On 10 July of this year, the Latvian Council of Science (LCS) made decisions on the results of the first competition of fundamental and applied research projects (FARP) in 2018. Latvian scientists submitted 397 project applications, of which 390 project applications participated in the scientific evaluation. The decision of LCS envisages financing only 61 projects or 16%, which confirms the high competition of applications. In the field of natural sciences, 119 applications were submitted, 99 were evaluated, but only 19 will be funded.

Ventspils University of Applied Sciences Engineering Research Institute "Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre" submitted 4 applications, of which 2 were approved, as well as another project approved in partnership with the Institute of Astronomy of the University of Latvia:         

Evolution of Organic Matter in the Regions of Star and Planet Formation (OMG, EUR 299 172),   

Research of Galactic Masers (GMP, EUR 299 973),                                                                                                                                                       

Complex investigations of Solar System small bodies (submitter Institute of Astronomy of the UL, VIRAC as a partner, EUR 300 000).  Achievements in such fierce competition should be considered as an excellent result, because VIRAC achieved the sixth best absolute result in Latvia after UL with 24 submitted projects and 1 partnership project, RTU - 11 and 0, respectively, Institute of Solid State Physics of UL - 6 and 0, Biomedical Research Centre - 3 and 2 and Institute of Organic Synthesis - 3 and 1, sharing the sixth place with Rīga Stradiņš University (also 2 and 1).     

In the field of natural sciences, every sixth approved project is associated with VIRAC. VIRAC was the best among regional scientific institutions, but calculating the share of approved projects per full-time equivalent of an employee or scientist, it claims the best result in Latvia.     

Such a good result was facilitated by the accumulated experience in EU Horison2020 programmes, the attraction of leading visiting researcher Antons Vasjuņins from the University of Munich, the growth of young scientists and doctoral students in Ventspils, as well as planned team work on technical preparation of applications.         

The members of the Latvian National Node Consortium of the EU JIV-ERIC and the Radio Astronomy Partnership Association EVN have been able to do even more - a total of 6 projects have been approved for 3 participants. Work is now underway on the implementation of the proposed research plan.       

After the modernization of both Irbene radio telescopes, VIRAC is implementing an active research program; Its project applications in the Latvian Council of Science grant competition have received an excellent evaluation this month.   

More: https://www.lzp.gov.lv/images/stories/dokumenti/par_fin_projektiem_2018_1.pdf