14-07-16  81 million euro in aid to support young academics

Alternate Minister of Education, Research and Technology Sia Anagnostopoulou has approved an 81 million euro programme, that is to begin at the beginning of the academic year, to support young academics and to showcase their work in the academic community.

The programme includes an invitation to 1,860 Ph.D. degree holders annually to enable them to acquire academic and teaching experience in various university faculties, with a 21 million euro budget.

There is additional funding to award 422 scholarships through the Foundation of State Scholarships (IKY). After a five year hiatus in awarding scholarships, this will allow Ph.D. candidates to receive a scholarship of 817 euros each.

As a follow-up, as of the start of the upcoming academic year,  there are plans to support post-doctoral research with monthly stipends of 1,081 euros.

The programme also provides for funding in the 2016-17 academic year of research groups comprised of Ph.D. holders and Ph.D. candidates, with a 27 million euro budget.

All these initiatives, undertaken in the framework of the EU National Strategic Reference Framework (ESPA), will be repeated in cycleas through 2020, with the aim of helping young academics to work in dignified conditions, so that society may benefit from their research.