Robert Troy
Question:277. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there are any funding opportunities for research projects for Northern Ireland. [6996/24]
View answerWednesday, 14 February 2024
Questions (277)
Written answers
Research in Agriculture and the Environment has been an area of long standing collaboration between Northern Ireland and the Republic. My Department's major research funding sees large research Calls funding run every second year. Typically, these include scope for collaboration with specified Northern Irish Research Performing Organisations.
My Department and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Northern Ireland agree a co-funding arrangement in these Calls, subject to budget availability, to facilitate the involvement of Northern Irish partners in applications in specific research areas. Under the 2023 DAFM Thematic Call for example, I announced awards of just over €24 million for 20 projects and €1.9 million of this was from DAERA for Northern Irish participants collaborating in five of the projects.
In addition, the US-Ireland R&D Partnership is a tri-jurisdictional alliance between Ireland, Northern Ireland and the United States which was officially launched in 2006. Its aim is to promote collaborative innovative research projects which create value above and beyond individual efforts. There are thirteen agriculture, food and bioeconomy areas which researchers can apply to on an annual basis. Projects must have partners from Ireland, Northern Ireland and the USA.
Researchers also have opportunities to collaborate through the funding mechanism contained in Horizon Europe.