James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

43. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the funding agencies that are active here to support research and development activities; the criteria that are applied to funding applications in each case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48544/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The principal funding agencies for research and development operating under the aegis of my Department are Science Foundation Ireland (€162m grants budget in 2017) and Enterprise Ireland (€122m grants budget for RD&I activities in 2017). IDA Ireland also supports R&D activities as part of the grant support provided to its client base (approx. €60m annually in R&D grants).

Science Foundation Ireland

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) is the national Foundation for research here in Ireland with a grants budget of €162m in 2017.

Science Foundation Ireland provides funding across the entire research career lifecycle ranging from early-stage researchers to mid-stage career researchers and from emerging research stars up to established highly-esteemed research leaders through the provision of individual and collaborative grant awards. All research funding decisions made by SFI are based on rigorous international peer review processes.  This process ensures that the agency is not only funding research that is excellent at an Irish level, but that it is world leading as reviewed and agreed by international field specific leaders. 

Science Foundation Ireland currently operates approximately 25 funding schemes, offering a balanced portfolio of programmes. Many of these programmes involve national and international collaborations incorporating small as well as large companies; charities; international funders as well as national funders such as Teagasc, the Marine Institute, Environmental Protection Agency, Health Research Board, etc. Each of the schemes have varying review and eligibility criteria attached to them and are based on the objective, award level and complexity of the programme. There are also a number of core applicant eligibility criteria applied to each programme.  Each programme has a Call Document which outlines the eligibility criteria for that specific programme. Due to the large number of funding schemes and programmes operated by SFI, and the different eligibility criteria attached to each one, it has not been possible to represent this information here. The Deputy can however view all the information in relation to each Programme Call by accessing the following link at: www.sfi.ie/funding/funding-calls/.

Enterprise Ireland

Enterprise Ireland also provides Innovation supports to assist companies with product, process and service development. These supports position companies to deal with their key challenges from access to new technologies and skills to being better positioned to adapt to economic and market changes.  This is done either by supporting companies to do RDI within the company, or by collaborating with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) or by sourcing or licensing new technologies from HEIs which can provide a step change in their innovative capabilities. These supports all help companies to develop new and improved products and services which serve as the basis for sustainable economic growth.

Enterprise Ireland operates a range of supports to help companies at all stages of growth and sophistication to engage in RDI.

In general, Enterprise Ireland’s application processes include the following application criteria:

- Applicants must show evidence of a commercial market for the proposed product or service.

- Applicants must prove that they will develop a business that is built upon on a strong foundation of innovation and/or technology.

- Applicant companies must be Irish based manufacturing or internationally traded services company which can show adequate cash resources to implement the proposed project

I have set out in a separate Appendix provided to the Deputy a menu of the other supports available from Enterprise Ireland to companies.  This is due to the large amount of information involved. This information includes details and eligibility criteria in relation to the following schemes or programmes including: In Company RD&I; Commercialisation Fund; Innovation Vouchers; Innovation Partnerships; Technology Gateways; Technology Centres; Campus Incubators; Horizon 2020; SME Instrument and High Potential Start-Up Support for Companies. I trust that this information will fully address the Deputy’s question.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

44. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which philanthropy or external non-State support is available to support research and development activities here; the agencies or organisations that are involved in such projects; the criteria that are applied to funding applications in each case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48545/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish to advise the Deputy that I am addressing this question in the context of which monies have been provided by my Department to the agencies and bodies under its aegis to support research and development activities. In this context, the information being provided relates to Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and PRTLI through the Higher Education Authority (HEA).  Due to the large number of programmes and criteria involved, I have set out specific details for the Deputy in a separate Appendix which has been provided to him. 

Science Foundation Ireland

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) has demonstrated that the research groups which it funds leverage almost much funding from non-exchequer sources as they receive annually from SFI. In 2016, SFI funded researchers leveraged €133 million from non-exchequer sources from a total SFI grants budget of €184 million.  The breakdown of the €133 million is provided as follows.

Funding Leveraged Non-Irish Exchequer 

- Charity/Non-Profit Organisation (International): 1,617,986

- Charity/Non-Profit Organisation (Irish): 672,125

- European Union - variety of programmes: 71,370,495

- National Institute of Health USA (NIH): 3,247,667

- National Science Foundation US (NSF): 274,421

- Other International Interest Organisation: 1,938,169

- Other Source: 7,392,319

- Private Enterprise: 44,826,760

- Wellcome Trust: 2,094,121

- Grand Total:  133,434,062.

SFI has a number of programmes in place to encourage and facilitate leverage of funding from non-State sources. More detailed information is set out for the Deputy in the Appendix provided to him. 

Enterprise Ireland

In addition, Enterprise Ireland (EI) also provides a number of innovation and development supports aimed at assisting companies with product, process and service development. These supports position companies to deal with key challenges from access to new technologies and skills to being better positioned to deal with economic and market changes.  While most of Enterprise Ireland’s Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) activities are funded by the State, there are a number of examples of where Enterprise Ireland facilities companies and academics to access non-State supports from other sources of international funding. More detailed information is set out for the Deputy in the Appendix provided to him. 

Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI)

The Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions has been an important funding programme in developing research capacity within the higher education system in Ireland. Approximately €1.2BN of public and private funding has been invested through over the five cycles of the Programme, since it’s commencement in 1998. This €1.2BN investment includes €277m of matching funding. This matching funding was derived from non-State funds, including private donations and own institution funds.

To date, PRTLI has brought together a significant base of both government and philanthropic funding to build research capacity and embed a research culture across the higher education sector. A particular feature of Cycles 1 -3 was the provision of philanthropic funding of €178m by Atlantic Philanthropies.

I am conscious of the impact that Exchequer funding has had in the past in enabling the attraction of other sources of funding for research and development activities in this State. State funded infrastructure and consortia are a key attractor of matching funds from private (non-State) sources. I am keen to ensure that future our future research and development activities continue to leverage investment from other sources.