€25m funding for 'high-potential' research projects
Enterprise Minister Batt O’Keeffe today announced more than €25m over the next five years for 139 researchers to carry out cutting-edge work aimed at generating new jobs in the "smart" economy.
The researchers, based in Irish higher education institutions, were awarded the funding under Science Foundation Ireland’s Principal Investigator Programme which supports strategic work in the life science, information communications technology and sustainable energy sectors.
The selected researchers are working on 27 pioneering projects.
Announcing the funding, Minister O’Keeffe said the selected projects had “the capacity to create new jobs in the ‘smart’ economy because they targeted high-growth areas at the cutting-edge of innovation”.
“The wide range of projects on which the selected researchers are working capture the calibre of work under way in our higher education institutions.”
“Today’s Science Foundation Ireland awards are a very important contribution to our innovation ecosystem and a core component of the Government’s economic recovery project,” said Minister O’Keeffe.
Science Foundation Ireland directly supports more than 3,200 researchers who are collaborating with almost 400 indigenous and multinational firms here.
Among the research fields targeted by today’s funding are energy, environmental protection, health, agriculture and telecommunications.
Intel, Sigma Aldich, Seagate, ESB and Eirgrid are among the partner companies involved in the research projects which will result in new products, services and jobs.
