The University of Malta (UM) has a long-standing experience with the supporting, financial and administrative management of hundreds of EU-funded projects under the Lifelong Learning Programme, Erasmus+ KA1 and KA2, Horizon 2020, local research and funding programmes and many others. It is also in regular collaboration with local public authorities and industry in both the educational field in order to align its programmes with market needs as well as in Research and Innovation with the pooling in of expertise and infrastructure. Professional support for these management aspects are available to the coordinators:

1) Research Support Services Directorate (RSSD) that provide comprehensive support to researchers on all aspects of undertaking excellent research, from obtaining funding to undertaking experimental work;

2) Project Support Office (PSO) that gives budgeting and financial support during the pre and post-award phases;

3) Knowledge Transfer Office (KTO) which supports researchers in collaborating with industry, provides support and assistance in assessing the commercialisation potential of technologies developed through research and assists in protecting patentable ideas;

4) Communication office that helps in disseminating results to a wide audience through a number of vehicles;

5) Centre for Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation (CEBI) which supports researchers interested in commercializing their ideas;

6) Legal office that provides legal guidance;

7) HRM&D that provides assistance in recruitment and administrative support; and

8) IT services which maintain and develop the UM’s IT infrastructure;

9) The key experts involved in the project have an extensive experience in teaching and research duties. In particular, they are knowledgeable, and regularly perform research, on cultural heritage and archaeological sites as well as on issues related to geohazard and georisks. They employ modern technologies, such as virtual reality and image processing, to integrate and better interpret geophysical findings. They regular publish in peer-review journals.

The University has been involved as coordinator and partner in numerous EU-funded projects under various Programmes including Horizon 2020 (46 projects of which 20 are still ongoing); Erasmus+ (73 projects of which 29 are still ongoing as they were awarded in the previous three years); FP6 (3 projects); FP7 (40 projects); DG Justice Freedom and Security (12 projects of which 10 are still ongoing); Italia-Malta (30 projects, of which 12 are still ongoing); ESF (8 projects); 1 COST ACTION Grant that is still ongoing and various other international and regional programmes and initiatives. The University is also represented in a number of European and International University networks and groups. In particular the recently established Department of Geosciences had gained large experience in participating in several of the programmes mentioned above and related to the research activities performed within the Department. Furthermore, academic staff of the Departments are involved in several COST Actions funded by the EU. The Department has successfully participated in projects that can have a strong link with this proposal (funded by Erasmus+ KA2 – Strategic Partnerships) such as: