5 July 2021

Universities Ireland welcomes today’s announcement by An Taoiseach Micheal Martin TD and Simon Harris TD, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, that €40 million will be invested in a North-South Research programme.  This significant amount, provided through the Shared Island Fund, will support the deepening of links between higher education institutions, researchers and research communities on the island of Ireland.  This is an exciting opportunity to bring researchers, research teams and third level institutions North and South together and build on existing relationships and cooperation.

Following a call for proposals, individual researchers based in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will be able to seed their partnerships with funding of up to €100,000 per year for up to two years. Larger projects between North-South research teams will receive funding of up to €1m. Each project will be based on first class research and will be of benefit to all people living on the island of Ireland.

Professor Ian Greer, President of Universities Ireland said “this important initiative will play a critical role in realising the enormous potential of collaboration across the Universities on the island, Further, it will foster even greater opportunities for partnerships on the global stage, stemming from the international excellence of our research, which is so important for innovation that can drive economic recovery and growth”.

The university sector welcomes the Government’s commitment to invest in knowledge and skills as a key driver in the recovery and for having the vision to see how higher education and research can strengthen the island of Ireland’s place in an increasingly competitive environment globally. Universities Ireland look forward to working in partnership with the HEA and Irish Universities Association on this important initiative, which brings all elements of the higher education system North and South together to work on the great challenges we face on this island.

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Tricia Kelly

Universities Ireland

tricia.kelly@qub.ac.uk

https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/cb3c4-taoiseach-and-minister-harris-announce-40-million-funding-for-north-south-research-programme/