A collaboration between Ireland, Northern Ireland and the U.S has been in operation for 16 years, and together they have announced the 2022 Call for Proposals in Agriculture. The partnership, under the US-Ireland Research and Development is a product of the Northern Ireland Peace Process. It involves these governments working together for scientific progress by awarding grants for research on a competitive basis.
The partnership was launched in 2006 and to date, a total combined funding of €105.7 million has been awarded to 65 projects in seven priority areas which include:
- Cybersecurity
- Agriculture
- Health
- Nanoscale science and engineering
- Sensors and sensor networks
- Telecommunications
- Energy and sustainability.
According to Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Matin Heydon the partnership is moving into a new phase with an expanded range of research opportunities regarding research proposals. In announcing the call for proposals in agriculture, Minister Heydon says, “the Food Vision 2030 strategy aims for an innovative, competitive and resilient agri-food sector, driven by technology and talent.”
“This new tri-partite call between Ireland, Northern Ireland and the U.S delivers on this commitment and represents a significant opportunity for international collaboration in research areas that have become increasingly important for the agricultural sector,” he said.
The 2022 agriculture call reinforces the importance of international scientific partnership on critical research topics, while also extending new opportunities for the co-funding of joint research proposals.