- Investment by the Dept of Jobs through Science Foundation Ireland Supports Ireland’s Expanding Collaborations and Partnerships with Industry and Academia Internationally
- Research Infrastructure for 21 Projects Supports Progression of Exemplary Irish Science in areas including Manufacturing, Big Data, Wireless Technology & Networks, Natural Resources & Hazards, Internet of Things, Marine Renewable Energy and Animal & Human Health.
- Ministers Bruton and English Announce Further Commitment to Irish Science & Innovation through Science Foundation Ireland Infrastructure Awards, supporting the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs and its recently announced Science Strategy, Innovation 2020
The Minister for Jobs, Richard Burton, TD together with the Minister for Research, Innovation and Skills, Damien English, TD today (Tuesday) announced details of a €28 million investment in research equipment and facilities through Science Foundation Ireland. A total of 21 exemplary research projects will be supported in sectors including applied geo-sciences, pharmaceutical manufacturing, bio-banking, marine renewable energy, internet of things, astronomy, big data and additive manufacturing using nano-materials.
This infrastructure funding was awarded competitively following rigorous international review to research groups where the research equipment and facilities are required to address major research opportunities and challenges; including partnerships with industry and /or international funders. This new infrastructure will ensure that Irish researchers continue to be internationally competitive, with access to modern equipment and facilities which will enable them to be successful in securing future funding from leading companies and Europe, including Horizon 2020.
This investment is made by the Department of Jobs through Science Foundation Ireland.
The 21 infrastructure projects funded were in a range of strategically important sectors as follows:
Animal & Human Health: Human motion analysis system to facilitate the development of personal sensing connected health technologies for patients and athletes; an early life lab to monitor how the brain grows, develops and repairs in young children; a biobank of 4 million samples to facilitate the discovery and development of new treatments in personalised medicine and nutrition to improve outcomes for mothers and babies; a human
performance sensing suite to discover and develop new therapeutic strategies for metabolic and neuromuscular disease; animal and pathogen
genomics analysis system to support emergent agri-food research areas such as next generation biomarkers, multiplex diagnostics, and genomic selection breeding programmes;
Big Data Analytics, Internet of Things (IoT) and Networks: Low Frequency Array (I-LOFAR) gathering radio images of astronomical objects using advanced image processing and data analytics techniques; a new Ireland-wide wireless network testbed to support new IoT concepts, business models and devices to be developed and tested; a radio testbed for the development and testing of new radio technologies for IoT; a 400+ Gigabit-per-second communications testbed to enable the development of the next generation core network and datacentre technologies;
Manufacturing: additive manufacturing nanomaterial infrastructure for the development of innovative printable materials such as 3D hip and knee implants; a state-of-the-art advanced analysis facility, allowing real-time direct observation of pharmaceutical process reactions as they occur thus supporting drug manufacturing; a crystallization, isolation and drying technology testbed for pharmaceutical manufacturing; splutter disposition tool capable of growing complex, device-quality stacks of metal and oxide thin films for applications such as integrated photonics; infrastructure to support the packaging and assembly of a wide range of miniaturised photonic devices used in data-communications, sensing and point-of-care medical diagnostics.
Natural Resources & Hazards: sensing/early-warning system for offshore earthquake and offshore storms, including the quantification of offshore
natural resources; electron microscope to determine the microscopic composition of rocks to identify valuable minerals; state of the art X-ray CT scanner to enable the analysis of botanical, geophysical and natural resources; an atmospheric chamber to enable innovative studies on air pollution and climate change.
Marine: an Open Ocean Emulator to accurately replicate real ocean wave conditions in a laboratory setting to accelerate growth of the offshore renewable energy industry in Ireland; a remotely operated vehicle to enable the deployment, repair and maintenance of wave and tidal energy devices in the challenging off shore conditions.
Speaking at the announcement in Birr, Co Offaly, Minister Bruton said: “At the heart of our Action Plan for jobs is driving employment growth in every region of the country. We have now put in place individual jobs plans for 7 out of the 8 regions in the country, and what has repeatedly become clear is that research and innovation must be accelerated right across the country if we are to deliver the jobs growth we need. Today’s announcement by Science Foundation Ireland is an important part of this. By investing in world-class R&D infrastructure, both at a regional and national level, this will ensure that we can compete at the highest levels internationally and continue to turn more good ideas into good jobs”.
