Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon and Minister of State with responsibility for food promotion, new markets, and research and development, Noel Grealish, today launched the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s (DAFM) Thematic Research Call 2025.

With an indicative budget of €30 million, this call will fund impactful, cross-cutting research proposals that respond to current and emerging challenges and opportunities facing the sector.

Launching the call, Minister Heydon said: “Food Vision 2030 has set Ireland on a course to become a global leader in sustainable food systems.

"The Thematic Research Call 2025 reflects our strong commitment to building knowledge and innovation capacity that meets the needs of policy, farmers, industry, and society.”

The 2025 Call will support research in four strategic areas:

Climate, agri-environment and biodiversity;
Smart, sustainable animal and plant production, health and welfare;
Bioeconomy, ag-tech, agri-digitalisation and data;
Safe, nutritious and sustainable food processing and consumption.

Funded projects will range from €750,000 to €3 million, with a maximum duration of five years.

All applications need to include a clear impact statement and a knowledge transfer plan to ensure the uptake and application of research results.

Northern Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) will co-fund certain projects involving eligible institutions from Northern Ireland.

Marking the launch of the call, Minister of State Noel Grealish said: “This Thematic Research Call will prioritise research that delivers real-world impact — whether that’s reducing emissions, improving water quality, enhancing animal health and welfare, or driving digital innovation in food systems.

"I particularly welcome the continued collaboration with Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, which enables important all-island research partnerships to flourish.”

The DAFM Thematic Research Call 2025 aims to support science that will:

Advance climate-resilient, environmentally sustainable agriculture and forestry;
Support sustainable animal and plant production, health and welfare;
Drive innovation in the bioeconomy, digital agriculture, and food systems;
Promote healthy, sustainable food production and consumption;
Foster collaborative, multi and transdisciplinary research excellence.

Proposals are to be submitted via the SmartSimple application portal by the closing date of 12:00p.m (midday) on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.

The first group of awards will be announced in late 2025 and an information webinar will be held on April 23, 2025 at 11:00a.m to support prospective applicants.