Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton TD and Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation and Research and Development, John Halligan TD has announced a €29.6 million investment by the Irish Research Council in “frontier research” projects.
Thirty-six researchers will receive funding under the Irish Research Council’s new Laureate Awards to conduct ground-breaking research in the life sciences, physical sciences and engineering, arts, humanities and social sciences.
Announcing the awards, Minister Bruton said, “Frontier basic research is very much at the cutting edge of new knowledge. It is research that is daring, that pushes boundaries, and that moves beyond the frontiers of our current understanding. Innovation 2020, Ireland’s five-year strategy for science and technology, research and development, identified a significant gap in the Irish research and innovation landscape in the area of frontier basic research.
On this occasion, Minister Halligan said,“Frontier research is key to understanding the world around us and developing the bedrock of knowledge necessary for social, technological and environmental progress. We would not have devices like mobile phones, or indeed the internet, without frontier basic research. Innovation 2020 targets Ireland to become an Innovation Leader, and the investment being announced today by the Department is a very positive step on the way to achieving this.”
Projects to be funded under the inaugural Laureate Awards range from research into age-related vision loss to sustainable food production.
