University-army project to detect biological agents

Minister for Further Education Simon Harris and Defence Minister Simon Coveney announced the €2.4m SFI-Organisation Innovation Challenge on Thursday.

Portable devices to enable the military to detect biological agents used in a hostile act is one of a raft of research projects competing for a Government fund.

Ten projects have been shortlisted under a Science Foundation of Ireland (SFI) scheme bringing academic researchers and Defence Forces' staff together.