#Research - Marine Minister Simon Coveney has today (11 March) announced a new call for research proposals under his department’s three competitive research funding programmes: FIRM, Stimulus and CoFoRD.

Sustainable aquaculture production and safety of marine-origin foods are among the areas covered by this year's call, which include include animal and crop health and production, horticulture, food and health, novel ingredients, forest production and management, and the wider bio-economy as well as the safety, quality, integrity and sustainability of the supply chain.

“The objective of this call is to build and maintain research capacity and capability in the Irish public research system that contributes to underpinning the sustainability and competitiveness and further development of the Irish agri-food, forestry and fisheries sectors," said Minister Coveney.

The content of the call is informed by strategic research agendas drawn up by industry-led research advisory groups operated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. It is also aligned to priority areas identified in the Government’s National Research Prioritisation Exercise.

Following awards of €65 million in agri-food and forest research over the last two years, the minister reiterated his commitment to targeted research and innovation within the sector.

"Publicly funded research will continue to play a key role in driving innovation within the bio-economy, thus contributing to the achievement of the growth targets outlined in Food Harvest 2020 and ultimately making a positive contribution to the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs."

The minister concluded by wishing applicants every success with their applications.

“I have no doubt that the research community will take full advantage of this opportunity by submitting excellent proposals and I look forward to following the process over the coming months.”

The deadline for proposal applications is Thursday 8 May at 1.00pm. All documentation in relation to the call is available on the research section of the department’s website at www.agriculture.gov.ie/research.