Commenting on today’s announcements, Minister English said “Today’s investment will advance the implementation of the government’s new science strategy – Innovation 2020. The 21 projects will enable globally compelling research to be undertaken across the country; facilitating greater industry and international collaboration; supporting the training of researchers and demonstrating to an international audience that Ireland on an all island basis, is business friendly and bullish in its pursuit of, and participation in, excellent research.”
Prof. Mark Ferguson, Director General Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland, added, “Ireland is increasingly becoming the location of choice for multinational companies to develop and test tomorrow’s technologies and this investment demonstrates our commitment and expanded ability to engage, discover and collaborate at all levels. Science Foundation Ireland is delighted to support and drive Ireland’s science strategy, Innovation 2020, with the addition of key infrastructure to propel important research projects. Ultimately, this is about providing Irish researchers in strategic areas with the tools to be world leading.”
List of SFI Research Infrastructure Awards A total of 21 projects were approved for funding with a total amount of
€28.8m.
Sector | Lead | Research | SFI | Infrastructure | Summary
| Applicant | Body/SFI | Funding | Title |
| | Research | Approved | |
| | Centre | | |
---------------+-------------+-----------+------------+--------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------
Animal & | Madeleine | UCD /INS | €91,162 | Human Performance | The Human Performance Sensing Suite will enable measurement and
Human Health | Lowery | IGHT | | Monitoring Suite | assessment of human performance data within and outside of the
| | | | | research laboratory. It represents the state-of-the-art for
| | | | | monitoring metabolic, electrophysiological and movement data
| | | | | within the laboratory, and for monitoring physiological data
| | | | | within the home. This will enable new research to better
| | | | | understand metabolic and neuromuscular diseases, and the
| | | | | development of new therapeutic strategies. It will enable us to
| | | | | identify new biomarkers for diseases, and to assess the effect of
| | | | | interventions, such as training, robotics or exercise programmes,
| | | | | supporting the design of new systems for monitoring health and
| | | | | exercise-based treatments using wearable-sensors.
---------------+-------------+-----------+------------+--------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------
Animal & | Stephen | UCD | €239,850 | High throughput | The NanoString nCounter system allows the expression of hundreds
Human Health | Gordon | | | transcriptomics | of genes across multiple samples to be assessed in parallel,
| | | | for animal | providing a powerful approach to extend findings from
| | | | disease and | transcriptome studies to biomarker validation. This platform will
| | | | zoonoses | support major on-going projects in the agri-food area funded by
| | | | | SFI, DAFM and EU, and allow researchers to translate advances in
| | | | | animal and pathogen genomics to emergent research areas such as
| | | | | next generation biomarkers, multiplex diagnostics, and genomic
| | | | | selection breeding programmes. As such the NanoString nCounter
| | | | | system will significantly strengthen Irish veterinary and animal
| | | | | science research.
---------------+-------------+-----------+------------+--------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------
Animal & | Louise | UCC /INF | €355,171 | INFANT Biobank | The new progressive INFANT Biobank facility under development
Human Health | Kenny | ANT | | | will enable improved curation and protection of precious human
| | | | | biological samples. The facility will enhance INFANT’s research
| | | | | in biomarker discovery and validation, personalised medicine, and
| | | | | nutrition to improve outcomes for mothers and babies. In the
| | | | | coming months, capacity will be expanded by 4 million samples.
| | | | | The biobank will surpass existing international biobanking
| | | | | guidelines and continue to contribute to standards development.
| | | | | This will position INFANT, and Ireland, at the forefront of
| | | | | biobanking internationally. It will increase attractiveness for
| | | | | multi-institutional international collaborations and be a
| | | | | test-bed for research and development in perinatal medicine.
