The government has approved €193m taxpayer funding for five third level research centres funded by Science Foundation Ireland over the next six years.
The centres carry out research into smart medical devices, e-health, telecommunications networks, cybersecurity, smart cities, artificial intelligence, ethics and data privacy, as well as applied geosciences, energy security and marine resources.
The taxpayer funding will pay for the salaries of c.1,000 graduate and post-doctoral students and research fellows at the centres during that time.
SFI director-general Mark Ferguson (pictured), chief scientific adviser to the government, said: "To maintain and build on Ireland’s global standing in research, innovation, and discovery, it is crucial that we invest in excellent ideas and research with impact. SFI research centres support both basic and applied research, spanning a wide range of sectors at varying levels and stages, and as a country we have benefited from their considerable contributions in the recent Covid-19 pandemic.
“We look forward to further strengthening our ability to positively impact our society and economy through excellent scientific research, with continued support from the government and industry in the years ahead."
In Association with
The five centres receiving this second phase of funding are:
- ADAPT: research centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology, led by Trinity College Dublin — €42m
- CONNECT: research centre for Future Networks and Communications, led by Trinity College Dublin — €39m
- CÚRAM: research centre for Medical Devices, led by NUI Galway — €46m
- iCRAG: research centre in Applied Geosciences led by University College Dublin — €28m
- Lero: research centre for Software, led by University of Limerick — €37m
