The Department of Geosciences has been highly successful in the number of projects approved under the current Interreg V-A Italia-Malta Operational Programme (2014-2020).
Four project proposals, in which the Department has a major role, have been approved for funding under Priority Axes 2 and 3, while the decisions for Priority Axis 1 are still awaited. The total value of these four projects is around 8 million euro with a large funding component directed to the research groups of the Department.
Out of the 6 Italia-Malta projects awarded to the University of Malta, four are being managed by staff at the Department of Geosciences. This represents a 50% share of the total of eight Italia-Malta projects approved at a national scale in the last Call. The successful projects are:
Four project proposals, in which the Department has a major role, have been approved for funding under Priority Axes 2 and 3, while the decisions for Priority Axis 1 are still awaited. The total value of these four projects is around 8 million euro with a large funding component directed to the research groups of the Department.
Out of the 6 Italia-Malta projects awarded to the University of Malta, four are being managed by staff at the Department of Geosciences. This represents a 50% share of the total of eight Italia-Malta projects approved at a national scale in the last Call. The successful projects are:
CALYPSO – SOUTH, led by the Physical Oceanography Research Group within the Department and mainly intended to extend the real-time HF-radar monitoring network for sea surface currents and waves in the Malta shelf area to cover the sea area south of the Maltese islands.
SIMIT-THARSY, a continuation of the SIMIT project in the previous programme, in which tsunami scenarios will be modelled and evaluated. This project will see the enhancement of real-time earthquake monitoring systems for the Maltese islands and Central Mediterranean. It is led by the regional Civil Protection Department of Sicily.
NEWS, in which coastal risk processes will be modelled and monitored and an alert system designed. The system will make use of an integrated geophysical sensor network on land as well as a networked set of a wave buoys installed offshore Sicily and the Maltese Islands. The project is led by the University of Enna, Sicily.
HARMONY, led by the University of Palermo, which will deal with the harmonisation of environmental monitoring protocols conducted by Malta and the region of Sicily so as to comply with Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) obligations.
The projects will consolidate and widen the close collaboration with a number of Universities and scientific institutions in Sicily and Italy, as well as other institutional partners from Malta. They will also enable the Department of Geosciences to make a significant investment in equipment and software for further research and training purposes in the fields of applied oceanography, seismic hazard and risk, tsunami modelling, and geophysical monitoring and investigations.