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Photo: University of Glasgow
Reducing the effect of ships crossing our oceans, improving the health of crops growing in our fields, and finding greener ways to construct and demolish buildings are amongst the challenges that could be ultimately in line for almost €113 million of European research funding.
Their chances of attracting major backing have been boosted here in Scotland by a landmark scheme that brings together research talent from across Europe to forge relationships and create paths to funding with an estimated value to Scottish universities of £47.5 million.
The scheme is financed by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) in association with the Scottish Government. By fostering partnerships, an increasingly important consideration for major funding providers, those qualifying to take part in the scheme could enjoy significant advantages in future grant applications.
Amongst the 19 projects to receive support from the International Collaboration Fund (ICF) are a number of potentially game-changing medical research proposals. They include research into liver disease, developing the next generation of diagnostic technology, and AI-assisted treatments for cardiovascular conditions.
Expanding the science behind the detection of gravitational waves is the subject of another ambitious collaboration to receive an ICF award. The partnership is between the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and three Scottish universities.
Higher Education Minister Ben Macpherson said:
“Scotland is an outward-looking nation, and our relationships with European partners are central to that.
“These research partnerships demonstrate the strength of what we can achieve through collaboration – from advancing medical knowledge to tackling the climate emergency.
“The Scottish Government is committed to strengthening global connections through research and knowledge exchange, as outlined in Scotland’s International Education Strategy, and this scheme is a clear example of that commitment in action. By forging lasting partnerships across Europe, we are positioning Scotland as a world leader in research and ensuring our universities can compete for the significant funding opportunities that lie ahead.”
Martin Boyle, Chief Operating Officer at the Scottish Funding Council, said:
“This fantastic initiative that has clear benefits for Scottish universities. Its value also lies in encouraging European research collaborations that could increase medical knowledge, combat the climate emergency and advance new discoveries in space.
“I’m proud that the Scottish Funding Council has been able to support the scheme and look forward to seeing the partnerships it has created becoming fully developed, well-funded international research projects.”
Dr Tim Storer, SICSA Director, said:
“The International Collaboration Fund is a hugely valuable mechanism for driving research engagement with our European partners and leveraging European Research Council Funding.
“It enables early career researchers from across all disciplines to put rocket boosters under emerging research proposals and drive them forward. These partnerships are often with large and complex European collaborations, where sustained face-to-face engagement is critical to success.
“The entire research community has responded enthusiastically to this excellent scheme and, on behalf of Research Innovation Scotland, we were delighted with the depth and breadth of high-quality proposals from across institutions and disciplines. Funding opportunities like ICF are transformative, invaluable and increasingly scarce for researchers in a very competitive landscape.”
