Wilfred Kenely, RIDT CEO
Once again we are updating you about the initiatives and the outreach programmes that the RIDT has been embarking on during the past months. Society is responding to our appeals for more investment in research, and we are also very happy to note that for the first time ever, the national budget has an allocation dedicated for university research. Small steps, but indeed significant.
Since its setting up in 2011 the RIDT has financed over 60 research projects, including 7 PhD scholarships – 3 of which in cancer research. We have managed to raise around €3.5 million through direct donations from all sectors of the Maltese community. This support has allowed the researchers of the University of Malta to be more ambitious in what they want to achieve and in some instances provided the means for them to turn these ambitions into realities.
The recently published RIDT annual report for 2018 gives an account of the diversity of the research activities that we have been financing thanks to your contributions. From the conservation of the majestic murals at the Palace of the President in Valletta, to the use of thermal imaging for the early detection of skin cancer, and to the use of bacteria for the deterioration of plastics. The list is long and varied, one that covers a wide range of areas of study and does not stop with health-related research. I invite you to grab a copy of this report or to download a digital copy from our website.
These donations – your donations, are making a difference in the way that the University of Malta operates. They are helping our University to remain at the forefront of research and innovation and they are helping us offer scholarships to talented young people who wish to join the engine of investigation and experimentation, which is the driver of knowledge-based societies. For this we are very grateful.
We thank you for your generous support.
Wilfred Kenely