Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) Martin Heydon has announced details of the latest call for research proposals in selected agri-food related areas under the US-Ireland Research and Development Partnership.
The 2021 US-Ireland R&D Partnership Call in Agriculture aims to advance knowledge, specifically in: beneficial and pest species in agricultural production systems; animal health and welfare; animal nutrition; tackling antibiotic resistance across the food chain; and animal breeding and genomics.
The call invites eligible research-performing organisations from the Republic of Ireland to submit joint research proposals, with collaborating partners from the USA and Northern Ireland, under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
The submission deadline to DAFM and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland is four weeks in advance of the stated NIFA deadline for the respective Programme Area Priority in AFRI’s 2021 Foundation Competitive Grant Programme.
Agri-food industry on a global level
“Although I can very much appreciate the difficulties in carrying out collaborative research in the current uncertain times, continuing to maintain and develop relationships with our international partners is incredibly important as the challenges facing our industry become ever more complex,” Minister Heydon said.
As academic research becomes increasingly more international, it is vital that Ireland continues to recognise opportunities to share resources and expertise where common goals exist.
“This will not only allow us to better address national research priorities, but also contribute to issues which affect the agri-food industry on a global level.”
More information about the funding programme is available on the DAFM website.