To support scientists in attracting internationally significant research and innovation projects, increase access to funding, and enhance the global prestige of Latvian science, Riga Technical University (RTU) has become the first university in Latvia to establish a Grant Office. Centralised support systems of this kind are already operating successfully in neighbouring countries and elsewhere in the world.
"We have ambitious goals – this year we aim to increase access to international funding by 20%, and in the future to double it. The main task of the Grant Office will be to support scientists," says RTU Vice-Rector for Research Maira Indrikova.
She explains that the office staff will inform researchers about calls for proposals from the European Union (EU) and other major international and national programmes, provide consultations and support in project preparation and, in the future, also in project administration. The office will organise training activities and maintain and expand contacts with international partners, creating opportunities for researchers to participate in and lead increasingly significant and interdisciplinary research consortia.
The new office will be headed by Lauma Muižniece starting from 1 February. She has extensive experience in research management, technology transfer, research commercialisation, and international cooperation.
It is envisaged that the Grant Office will not only help increase the number of project applications submitted and approved by RTU and attract greater external funding, but also improve project quality and, significantly, create better conditions for researchers by allowing them to devote more time to science. Researchers from different regions will have equal access to funding, and support is also planned for the development of region-specific project ideas.
Until now, the project application process at RTU has been decentralised. By structurally reforming this system, RTU is adopting international best practice. Examples from other Baltic universities clearly demonstrate that such centralised offices are one of the cornerstones of success in attracting EU funding. The University of Tartu, whose Grant Office places strong emphasis on attracting European Research Council (ERC) grants, has even received recognition for its excellence in securing them. The university’s significant contribution to scientific added value and the amount of funding attracted also testify to its strong institutional research capacity. Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) and Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) have also been successful in attracting funding and centrally managing research and development project administration. KTU is Lithuania’s leading university in attracting financing for EU framework programmes. Centralised support mechanisms have also been widely implemented elsewhere, including in the United Kingdom and the United States.
