The Western University of Timișoara launched today, October 14, 2020, the project "The support center for participation in international projects - SupportTM”, which represents a firm commitment to increase competitiveness in research, development and innovation in the Western region.
The project launch conference was held in the UVT conference amphitheater, in a restricted setting, according to the provisions and recommendations regarding limiting and combating the spread of the SARS COV-2 virus, and the event was also broadcast online.
About this strategic project of the Western University of Timișoara, the rector of UVT, prof. Dr. Marilen Gabriel Pirtea states: "A very strong research team from the Western University of Timișoara, in the ITC field, is now involved in the development of this Support center for participation in international projects – SupportTM, a future UB-ITC useful for collaboration between research teams from the whole country, which will certainly become referential in high-performance research in Romania, financed by European programs. This support center will become an important resource for dynamizing projects with European funding from UVT, from research in the west of the country, with a strategic role for the evolution of Romanian university research".
The project implemented by UVT will have the general objective of increasing the capacity to participate in European competitions for international research-development or innovation projects of the University and other entities that request support in this regard, by providing support and facilitating training in terms of information , identifying partners and developing funding applications.
Univ. Assoc. Dr. Fortiș Teodor Florin, the project director, mentioned that the organization of this support center is among UVT's priorities, for a good support of the funding programs in which UVT engages, but also that this support center is the only one in the western part of the country, in a network of 11 support centers in the country, the field of intelligent specialization of the center in Timișoara being Information Technology and Communications.
The role of the support center for participation in international projects – SupportTM was mentioned by Prof. Univ. dr. Florin Alin Sava, vice-chancellor responsible for the strategy of research, development, innovation, artistic creation and sports performance in UVT, who emphasized the fact that the EU budget allocated to research has increased significantly in recent years, exemplified by H2020, a line from which UVT managed to access a total of approximately 1 million euros, through 11 projects.
The connection between the existing research centers at the level of the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics was emphasized by prof. dr. Daniela Zaharia, dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, who specified that more than 45 senior researchers are involved in the 6 research groups of the Informatics Research Center, coordinated by prof.univ.dr. Viorel Negru, but also over 15 senior researchers within the e-Austria Institute, coordinated by prof.univ.dr. Dana Petcu, carrying out dozens of research projects.
project SupportTM is co-financed from the Competitiveness Operational Program 2014-2020 within the call for projects POC/80/1/2 – Creating synergies with RDI actions of the ORIZONT 2020 framework program of the European Union and other international RDI programs, in accordance with the financing contract no. 246/30.04.2020.
The new project is implemented in the West region and has a duration of 39 months, to be completed on 29.06.2023. The total value of the financing contract is 2,935,018 lei, of which 2.494.765,3 lei is non-refundable financing.
SupportTM has as its general objective the creation of a Support Center at the Western University of Timișoara, whose mission is to increase the capacity to participate in European competitions for international CD-type projects, of the university and other entities that request support in this regard, through measures of support, facilitation and training in terms of access to information, identification of partners and development of funding applications.
Project activities include:
- Organization of the SupportTM Center and provision of administrative support for the management of funded projects;
- Documentation and information for the preparation of proposals for research-development-innovation projects;
- Dissemination of information regarding calls for projects funded by the European Commission in the field;
- Identification of potential interested partners;
- Organizing events for the preparation of proposals for research-development-innovation projects, which will be submitted within the competitions financed by Horizon 2020 and other international CDI programs;
- Conducting workshops and application work sessions;
- Providing administrative support for the management of funded projects in which the applicant entity participates;
Additional information can be obtained at the Western University of Timișoara
Project manager: Univ. Dr. Florin Teodor Fortis
Email: florin.fortis@e-uvt.ro
Project co-financed from the Competitiveness Operational Program 2014-2020
