of investment in R&D at national level” and with the Community objectives outlined in this area.
Source: Observadora
