Ó An Roinn Breisoideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta
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Taoiseach Simon Harris and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Patrick O’Donovan have today announced the launch of the second call for research proposals under the North-South Research programme (NSRP).
The NSRP, which is being delivered by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Shared Island Unit at the Department of the Taoiseach, was established to support collaborative basic and strategic research, innovation and development on a cross-border basis.
This second call for proposals, which is prioritising substantial collaborations between North-South research teams as well as higher education and research institutions, will see the successful projects given funding of up to €4 million over a four-year period.
Speaking today, the Taoiseach said:
“I am delighted to see the second call of the North-South Research Programme has now been launched.
“The first call has been particularly successful in promoting a diverse range of collaboration and partnerships and the significant funding announced today will help us build on the successes of the first phase.
“All-island research cooperation is a priority for Government as part of the Shared Island initiative and this funding is evidence of our ongoing commitment to fostering new North-South research collaborations.”
Minister O’Donovan added:
“This significant investment will further support the deepening of links between higher education and research institutions, as well as providing the opportunity to link into enterprise.
“The HEA has reported the positive impact the NSRP has had to date for researchers and research communities, North and South. The benefits of their work will impact on all of us living on this island.
“I am confident that the second call will lead to sustainable and long-term cross-border partnerships.”
The first call, which was funded to the value of €37.28m, led to the establishment of some 62 North-South projects, researching topics from the economic impact of railways to building critical mass in precision cancer research.
Building on the success of the first call, it is anticipated that the successful projects of the second call will help deepen connections and lead to more sustainable collaborative institutional relationships on the island.
There has been a huge level of interest in the NSRP since its launch in 2021, with over 360 applications in total submitted to the HEA for the first call.
An inaugural NSRP conference “A Catalyst for All-Island Collaboration in Research Excellence” will take place on 28 November in Croke Park. This event will showcase the all-island collaborative research and innovation being progressed by the projects funded across all disciplines.
The Programme for Government includes the commitment to “support a North/South programme of research and innovation” and the North-South Research Programme is a significant implementation of that commitment.
The North-South Research Programme was resourced with an initial commitment of €40m from the Government’s Shared Island Fund alongside resourcing from the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. A further allocation of €10m from the Shared Island Fund was made by the Government in December 2022 to contribute to a second call under the programme.
The second call, which has been announced today, provides for the development of Emerging Hubs of Excellence which will support academic research teams to collaborate on a shared work programme and Partnerships of Scale. Applications will be open to all eligible researchers in any discipline, at early, mid or advanced stages of their careers.
It will be administered through approximately four medium-scale competitive funding awards (€4m each) over a four-year period.
R&I funding is characterised by the involvement of stakeholders at all phases of the R&I project, and by identification at the outset of the tangible outcomes possible for these stakeholders.
Further information on the Shared Island Initiative, including on other projects supported through the Government’s Shared Island Fund, is available at www.gov.ie/sharedisland