---------------+-------------+-----------+------------+--------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------
Animal & | Geraldine | UCC /INF | €1,548,23 | INFANT Discovery | The INFANT Discovery Platform will combine a next-generation
Human Health | Boylan | ANT | 6 | Platform | Early Life Lab with an integrated Data Hub. The Early Life Lab
| | | | | will enable INFANT to learn more about how the brain grows,
| | | | | develops and repairs itself in young children following early
| | | | | brain injury. INFANT will assess children at high risk of
| | | | | neurodevelopmental issues both physiologically and cognitively.
| | | | | The Data Hub will allow this monitoring to be combined with
| | | | | clinical assessments. It will support regulatory-compliant
| | | | | storage and curation of data. This work will help position
| | | | | Ireland as a test-bed for industry R&D in perinatal medicine and
| | | | | deliver health, social and economic impacts.
---------------+-------------+-----------+------------+--------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------
Animal & | Paul | Teagasc | €242,675 | NextSeq DNA | DNA sequencing is now an essential component of all fields of
Human Health | Cotter | /APC | | sequencing | biological science. As it is not feasible for all research
| | | | platform | institutes to purchase/operate a suite of state-of-the-art
| | | | | sequencing platforms, the international model has been to develop
| | | | | centralised Centres to provide low cost services to researchers.
| | | | | This provides key competitive advantages with respect to carrying
| | | | | out high quality research, joint programming and securing
| | | | | international funding. The further expansion of the existing APC
| | | | | Microbiome Institute/Teagasc (Moorepark) facility to become a
| | | | | centralised Irish Sequencing Centre, through purchase of an
| | | | | Illumina NextSeq, will considerably benefit Irish research
| | | | | institutes and industry.
---------------+-------------+-----------+------------+--------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------
Animal & | Kieran | DCU /INS | €223,910 | Indoors and | Movement is fundamental to life, health and sport. Understanding
Human Health | Moran | IGHT | | Outdoors Motion | how it is controlled is central to many scientific disciplines:
| | | | Analysis System | exercise science, clinical gait, musculoskeletal medicine, sports
| | | | | biomechanics, gerontology, neuroscience, human computer
| | | | | interactions, and ergonomics. The state-of-the-art
| | | | | motion-analysis system will drive research in these areas by
| | | | | accurately quantifying movements (<2mm) and the muscular forces
| | | | | that produce them. It also provides real-time augmented feedback
| | | | | to help patients/athletes optimise movement effectiveness.
| | | | | Finally, the system will be used as a gold standard in developing
| | | | | novel low-cost motion-analysis technologies for use at home and
| | | | | outside the laboratory in areas of Connected Health and Personal
| | | | | Sensing.
---------------+-------------+-----------+------------+--------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------
Big Data, | Peter | TCD | €1,397,34 | iLOFAR: | The Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) is a €150 million network of
IoT and | Gallagher | | 8 | Connecting | radio telescopes that is being deployed across Europe, with
Networks | | | | Ireland to the | stations in the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, France, Poland and
| | | | International Low | the UK. LOFAR is revolutionising our understanding of the
| | | | Frequency Array | Universe, attracting students into careers in science and
| | | | (LOFAR) | technology, and driving innovations in information and
| | | | | communications technologies. An All-Ireland consortium of
| | | | | Universities and Institutes of Technologies will build a LOFAR
| | | | | telescope in Birr Castle in 2016, which will connect Ireland to
| | | | | the World’s largest radio telescope, open a new frontier in Irish
| | | | | scientific and ICT research, and re-ignite Ireland’s global
| | | | | reputation for astronomical research at Birr.
---------------+-------------+-----------+------------+--------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------
Big Data, | Linda | TCD /CON | €1,811,77 | Pervasive Nation: | The Internet-of-Things connects everyday objects to the Internet
IoT and | Doyle | NECT | 8 | an Ireland-wide, | allowing useful information to be communicated to other objects,
Networks | | | | wireless network | machines or humans. Pervasive Nation is a new, Ireland-wide,
| | | | infrastructure to | wireless network which will support Internet-of-Things (IoT)
| | | | support Open IoT | research and innovation. Designed and managed by the CONNECT
| | | | (Internet of | Centre, Pervasive Nation will allow new IoT concepts, business
| | | | Things) | models and devices to be developed and tested. The network will
| | | | | initially be rolled out across ten third-level campuses, and will
| | | | | eventually cover urban, suburban and rural environments, making
| | | | | Ireland the first country in the world with full, IoT network
| | | | | coverage. Pervasive Nation will enable world-leading IoT
| | | | | research, seed innovation in indigenous enterprises, and help to
| | | | | attract foreign direct investment by making Ireland the
| | | | | definitive place to test the future.
