Notice to research community on the establishment of Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland
Posted: 1 August, 2024
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Patrick O’Donovan announced August 1, 2024 as the establishment day of Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland, Ireland’s new competitive research and innovation funding agency. The new agency amalgamates the Irish Research Council (IRC) and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and will capitalise on the recognised strengths of these two agencies in driving world class research and innovation in Ireland.
The establishment of Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland is the keystone of Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy, and the new agency will be central to realising the ambitions set out in the strategy.
The Irish Research Council continues to operate as normal for an interim period, pending the transfer of its activities and portfolio of awards to Research Ireland. We will update our awardee community, partners and stakeholders further in due course via our website and other channels on the transition process, and we will endeavour to ensure that the process is managed as smoothly as possible and with minimum disruption to our core work.
The Research and Innovation Act 2024 was enacted in June 2024 and outlines the objectives and functions of Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland. The new agency will operate under the aegis of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, in close collaboration with the Higher Education Authority, as well as Enterprise Ireland and theIDA and other research funding agencies.
The legislation places research in all disciplines on a statutory footing for the first time. The establishment of the agency will develop national capacity to respond to grand challenges, such as the green and digital transitions, using integrated approaches from a range of disciplinary perspectives.
Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland will promote and support the contribution of research and innovation to Ireland’s economic, social, cultural, and environmental development and sustainability, as well as strengthen the engagement between the research and innovation system and enterprise, Government and public bodies, the voluntary sector and society.
