Marine Institute Industry-Led Awards (Ireland)

Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy aims to increase Enterprise-led research, development and innovation drive start-ups, competitiveness, productivity and high performance in the Irish economy, enabling the business sector to contribute to Ireland’s economic and societal resilience and transformation.

In Ireland the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act of 2015 (as amended) and its climate action plan includes targets that will require a rapid transition towards a climate neutral and sustainable blue economy (in line with the EU Green Deal).

Objectives

• The objective of the Marine Research Programme is to provide funding to the marine sector in Ireland that will:
  • Build new research capacity and capability;
  • Enable sharing of existing knowledge and technology transfer;
  • Increase competiveness and opportunities for sustainable economic growth;
  • Protect and conserve marine resources;
  • Inform public policy; and
  • Increase public awareness of the maritime resource and heritage.

Themes

• The proposed research topic must be relevant to at least one of the five research themes (or sub-themes) below:
  • Coastal and Marine Tourism
  • Maritime Security and Safety
  • Maritime Transport – Ports and Shipping
  • Offshore Renewable Energy
  • Sustainable Seafood (lower impact fisheries, regenerative aquaculture, seafood processing & waste streams).

Award Information

• The total grant-aid for award will be €2.4 million. The Marine Institute expect to make eight to ten awards under this call.
• The duration of the successful awards under this call will be 18, 24 or 36 months.
  • 18 or 24 months: Two max (Industry only)
    • 200,000 Euro
  • 36 months: Two max (Industry only)
    • 300,000 Euro
  • 36 months: Three max (Two Industry plus one Higher Education Institute or Public Research Performing Organisation)
    • 450,000 Euro (300,000 Euro Industry and 150,000 HEI or Public PRO)

Eligibility Criteria

• Applications are invited from eligible legal entities with the appropriate scientific and technical qualifications and research expertise.
• Proposals must be led by a Small or Medium-Sized Enterprise (SME) based in the Republic of Ireland.
• Companies in Northern Ireland are not eligible to lead, but can be a project partner.
• Applications for Company Awards will be accepted from individual companies (max two SMEs).
• Eligible costs are defined as direct or indirect costs incurred in carrying out the research project. They must fulfil the following criteria:
  • They must be actual;
  • They must be reasonable and wholly necessary for the project;
  • They must be incurred during the lifetime of the project;
  • They must be recorded in the accounts for the project, which must be maintained during the lifetime of the project and reported on as required by the Marine Institute;
  • They must not be funded from any other source; and
  • They must be incurred solely to advance the research project.

For more information, visit Marine Institute.