Coinciding with Science Week 2021, two research opportunities have been announced in the areas of zoonoses and animal health, and biodiversity and ecosystems.
The European projects – €600,000 of Irish funding available for each one – are now open to joint proposals from eligible Irish research performing organisations (RPOs).
The projects highlight the importance of ‘One Health’ approaches to animal health and welfare, as well as the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem health across agricultural and marine environments, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
The official information for each topic is as follows:
- The European Research Areas Network (ERANET) joint call on International Co-ordination of Research on Infectious Animal Diseases (ICRAD) to support a ‘One Health Approach to Zoonoses Research & Innovation’;
- The Horizon Europe Partnership on Biodiversity, BiodivERsA+, Joint Transnational Call to support ‘The Protection of Biodiversity and Ecosystems across Land and Sea’.
Funding and themes
The BiodivERsA+ Partnership call supporting ‘The Protection of Biodiversity and Ecosystems across Land and Sea’ is jointly funded nationally through a collaborative partnership led by the Environmental Protection Agency and supported by the DAFM and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The DAFM is providing funding of €600,000 to successful Irish RPO research proposals that have agricultural relevance to the department.
Joint research proposals are sought by November 30, 2021 on the call’s themes covering:
- Knowledge for identifying priority conservation areas, establishing effective and resilient ecological networks, and enhancing species-based protection;
- Multiple benefits and costs of biodiversity and ecosystem protection: synergies and trade-offs.
Irish financial support for ICRAD’s ‘One Health Approach to Zoonoses Research & Innovation’ call is being provided through the DAFM Research Programme.
The total public funding available to Irish RPOs in respect of this call is €600,000.
Joint research proposals are sought by December 15, 2021 on the call’s themes covering:
- The development and integration of new generic tools and systems for better prevention and improved preparedness to react to infectious animal disease outbreaks;
- The design and development of new or improved vaccines, diagnostic and surveillance tools and vaccination/immuno-stimulation.