Research grants of €10m awarded to projects in 13 institutions

GRANT awards of €10 million for collaborative research projects in 13 institutions across Ireland, have been announced by Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney.

Speaking at an event in the Backweston Laboratory Campus near Celbridge, Co Kildare, Mr Coveney said the awards “help to underpin the sector by putting valuable expertise, capacity and capability at the disposal of industry while also feeding the pipeline for future innovation and commercialisation in the sector”.

The awards cover many research themes including a dairy research programme focused on cheese and infant formula; a gaseous emissions and land use network; and a programme on forest genetic resources.

The minister also launched two new documents: Food Research Ireland — meeting the needs of Ireland’s food sector through research and innovation; and Stimulating Sustainable Agricultural Production through Research & Innovation’ (SSAPRI).

These constitute strategic research agendas for food and agricultural production respectively. They identify investment areas that will help guide future funding decisions.

Mr Coveney said: “I would like to thank Dan Browne, who chaired the food group, and Matt Dempsey, who chaired the agricultural production group.

“I believe the completion of these documents is very timely as it not only constitutes delivery of some Food Harvest 2020 key actions but also enables us to make an early start on implementing some of the priorities likely to emerge under the National Research Prioritisation Exercise.”

Mr Coveney also congratulated those involved in successes under Call 5 of the Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology theme area of the EU 7th Framework Programme.