According to the press release, the expenditure will cover the running costs of the BrainVisionCenter, which will investigate the possibility of restoring sight, and the Molecular Fingerprint Research Centre, which will work on early detection of diseases, for the coming years. The Cooperative Doctoral Programme (CDP) will support the studies and research of up to a hundred winning students a year with a monthly grant of HUF 400,000.
In the BrainVisionCenter Knowledge and Competence Centre, to be established from a government funding of HUF 5.2 billion, the research team of Botond Roska will join forces with the experts of Femtonics Kft., the company that produced the prototype of a ventilator manufactured in Hungary. The knowledge-dissemination organisation plans to bring innovative technologies and therapeutic procedures to the table for vision restoration, diagnosis and therapy of central nervous system diseases, they said.
The press release also mentions that the Molecular Fingerprinting Research Centre, led by Ferenc Krausz, will receive a HUF 1.5 billion grant. The professor, who recently received the Wolf Prize, is working to further develop his method for early disease detection by exploiting the opportunities offered by the Szeged Laser Centre. The research combines laser physics, molecular science and machine learning to create a new platform for modern medicine. Early detection of cancers and cardiovascular diseases can often be life-saving, but definitely allows for more effective interventions.
The Cooperative Doctoral Programme (CDP) will provide over HUF 4 billion in funding to talented Hungarian researchers over the next three years. The doctoral students will do the doctoral research of their choice at the doctoral school but in collaboration with the business sector. The CDP provides targeted support for talented young Hungarians to start their careers and for experienced senior professionals to continue their academic careers, in line with the needs of industry and service sectors. Grantees will also receive significant support from the host and supporting doctoral school, the supervisor and the company expert, the released said.
József Bódis, state secretary for higher education, innovation and vocational training of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology, is quoted as saying: “the government intends to increase the share of R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP to 3% by 2030. We are working to ensure that Hungary becomes a major innovator nation in Europe by the beginning of the next decade. The number of researchers in Hungary has now doubled, with Hungary recording the biggest increase among EU countries since 2010. The targeted promotion of innovation, including R&D related to the health economy, will strengthen our self-sufficiency and can lead to the creation of products and services that are marketable abroad.”
Source: MTI