Following the success of the scheme that was launched for the first time in 2022, in collaboration between the University of Malta and The Malta Chamber, applications have been reopened for this year. Through this scheme, doctoral graduate students will be given the opportunity to join local businesses for research purposes. Therefore, these students will have the chance to put what they have learned into practice with the aim of helping the local industry while gaining the necessary experience.
In her opening speech, Dr Marthese Portelli, The Malta Chamber CEO, claimed that academics should recognize that the local industry provides good prospects for research that will help our economy grow further, and business should recognize the potential of local researchers and collaborates with them to improve its products and services. “During the last few years, The Malta Chamber has always emphasized the importance of investment in research and innovation,” said Dr Portelli.
The Malta Chamber repeatedly insisted that the country’s annual budget allocation for research and innovation should gradually increase year by year. The Malta Chamber requested that the expenditure on R&I should rise to 3% of the country’s GDP and that the tax rebate for those who invest in R&I should rise to 200%.
Parliamentary Secretary Keith Azzopardi Tanti stressed the importance of collaborations of this type. “The investment in education is bearing the necessary fruit and we are re-opening the applications for this scheme, because it is beneficial both for the students who obtained their doctorates and also for the local market,” he stated.
He also claimed that through the implementation of this scheme, the Government is also giving an incentive to the local industry so that, together with local researchers, they expand their products and services, thus increasing competitiveness not only in the local market, but also in the international market.
For his part, the Rector of the University of Malta, Prof. Alfred Vella, spoke about the importance of research as a means of helping economic enterprises continue to strengthen. He mentioned that this very week, 66 students with a doctorate will graduate from the University, some of whom will be able to participate in this scheme as ‘post-docs’ and thus he wishes success to this collaboration towards the -University and industry for the common good.
The Post-Doctoral Fellowship Scheme is open to students who have just obtained their doctorate and wish to collaborate with local businesses, as well as to those businesses who already employ local researchers and wish to carry out a research project. Each selected project will be financed with a maximum of €68,000 per year for two years for each researcher, which can be extended for another year.
For more information, kindly follow this link or send an email to postdocfellowship@um.edu.mt. Applications are open till the 30th of April 2024.
