With a total budget of €34.000.000 and following the finalisation of the results of the ELIDEK action entitled: “1st Call for Research Projects EL.ID.E.K. for the support of Postdoctoral Researchers” with the contribution of the GET, 192 research projects of Greek postdoctoral researchers of high scientific quality and originality are in the implementation phase.

A total of 1,671 proposals were submitted under the action in the following scientific fields, with Life Sciences and Engineering and Technological Sciences attracting the largest number of proposals. In detail, the scientific fields with the corresponding number of projects to be implemented are listed below: physical sciences (24), engineering and technological sciences (41), life sciences (44), agricultural sciences (14), mathematics and information sciences (11), social sciences (29), humanities and arts (15), environment and energy (14).

Of the 192 research proposals included in the action, 37 come from Greek postdocs abroad, reaching 20% of the total, who are now given the opportunity to return and produce their research results in the country in cooperation with the Universities and Research Centres. In this way, the EL.ID.E.K. proceeds with steady steps in the utilization of research potential, releasing domestic creative forces and thus contributing substantially to the formation of the Knowledge Economy, aiming at the development and productive reconstruction of the country.

It is noted that among the institutions of origin of postdocs from abroad are top universities of international reputation, such as MIT (USA), Oxford University (UK), University of Copenhagen (DK), University of Cambridge (UK) and University Paris 6 (FR).

All the proposals submitted are clear and tangible evidence of the high quality of the Greek researchers, who will be the Scientific Directors of their research projects. In this way, the creativity and autonomy of Greek scientists is strengthened in practice, while the appropriate prospects for their academic and scientific development are created.

The EL.ID.E.K. continues its work by planning its next action on the 2nd call for research projects for the support of postdoctoral researchers with a budget of 16.580.000 euros, which is expected before the end of 2018.

With the finalization of the results of the first call for the support of Postdoctoral Researchers, the Deputy Minister of Education, Research and Religious Affairs, Mr. Kostas Fotakis underlined:
“The remarkable postdocs who with their high quality proposals have applied for and succeeded in obtaining funding from the EL.ID.E.K. will enrich the scientific staff of the country’s universities and research centres with new blood. However, the constraints on the available resources did not allow for the funding of even more worthy proposals. Through the possibility of implementing the research projects offered by the EL.ID.E.K., young researchers have the prospect of a dynamic scientific career with the advantage of being scientific leaders for the first time. The great challenge now will be to ensure continuity and consistency in the future actions of the EL.E.I.E.K.”.