Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1415381
30.9.2021 6 NEWS IN a bid to narrow the gap between sci- ence and the community, Esplora In- teractive Science Centre is exploring and looking into ways and means for researchers to engage in a dialogue with local communities and raise awareness of the relevance of science to society. Esplora drives this by being chair of the National 'STEM Engagement Working Group' set up in 2019 to primarily address the skills gap in STEM – Science, Tecn- hology, Engineering and Mathematics. e working group incorporates major national stakeholders in the field of STEM including the University of Malta (UM), the Malta College of Arts Science and Technology (MCAST), Ministry for Ed- ucation, Institute for Education, JobsPlus, National Skills Council and Tech.mt. e €24,000 STEM Community Fund was launched by the the Hon. Owen Bonnici, Minister for Equality, Research and Innovation and Dr Jeffrey Pulli- cino Orlando, Executive Chairman of the Malta Council for Science and Tec- nhnology (MCST) on the 28th of Sep- tember during a press conference held at Villa Bighi Chapel on MCST's prem- ises, Kalkara. e fund aims to provide a means for researchers and communities to get together and address interests that will benefit the community as a whole. During his speech, the Minister for Equality, Research and Innovation Owen Bonnici said that this is another effort to bring the sciences closer to our citizens. "When people in the community expe- rience science and its benefits upclose," Minister Bonnici said, "they can under- stand better its importance and its rele- vance to their own lives. In this way, we can keep increasing citizens' interest in science and research and perhaps even attract more students to opt for careers in scientific research." "It is only through the involvement of citizens themselves, that we can bring about new and effective solutions for the challenges being faced by the wr- old today, such as pollution and climate change," Minister Bonnici explained. Executive Chairman of the Malta Council for Science and Technology, Dr Jeffrey Pullicno Orlando said that: "Esplora's main aim, led by the Malta Council for Science and Technology, is to drive forward and strengthen the knowledge, education and participatory methods in STEM within the commu- nity." He added that "the main scope of launching this fund today is for schools, Local Councils, non-governmental or- ganisations (NGOs) and other organisa- tions or individuals belonging to a spe- cific community who have an innovative research idea that can be of benefit to the local community and society at large. Each project can receive a maximum al- location of 8,000 euro." Ultimately, the idea is to engage with a STEM researcher in order to devel- op a STEM community-based project. e total budget of the Fund for 2021 is 24,000 euro. e main costs identified as eligible for funding are the following: personnel, research costs, consumables, and dissemination costs. e projects will be evaluated and selected on the ba- sis of Excellence, Relevance of the Pro- ject to the Community and Impact & Legacy of the Project. Applications open on the 28th of Sep- tember via an online portal on Esplora's website. A letter of commitment from the researcher/STEM professional in- volved will need to be attached by the main applicant. e deadline for the submission of applications will be Wednesday No- vember 17th. Results are expected to be published in December 2021, with dis- bursement of 70 % (first tranche) of the grant being made by the end of 2021. Applicants will have one year to com- plete their projects. More detailed infor- mation can be found in the Guidelines published on Esplora's website through the following link: https://esplora.org. mt/the-stem-community-fund/ MCST launches a STEM Community Fund Owen Bonnici, minister for research and onnovation AN iGaming Council will be set up un- der the auspices of Gaming Malta which will include key industry operators and will serve as a forum to encourage di- rect communication with government partners, with the aim of building a closer relationship between the govern- ment and the sector, Minister for the Economy and Industry Silvio Schembri announced yesterday. Schembri inaugurated the new offic- es of Gaming Malta which are part of a building that houses a number of gov- ernment entities in Żejtun. "is event not only signifies the inau- guration of new offices but also clearly highlights the way we are intensifying our efforts to elevate the ecosystem of our country in the gaming sector, along with our commitment to continue to grow simultaneously as this industry continues to develop. erefore, these new offices are a symbol of our ongoing ambition towards the strengthening of this industry and this commitment will continue to intensify through Gaming Malta, ultimately ensuring that this sec- tor continues to grow," Schembri said. He also announced that in this context an iGaming Council will be set up, which will operate under the auspices of Gam- ing Malta. "is will include key industry opera- tors who will serve as a forum to encour- age direct communication with govern- ment partners, with the aim of building a closer relationship between the govern- ment and the sector," he said. Schembri referred to a report made by the recruitment company Boston Link which showed that jobs in the iGaming sector in Malta are increasing, as clearly shown by the first quarter of 2021, with the number of jobs created remaining steadily on an upward trend, reaching a pre-pandemic level. Moreover, the survey refers to Malta's iGaming job market as resilient, with statistics finding a considerable increase of 6% year on year, a continued demand for skill sets and a greater focus on com- pliance and the regulatory aspect. "As a government we will remain com- mitted to introducing more initiatives that will further strengthen the video gaming sector and the ecosystem for es- ports start-ups. is is so widely recog- nised that in the next two months Malta will be hosting two important events; iGaming Next in October and Sigma in November, both of which will welcome major operators in this sector", conclud- ed the minister. iGaming Council to be set up as link between sector and government Economy and Industry minister Silvio Schembri