Research & Innovation

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Science Foundation Ireland Joint Funding of Research call was officially launched last Friday by Prof Mark Ferguson, Director General Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland and Mr Tim Willis, Associate Director, International, BBSRC.

The new partnership will support collaborative research and technology development in areas such as bioscience for health, agriculture, food security, industrial biotechnology and bioenergy.

The BBSRC, as the lead agency, wishes to welcome, encourage and support research applications that cut across national boundaries involving collaborative teams led by researchers from the UK and Ireland. The agency will accept joint applications for responsive mode research grants at any time, on behalf of both organisations.

Mr Tim Willis, Associate Director, International, BBSRC, said:

“BBSRC is pleased to be working with SFI to ensure UK and Ireland researchers can work together on jointly-funded projects to address key global challenges in agriculture and food security, developing the use of biological resources for producing and processing materials, chemicals and energy and research to improve health and wellbeing across the life course. Our new lead agency agreement uses BBSRC responsive mode to identify world-class research projects for joint funding with mutual benefit to both partners.”

Welcoming the new partnership, Prof Mark Ferguson, Director General Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland, said:

“We are delighted to officially launch SFI’s partnership with the BBSRC. It is our ambition that this joint funding venture will bring together the finest scientific minds from Ireland and the UK, encouraging excellence and impact in biotech and biosciences research.”