---------------+-------------+-----------+------------+--------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------
Big Data, | Paul | TNI /IPI | €1,454,86 | 400 | As the Internet continues to grow, the underlying global
IoT and | Townsend | C | 5 | Gigabit-per-secon | optical-fibre-based communication infrastructure is under
Networks | | | | d and Beyond | increasing strain, requiring more information to be carried on
| | | | Advanced | each wavelength channel by employing advanced data-encoding
| | | | Modulation | techniques that pack multiple bits of information into each data
| | | | Coherent | symbol. This world-class testbed - the first of its kind in any
| | | | Communications | European university - will enable the development and
| | | | Testbed | demonstration of the next generation core network and datacentre
| | | | | technologies that will underpin the future Internet. Critically,
| | | | | it will enable Irish researchers to continue to compete in
| | | | | Horizon2020 communications programmes and to attract
| | | | | collaborations with the world’s leading communication companies.
---------------+-------------+-----------+------------+--------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------
Big Data, | Ronan | NUIM/ | €538,808 | RadioSpace: An | Radiospace will be at the heart of a national facility for the
IoT and | Farrell | CONNECT | | experimental | development and testing of new radio technologies for the
Networks | | | | Radio Testbed for | Internet of Things. Radiospace is a large shielded facility that
| | | | 5G and the | will provide Irish universities and companies access to a unique
| | | | Internet of | testbed in terms of size, capabilities and the radio frequencies
| | | | Things | supported, enabling Irish companies and universities to develop
| | | | | the next generation of products and technologies. As part of
| | | | | the SFI Connect Centre, Radiospace will build a common space for
| | | | | universities and industry, accelerating the flow of innovation
| | | | | from universities researchers to prototypes and finally early
| | | | | stage product development
---------------+-------------+-----------+------------+--------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------
Manufacturin | Peter | TNI /IPI | €741,700 | High Accuracy | The precision flipchip bonding equipment will enable the
g | O'Brien | C | | Photonic Device | Photonics Packaging Group at the Tyndall Institute to further
| | | | Flipchip | enhance its capabilities to develop advanced integrated photonic
| | | | Packaging and | sub-systems and prototypes. The equipment will provide the
| | | | Assembly System | capability to package a wide range of minaturised photonic
| | | | | devices, such as semiconductor lasers, photo-detectors,
| | | | | micro-optics and microelectronic devices, with submicron
| | | | | placement accuracy, under manual and full automatic process
| | | | | control. Such precision is required when aligning photonic
| | | | | devices to the integrated optical waveguides which are commonly
| | | | | used in a range of applications, including data-communications,
| | | | | sensing and point-of-care medical diagnostics.
---------------+-------------+-----------+------------+--------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------
Manufacturin | Stefano | TCD /AMB | €3,336,62 | Additive | Additive Manufacturing (AM) provides a method to prototype and
g | Sanvito | ER | 3 | Manufacturing | customise products quickly and at low cost. AMBER does this with
| | | | Nano-Materials | a range of industry partners. The new infrastructure includes
| | | | Facility (3DAMN) | plastic, metal and ceramic 3D printing, ink-jet printing and
| | | | | polymer processing equipment. It will allow AMBER researchers to
| | | | | develop innovative 'printable materials' such as 3D hip and knee
| | | | | implants, energy storage technologies such as supercapacitors,
| | | | | nanocomposites for medical devices and novel nanosheets for the
| | | | | ICT sector. This will significantly strengthen the Centre’s
| | | | | ability to quickly deliver innovative solutions to industry
| | | | | partners and address issues of global societal and economic
| | | | | importance.
---------------+-------------+-----------+------------+--------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------
Manufacturin | Anita | UCC /SSP | €1,041,39 | Process Flow | ProSpect is a state-of-the-art advanced analysis facility,
g | Maguire | C | 4 | Spectroscopy | allowing real-time direct observation of pharmaceutical process
| | | | Facility | reactions as they occur – the first of its kind within the EU.
| | | | (ProSpect) | The facility will consist of a suite of integrated analytical
| | | | | instrumentation including MRI technology, which will provide