Cyprus

CY: Cyprus  RIF-Research and Innovation Foundation

The Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) is a non-profit private foundation with public mandate in Cyprus. It was founded in 1996 by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, to serve as the national agency for the promotion of scientific and technological research and innovation. The RIF has developed a number of activities which fall into two broad categories:

(a) The design, launching, funding and monitoring of national research programmes, aiming primarily at enhancing research, technological development and innovation activities in Cyprus and moreover at increasing the critical mass of researchers and research projects undertaken in Cyprus. The main instruments for achieving these goals involve competitive National Programmes developed and monitored by RIF. The related funds come from the Cyprus government budget and, as of 2008, from the Structural Funds of the European Union.

(b) The promotion of the participation of Cypriot researchers in European research programmes and international organisations (EU Framework Programmes, European Cooperation in Science and Research, Joint Research Centre, European Science Foundation, EUREKA). RIF is also responsible for the implementation of bilateral agreements on Research and Development (R&D) between the Government of Cyprus and the Governments of other countries.

The RIF has the overall responsibility for the coordination of activities relating to the Horizon 2020 Programme (a continued mandate since 1999: 5th, 6th and 7th Framework Programmes). The RIF has also been actively involved in a number of EC funded projects, including most of the FP7 NCP-Projects and a number of ERA-NET, ERA-NET PLUS and ERA-NET COFUND Projects, Article 185 Programmes and four JPIs.

It is also a member of the Enterprise Europe Networt (EEN).