At a showcase of its services, Seán Sherlock, T.D., Minister for Research &
Innovation, today commended the work of EURAXESS Ireland in helping to
deliver on Government’s programme for National Recovery by promoting
opportunities for researchers and facilitating them in either finding
opportunities in Ireland or elsewhere in Europe.
Speaking at the Showcase co-hosted by its joint funders, the Department of
Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation (DJEI) and the Irish Universities Association
(IUA), Minister Sherlock said, “The availability of top quality people to
deliver new knowledge and to turn it into goods, services and benefits for
our citizens is essential”.
“The programme for National Recovery includes an important role for
innovation and commercialisation. As a result of sustained national R&D
investment, Ireland has built a strong science base, and has joined
Finland, Germany and the US in the world’s top twenty countries for
scientific output. In addition, two thirds of Ireland’s R&D is in the
private sector, creating new product and service innovations that will
drive exports, growth, and jobs”, the Minister added.
The attraction of highly skilled people to Irish Industry & academia is a
key component of developing Ireland as an innovation leader. A key
initiative in helping to deliver on this objective is the Hosting Agreement
scheme, also known as the Scientific Visa.
The Hosting Agreement Scheme fast-tracks non-EU researchers’ immigration
and also allows the researcher’s immediate family to live in Ireland for
the agreement’s duration. The agreement also entitles the researcher’s
spouse and dependents to apply for a work permit.
Ireland voluntarily signed up to this EU Commission directive in October
2007 and was one of the first Member States to implement it. The scheme
has been very successful and to date the EURAXESS Ireland office has
processed over 1,000 Hosting Agreements for thirty accredited
organisations, and 460 researchers (15 % of the total Irish researcher
population).
“As companies engage more in research and innovation they should consider
the services of the EURAXESS office, and the benefits of the Hosting
Agreement Scheme, crucial in the recruitment of researchers”, said Minister
Sherlock.
Giving the keynote speech at the Showcase, Stefaan Hermans, Head of Unit at
the European Commission’s Directorate General Research and Innovation said,
“For the past decade the Commission has made significant efforts to
emphasise the importance of researcher mobility as part of career
development. Our aim has been to create a single market for research and
ease of researcher mobility is crucial to this”.
To overcome obstacles facing researchers the European Commission
established the EURAXESS Ireland office and portal in 2004. Part of a
European Network the office is located at the IUA and is co-funded by the DJEI
and the IUA. EURAXESS Ireland’s services and supports are available to
companies, research organisations and higher education institutions.
The EURAXESS Ireland office, one of over 200 services centres across
Europe, provides free advice and guidance to researchers and their families
on administrative, working and cultural matters including immigration,
residency and work permits, schooling, and other practical information to
guide them before and upon their arrival in Ireland.
The EURAXESS.ie Portal is a one-stop shop for researchers seeking to
advance their careers and personal development by moving to other
countries, and for organisations in search of the best European talent.
Part of a European network of thirty-seven national EURAXESS portals, it
provides access to a complete range of information and support services for
European and non-European.
EURAXESS.ie also hosts a job portal, which provides a free search facility
that allows employers to identify potential research vacancy candidates and
advertise their research vacancies. Uniquely, the Irish portal allows both
the researcher and research organisations to create profiles that link when
vacancies of mutual interest arise. There are now over 5,000 registered
portal users who receive regular job and funding opportunities updates.
Registered researchers can conduct a tailored search for available research
positions and funding opportunities according to their disciplinary and
professional experience.