Government aims to increase R&D spend to €5b by 2020
The Government launches today a new five-year science strategy, which aims to double total spending on research and development in Ireland to €5 billion by 2020.
The strategy, titled Innovation 2020, also details a five year plan for science and technology which hopes to see an increase of 30pc in research masters and PhD enrolements.
Welcoming the new strategy Professor Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland said: “Innovation 2020 is an ambitious strategy that will futureproof our economy by focusing on excellence, talent and impact. Science Foundation Ireland looks forward to implementing a number of new initiatives as part of Innovation 2020, such as the development of challenge based funding, open calls to support individual investigators at different career stages and a new research centres call in 2016. Implementing Innovation 2020 is an investment in Ireland’s future and is central to retaining and creating jobs.”
As part of the implementation of Innovation 2020 Science Foundation Ireland will undertake to explore and develop the following new initiatives during 2016:
Challenge-based funding mechanisms aimed at stimulating solution-driven collaborations and engagement with the industry, academic and civic communities in identifying the research challenges that Ireland could and should be addressing. Science Foundation Ireland aims to consult and plan in 2016 with a view to launching a challenge-based funding programme in 2017.
SFI Research Centres – a call for proposals for new SFI Research Centres in 2016. The call will be open to applications in any area under Science Foundation Ireland’s legal remit where strong evidence can be provided for significant industrial relevance and strong economic impact.
SFI Investigators Programme 2016 will be an open call for all areas under Science Foundation Ireland’s legal remit , spanning the full spectrum of endeavor from frontiers research to applied research. The aim is to support the development of world class research capability and human capital in STEM research through the funding of outstanding people with innovative ideas.
SFI President of Ireland Future Research Leaders Programme is a new programme ,which will launch in early 2016 that aims to recruit top-tier early and mid-career researchers to carry out their research in Ireland.
PhD funding programme – Science Foundation Ireland will develop during 2016 a new structured PhD programme, based on the world class SFI Research Centres, but with the aim of drawing additional researchers in the HEIs into those Centres . The structured training part of the programme will be collaborative with industry to ensure that graduates are equipped with a broad set of skills necessary to meet the demands of the industrial workforce of the future.
