The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) Annual Report 2023 outlines how the department spent money in research and innovation last year.
Department funding awarded to research projects totalled approximately €36 million last year. This included funding to co-funded projects led by other funders.
Across five headings – climate, environment, agriculture, bioeconomy, and food – the department’s spent, respectively in each heading: €18.5 million across 18 projects, €3.6 million across eight projects; €5.5 million across eight projects; €3.4 million across five projects, and €5.4 million across five projects.
Among these 44 research projects, 28 were national, eight were EU-based, five were international, while three were described as “co-funds”.
This research saw 69 post-graduate opportunities created, as well as 86 jobs in research, the annual report said.
Ireland now ranks third in the world for overall quality of agricultural science research, it noted.
The department also awarded €24.2 million to 20 projects under the 2023 National Thematic Research Call.
This call was focused around five themes:
- Climate, environment, biodiversity and ecosystem services;
- Smart, sustainable animal and plant production, health and welfare;
- Rural growth, digitalisation and the circular bioeconomy;
- Safe, healthy food for human nutrition;
- Smart food processing and manufacturing.
This investment provided direct employment for a further 62 post-doctorate and other contract researchers, as well as education for and training opportunities for 55 post-graduate students at masters and PhD levels.
Among the key international research partnerships the department took part in in 2023 were the Ireland-New Zealand Joint Research Initiative; the US-Ireland R&D (Research and Development) Partnership; and the Enteric Fermentation R&D Accelerator (Global Methane Hub).
The department also entered co-funding arrangements with Irish bodies and agencies in 2023, including the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
EU research and innovation funding
Ireland also received funding under the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, which, among other things, provides funding in the area of natural resources, agriculture and the environment.
In this area in 2023, Ireland received €30 million in EU contributions for Irish participation in 76 projects. A total of 46 research performing organisations (RPOs) were involved in these projects, with eight being coordinated by Irish RPOs.