Founded in 1996, the Research Promotion Foundation (RPF) www.research.org.cy was established at the initiative of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, to promote the development of scientific and technological research in Cyprus due to the fundamental importance of research in contemporary societies.

The Foundation is an independent organisation governed by a twelve-member Board of Directors, appointed by the Council of Ministers for a five-year period.
The Foundation’s core objective is the promotion of scientific and technological research in Cyprus. Several specific objectives and priorities have been defined by the Foundation’s Statute and the decisions of its Board of Directors, for the promotion of this main objective.

The Foundation has developed a wide range of activities throughout its ten-years presence in the research area of Cyprus. These fall into two main categories:

• Financing Research Projects through the Development and Monitoring of Competitive Programmes 

The first category of activities aims primarily at enhancing research, technological development and innovation activities in Cyprus and at the same time increasing the critical mass of researchers in Cyprus. These goals are implemented through different competitive research programmes and actions designed and implemented by RPF. The related funds come from the Cyprus government budget and, as from 2008, from the Structural Funds of the European Union.  

• Managing European Research and Innovation Projects and Promotion of International Cooperation in Research and Innovation

The second category encompasses the development of several activities to facilitate the creation of networks between Cypriot and foreign scientists. Most of these activities relate to the involvement of Cypriot scientists in European research and innovation programmes, the cooperation with international organisations supporting research and innovation activities and the implementation of Protocols of co-operations between Cyprus and other countries in the field of research and development.