Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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1149. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the funding available to those looking to develop citizen science initiatives. [63355/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I am taking citizen science to mean a range of different levels of participation, from raising public knowledge of science, encouraging citizens to participate in the scientific process by observing, gathering and processing data, right up to setting scientific agenda and co-designing and implementing science-related policies

I should first say that my Department allocates specific funding for research through Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)  and the Irish Research Council (IRC). In 2021, SFI and the IRC spent €257 million to that end. Higher Education Institutions also fund research from their block grants.

Ctizen science and does can benefit from this funding. This can be indirectly as a product of a particular research project, or directly, such as through SFI Discover Programme which has invited applications for training and engagement activities of citizen science projects.