Trinity appoints new Associate Director of European Engagement
Posted on: 18 September 2019
Trinity College has announced the appointment of a European programmes’ expert, Ms Doris Alexander, to the new role in the University as the Associate Director of European Engagement.
As Ireland’s leading research-intensive university, Trinity College Dublin has enjoyed much success in winning European funding, including over 25% of the prestigious European Research Council grants in Ireland. Ranked number 1 in Ireland it has secured €94.8m or approximately 14% of the national draw down from the EU Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 programme to date.
EU research funding is an important source of funding for the College comprising in a given year between 18-23% of its €100m research income. The College is currently ranked 34th out of all European education institutes that secured H2020 funding.
To build further on this success and in anticipation of the upcoming €100bn Horizon Europe programme, Trinity created the new position of Associate Director of European Engagement. In her new role Ms Alexander will aim to build on our success from the current Horizon 2020 programme and optimise our funding draw down in the successor programme, Horizon Europe.
To support the implementation of the Global Relations Strategy (GRS3), Ms Alexander will develop a strategy and plan for Trinity’s engagement in the Erasmus Programme calls, focusing initially on developing the relationships across select University partners as well as working with the relevant academic and administrative units in preparing joint programmes.
She will lead in the co-ordination and preparation of large institutional bids such as the recent successful application to a European University alliance, CHARM-EU. The role will also establish strong cross university alliances, including UK universities in the post Brexit era, to enhance the quality and attractiveness of European higher education and boost cooperation between institutions, their students and staff.
In making this announcement, Provost of Trinity College Dublin, Dr Patrick Prendergast, said:
In this new role, Ms Alexander will build on her strong network in Brussels, and across the European university ecosystem optimising Trinity’s engagement in European higher education. The role will also ensure that Trinity is prepared to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the €100bn Horizon Europe research programme which will run from 2021 to 2027. I am delighted to add this important new dimension to both Global Relations and Trinity’s Research and Innovation at Trinity.