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More than double the number of applications for the Research Excellence Programme 2024, a project to support academics and researchers, was launched on 27 February at the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) campus in Gödöllő. The selected professionals will receive funding of around 4 million HUF each over the two-year duration of the programme.  

Seeing the success of the programme launched last year on a pilot basis, the university's management announced the Research Excellence Programme for this year as well, under which MATE will provide research funding of 2 million HUF gross per staff member per year (4 million HUF in total) from February this year until December 2025 to the programme's participants - nearly seventy of them - thus reducing the burden of their research activities. 

In his speech at the opening ceremony held at the Szent István Campus, Dr. Csaba Gyuricza, Rector of the University, recalled that the MATE 2030 Action Plan, which sets out the goals and tasks of the University for the next six years, has recently been completed. These goals are to be among the world's leading universities by 2030, to become the region's leading agricultural-focused higher education institution and to be among the top 100 agricultural universities in the world. "We have started on this path", said Dr. Csaba Gyuricza, adding that the basic pillars of this plan include making Hungarian agriculture competitive, and MATE intends to provide differentiated support, motivation and incentives for all employees of the university to ensure this. "Not only for the lecturers and researchers, but also for the functional staff, as it is the balance of the two that can move the university forward and bring it into harmony," he underlined.  

The Rector of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences said that the Research Excellence Programme has a key role to play in this approach. He was pleased to recall that there had been twice the number of applications for the funding opportunity, which was originally planned for sixty people. A total of sixty-seven applications were finally selected, extending the initial allocation.  

In view of the popularity of the programme, Dr Gyuricza also pointed out that in the near future there could be the possibility of funding 8-12 research groups - to the tune of tens of millions of forints. 

He concluded that the new programme "is an incentive beyond moral support that can help colleagues to achieve even better results". He added that, in addition to the opportunities offered by the programme, participation also brings a responsibility, as "they have to set a good example to younger researchers, doctoral students and undergraduates. It's definitely worth doing research, it's worth doing well, because there are role models who are already being recognised and are getting into this elite club." 

Dr. Zoltán Kovács, Head of Research Strategy and Research Excellence Programme , summarized in his presentation that "the explicit aim of this programme is to support MATE's excellent researchers in enhancing their scientific performance, achieving their research ambitions and increasing their international recognition." He added that "in this way we contribute to the creation of a staff segmentation in line with the university strategy, to the change of university culture and to the overall strengthening of the research strategy of our university." 

The opening ceremony also said that the selection committee considered the applicants' professional and independent research performance, as well as the excellence, ambition, innovativeness and feasibility of the research proposal submitted. Dr. Csaba Gyuricza wished the participants selected for the programme a successful research career by presenting them with diplomas.  

In addition to financial support, the Research Excellence Programme 2024 will also provide the opportunity for the selected researchers to participate in various professional community events, to make their work and achievements more visible in the international arena and, last but not least, to help them build their career paths.