Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 16 September 2016
1891. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Science Foundation Ireland investigator awards currently active; the number of principal investigators currently supported; the number that have been awarded each year since 2010; the annual budget cost; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25994/16]
View answerThe number of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Investigator Awards (IvP) currently active is 198, the number currently supported is the same, at 198 Awards.
The number of Investigator Awards that have been awarded each year since 2010 and the annual budget cost is outlined in Table A below.
Table A
|
Year |
Number of Awards |
Cost |
|
2010 |
71 |
€8m |
|
2011 |
30 |
€14m |
|
2012 |
0 |
€16m |
|
2013 |
83 |
€31m |
|
2014 |
40 |
€43m |
|
2015 |
23 |
€34m |
|
2016 |
24 |
€30m |
|
Total |
271 |
€176 |
The cost of the programme in a given year cannot be compared with the number of new awards in that year. New awards will lead to costs over the lifetime of the award. The cost of the Programme in a given year also relates to awards made in previous years and award size can vary.
The SFI Investigators Programme supports the development of world-class research capability and human capital in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) that demonstrably support and underpin enterprise competitiveness and societal development in Ireland.
The IvP Awards provide support to researchers to build capacity, expertise and relationships that will allow researchers based in Ireland to lead consortia and to win further support through various non-Exchequer funding schemes, such as Horizon 2020 and support relevant collaborations and partnerships between academia and industry. Thus this significant investment in the Investigators Programme by SFI is a core part of their suite of programmes and the objectives of the programme are clearly aligned to Innovation 2020 goals.
