Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1259: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the progress made on the programme for Government proposal to ensure all non-core funding is allocated in a competitive way, ensuring that all institutions competing for research money achieve the highest of standards and that research results in a tangible benefit at farm and food business level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47723/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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All non-core research funding programmes in my Department i.e. FIRM (Food Institutional Research Measure), RSF (Research Stimulus Fund) and COFORD (Forestry Research) are operated solely on a competitive basis. Calls for applications are widely publicised and all institutions with a research capability are eligible to compete. All applications are subjected to a robust 3-stage evaluation process, the key component of which is a thorough examination by a panel of independent experts in accordance with criteria designed to ensure scientific excellence, relevance and value for money. Funded projects are contractually required to widely disseminate the research findings in both an academic and practical manner.