Welcome to MCST!
The Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST), acting for and on behalf of the Foundation for Science and Technology, is a public body established by the central government in 1988 with the mandate of advising government on science and technology policy.
Raising the profile of Research and Innovation (R&I) across the local community
MCST champions R&I engagement across public, academic and private sectors and provides support measures across the research eco-system to help your ideas become a reality. MCST also creates a basis for science education, popularisation and communication for young students, for the eventual upskilling of the sector and capacity building.
Explore Our Main Services
R&I Programmes
MCST manages national funds for R&I through the development and operation of programmes, which in turn, create vehicles for research across the public, academic and private sectors. A portfolio of funding programmes provides researchers with the opportunity to translate their ideas into tangible projects and eventual products or services.
Horizon Europe
Horizon Europe with a budget of around €95.5 billion for 2021-2027, will boost our recovery and make the EU more resilient for the future. Horizon Europe will be implemented also through the European Defence Fund and complemented by the Euratom Research and Training Programme.
Image: NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team
Space Directorate
MCST has been tasked with the coordination and governance of space-related matters in Malta. MCST also drives the building of relationships with foreign space agencies, the Maltese Government, industry and the educational sector. It actively encourages the uptake of the sector through a number of awareness-raising, capacity building and research programme initiatives.
Internationalisation
MCST acts as a national contact point organisation for several international collaboration initiatives such as PRIMA, JPI programmes and Horizon Europe Partnerships, such that the local community builds capacity of international repute. MCST also engages with contacts across the globe to open new opportunities for cooperation. Examples of this are the relationships with the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) to strengthen the scientific collaboration with the respective countries. In addition, MCST participates in several internationalisation platforms, including the 5+5 Dialogue, the Union for the Mediterranean, and the ERA Forum Standing Subgroup on the Global Approach, amongst others. MCST also engages with the international R&I community by participating in European Funded projects.
Esplora, Malta’s Interactive Science Centre, is an informal educational and recreational facility suited to visitors of all age groups.
Plumtri provides an opportunity for researchers to connect and network with one another, as well as to gain access to relevant information on a multitude of R&I developments, events and funding opportunities
We provide researchers and stakeholders with expert advice on obtaining support for their research idea and manage national funding programmes for the benefit of local researchers. Our team also offers support on European funding as well as internationalisation opportunities, pushing research ideas beyond our shores
Contact Details
Address: The Malta Council for Science and Technology, Villa Bighi, Triq il-Marina, Kalkara KKR 1320 Phone: +356 2360 2200 Email: info.mcst@gov.mtThis article was last updated on: April 6, 2022