Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2017
135. Deputy James Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the State agencies that are involved in research funding; the annual budget for research funding for each; the criteria applied to applications under each agency and to different streams within each agency in which they exist, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39302/17]
View answerThe agencies under the aegis of my Department with responsibility for research funding are Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. In addition, the Higher Education Authority administers the Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions on behalf of the Department.
Science Foundation Ireland:
The annual grants budget to Science Foundation Ireland for 2017 is €162.5 million.
Science Foundation Ireland funds across the career spectrum from early-stage researchers to mid-stage career researchers to emerging research stars and up to established highly-esteemed research leaders, through individual and collaborative awards. Science Foundation Ireland makes funding decisions based on rigorous international peer review processes. This process ensures that the agency is not only funding research that is excellent at an Irish level but that it is world leading as reviewed and agreed by international field specific leaders.
Science Foundation Ireland currently operates approximately 25 funding schemes, offering a balanced portfolio of programmes, many involving national and international collaborations with both small and large companies, charities, international funders as well as national funders such as Teagasc, the Marine Institute, Environmental Protection Agency, Health Research Board, etc. Each of the schemes has varying review and eligibility criteria attached to them based on the objective, award level and complexity. There are a number of core applicant eligibility criteria applied to the funding programmes. These are listed below by programme.
Each programme has a call document which outlines the eligibility criteria for each programme. All programme calls may be found at http://www.sfi.ie/funding/funding-calls/.
Enterprise Ireland:
Enterprise Ireland drives innovation in Irish industry by developing in-company capabilities and by leveraging all external assets, such as the higher education system, the investor community, the Foreign Direct Investment Multinational base and international funding/expertise to support company innovations.
The funding for Enterprise Ireland’s innovation programmes provides direct and indirect research development and innovation supports for indigenous companies, equity funding for new start-ups and support for the commercialisation of State funded research. In 2017 the annual budget for research funding was approximately €85m.
Typically in the application process Enterprise Ireland requirements include some of the following criteria. However, it differs depending on the programme:
- Applicants must show evidence of a commercial market for the proposed product or service.
- Applicants must prove that they will develop a business that is built upon on a strong foundation of innovation and/or technology.
- Companies who apply must be either Irish based manufacturing companies or Irish based internationally-traded services companies that can show adequate cash resources to implement the proposed project.
For specific programme application and eligibility criteria please follow the links in the table.
|
Programme |
2017 Budget € |
Link for application details |
|
Technology Gateways |
5,375,000 |
https://enterprise-ireland.com/en/Research-Innovation/Companies/Collaborate-with-companies-research-institutes/Technology-Gateway-Programme.html |
|
Innovation Partnerships |
9,230,000 |
https://www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/Funding-Supports/Researcher/Funding-to-Collaborate-with-Industry-in-Ireland/Innovation-Partnerships.shortcut.html |
|
Technology Centres |
22,330,000 |
https://enterprise-ireland.com/en/research-innovation/companies/collaborate-with-companies-research-institutes/technology-centres.html |
|
International Collaboration |
4,540,000 |
https://www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/Researchers/EU-Programmes-and-Networks/Horizon-2020.html |
|
Innovation Vouchers |
3,945,000 |
https://enterprise-ireland.com/en/Research-Innovation/Companies/Collaborate-with-companies-research-institutes/Innovation-Voucher.shortcut.html |
|
Commercialisation Fund |
17,040,000 |
https://enterprise-ireland.com/en/funding-supports/Researcher/Funding-to-Commercialise-Research/Commercialisation-Fund.html |
|
RD&I Fund |
23,310,000 |
https://enterprise-ireland.com/en/funding-supports/Company/Esetablish-SME-Funding/R-D-Fund-Large-Projects-.html |
|
85,770,000 |
The budget allocation for R&I in Enterprise Ireland is wider than that for the direct funding of research. This budget funds other initiatives to support the R&I ecosystem across Ireland, such as, the New Frontiers Entrepreneur Development Programme and Campus Incubation Programme.
IDA:
IDA Ireland grants paid for RD&I forms part of the overall annual Agency Grant Payment Budget.
As part of IDA Ireland’s current strategy (2015- 2019), IDA Ireland has committed to winning a cumulative €3bn in new RD&I Investment projects including in-house and collaborative RD&I projects with companies and universities by 2019. The table outlines results achieved in 2015 and 2016.
|
IDA R&D |
2015 |
2016 |
|
No of Research, Development & Innovation Projects won |
47 |
54 |
|
Investment in Research, Development & Innovation Projects |
€1.23bn |
€1.12bn |
|
Total R&D in-house Expenditure |
€1.5bn (Data refers to 2014) |
€1.5bn (Data refers to 2015) |
IDA approves Research Development & Innovation Grants and Feasibility Study Grants to its portfolio of clients under the following guidelines:
Research Development & Innovation:
Companies can avail of financial incentives to carry out in-house R&D projects and collaborative projects with third-level institutes and industrial partners. There is also a 25% tax credit available for companies engaging in R&D.
R&D Funding
Financial supports for small and large-scale product, process or service R&D projects and stimulation grants to assist companies not involved in R&D activities to investigate the potential for an R&D project.
PRTLI:
The Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions (PRTLI) which is managed by the Higher Education Authority on behalf of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, supports the provision of top-class research infrastructure (buildings, laboratories and cutting edge equipment) as well as human capital development, through structured PhD/emergent technology programmes across Ireland’s Higher Education Institutes (HEIs).
In 2017 the annual allocation to PRTLI was €14.4m. My Department is using the PRTLI allocation to meet remaining liabilities from Cycle 5 of PRTLI. Funding allocated to PRTLI has been and will continue to be used to pay off some of the remaining Exchequer commitments. HEIs have built new facilities, or developed new structured PhD programmes. They submit claims to recoup the State’s committed amount on the particular project subsequently to the Higher Education Authority which administers the PRTLI on behalf of DJEI.
