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Ministers Mitchell-O’Connor and Halligan Announce €47.4million SFI Investment in Research Equipment and Facilities
Ministers Mitchell-O’Connor and Halligan Announce €47.4million SFI Investment in Research Equipment and Facilities

Ministers Mitchell-O’Connor and Halligan Announce €47.4million SFI Investment in Research Equipment and Facilities

Ministers Mary Mitchell O’Connor, TD together with Minister for Training, Skills and Innovation John Halligan, TD announced a new investment by Science Foundation Ireland of €47.4 million in 36 research infrastructure and facilities projects on Monday, Februrary 13th. 

Dublin City University had the second highest number of approved projects with five research programmes in areas such as human and animal health; advanced manufacturing; advanced materials; nano technologies and future sensors and sensor technologies.

The SFI Research Infrastructure Programme provides research groups with necessary equipment and facilities for the performance of high quality, impactful and innovative research.

The programme ensures Irish researchers have the capacity to apply for international funding opportunities including the Horizon 2020 funding calls.

Additionally, the programme enables Higher Education Institutes to purchase smaller infrastructure through a value-for-money incentive, including auctions and vendor negotiations.

Examples of projects that will be supported are:

A National High Performance Computing Infrastructure that will significantly advance the data intensive computing and storage capabilities of Irish research activities in life-sciences, bioinformatics, material science, ICT, and engineering (ICHEC – NUIG).

An additive-manufacturing infrastructure that will facilitate the rapid prototyping and development of next generation miniature sensory and diagnostic technologies for use in areas such as energy harvesting, high potency drug delivery systems and smart packaging for food security (WIT).

An imaging and sensor pod for drones and light aircraft which will enable the development of decision support services for better management of our natural resources, transportation, energy and communication services, as well as for monitoring longer term climate-change impacts (NUIM).

A pre-clinical facility for assessing the safety and efficacy of advanced therapeutic medicinal products and next generation medical devices for the treatment of cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, ocular and nervous system diseases (TCD).

Commenting on the investment, Prof Mark Ferguson, Director General Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland explained:

“Continuous investment and improvement of research infrastructure is vital to ensure Ireland remains at the forefront of scientific research and development. Providing researchers with access to the best tools and facilities contributes to the high standard of research which can be performed here.

Science Foundation Ireland is delighted to support Irish researchers by providing them with facilities and equipment which enable them to keep exploring the frontiers of STEM research, and to progress their discoveries towards practical implementation.”

Collaboration is a key focus of the Infrastructure Programme. Over 40 companies will avail of the awarded infrastructure through collaborations with the research groups involved. With an emphasis on solidifying connections with researchers in Northern Ireland, 12 projects have identified links to researchers in Northern Ireland, including those at Queens University Belfast and Ulster University.

In total ten research bodies received funding and were as follows: University of Limerick (6 awards), Dublin City University (5 awards), University College Dublin (4 awards), Tyndall National Institute (2 awards), Trinity College Dublin (4 awards), NUI Maynooth (3 awards), NUI Galway (5 awards), Waterford Institute of Technology (2 awards), Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (2 awards), and Teagasc (2 awards). 29 awards were made for research infrastructure with a national priority (see table below with summary details) and a further 7 awards were made to research bodies for opportunistic funding.

The Dublin City University projects are as follows:

Niall Barron

Mass spectrometer

Mass Spectrometry has become a fundamental technique for protein identification and characterisation. It can enable the analysis of quantitative and qualitative properties of thousands of proteins in complex biological mixtures including clinically-derived patient samples. The knowledge gained from studying proteins is fundamental to the understanding of cellular function, especially in disease. This infrastructure will therefore increase the likelihood of discovering new diagnostic and therapeutic tools for translation into the clinic for patient benefit. It will also underpin efforts to increase the efficiency of production of new drugs of importance to the biopharmaceutical industry. The infrastructure will benefit Ireland by supporting collaboration with industry and national and international academic partners for biomarker and therapeutic target discovery and characterization.

Gregory Hughes

Integrated surface modification and characterisation facility

The integration of increasingly complex fabrication processes in the industrial manufacture of many high technology products requires advanced materials deposition, modification and characterisation techniques. The Integrated Surface Modification and Characterisation Facility will enable further development of advanced manufacturing processes involving control of material properties at the nanoscale. This convergence of basic scientific knowledge with advanced manufacturing can lead directly to the development of innovative products in a rapidly growing industrial sector of the Irish economy. The unique facility will be utilized in conjunction with our academic and industrial partners to address key fabrication challenges in areas of advanced manufacture.

Dermot Brabazon

Asylum Instruments MFP-3D Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), with Nano-Indentation and Electrochemical Modules

This Atomic Force Microscope is used to provide high resolution 2D and 3D images of surface at atomic dimensional levels. The nanoindentation capability of the instrument allows for measuring nano-scale surface hardness, wear resistance and elasticity. A nano-lithography module of this instrument enables patterning intricate designs onto material surfaces allowing fabrication of novel integrated circuits and sensors. Electrochemical and conductivity mapping is also possible with this instrument. These measurement capabilities allow for the development of new metals, polymers, other organics, and ceramics, for the implementation as biomaterials, tablets, composite materials, semiconductors, sensors, catalysts, and for controlling surface corrosion or fouling.

John Costello

Multicolour – Multidimensional Ultrafast Laser Spectroscopy Facility

The infrastructure comprises a facility that will help unravel the fundamental quantum dynamics that impact sectors from optical telecoms, through functional materials to pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. At its heart will be a laser system producing ultrashort pulses on a femtosecond timescale coupled to nationally unique transient spectrometers designed to ‘freeze-frame’ electronic and atomic motion within molecules in the gas, liquid or solid-state phases. It will also be able to steer such processes opening up frontier applications in e.g., quantum technologies. The facility will strengthen significantly the international competitiveness of Irish researchers in securing EU funding, building strategic industry collaborations and also attracting top tier researchers to Ireland.

Liam Barry

Advanced Signal Characterisation Facility

Optical signals and radio signals are used for high speed data communications, mobile communications and sensing applications that span health, security, and transport and food sectors. The substantial investment of SFI and other agencies in these areas has helped to establish Ireland as a global player in research in these domains. The ability to accurately characterise and analyse these signals is a crucial aspect of the development of these technologies both in academia and industry. The equipment detailed in this application will allow for the detailed characterisation of optical signals spanning wavelengths from 400 to 2400 nanometres, and radio frequency signals from a few kilohertz to one terahertz. It will extend the existing capabilities of the University sector in Ireland and enable further inter disciplinary research that will further grow Ireland’s expertise in these economically important areas.