€40m has been announced in State funding by Science Foundation Ireland’s Investigators
The Science Foundation Ireland’s Investigators Programme allocated the funding of €40m for 24 major research projects across the country, through a stream provided by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.
Grants issued through the funding will be awarded in sums ranging from €500,000 to €2.7m over four to five year periods. Overall the funding will support around 200 researchers.
Innovation minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor said the funding provides and important platform for researchers.
“Engaging with 39 companies, the programme offers researchers the opportunity to develop their careers, as well as providing industry collaborators with access to the wealth of outstanding expertise and infrastructure found throughout the island.
“The alignment of the Investigators Programme with Horizon 2020, the European Union’s research funding programme, will lead to further successes in leveraging EU resources and increasing international collaboration. The projects within this programme clearly demonstrate excellent and impactful research which is a key goal of the Government’s science and innovation strategy – Innovation 2020,” the minister said.
Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) is the national foundation for investment in scientific and engineering research. SFI invests in academic researchers and research teams who are most likely to generate new knowledge, leading edge technologies and competitive enterprises in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
The Foundation also promotes and supports the study of, education in, and engagement with STEM and promotes an awareness and understanding of the value of STEM to society and, in particular, to the growth of the economy.
