This page outlines some details about the funding organisations who have projects listed in DROPLET. If you use any of the features to explore DROPLET you will be presented with the name(s) of any funding organisation(s) involved in a project. Organisations from Ireland and Europe are listed.
Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) is a national organisation which promotes advances in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) through investments in research and education. SFI provides grants for researchers from around the world who wish to relocate to Ireland and those already based in Ireland, for outstanding investigators, for conferences and symposia, and for collaboration with industry. The foundation promotes investment in academic researchers and research teams who are most likely to generate new knowledge, leading edge technologies and competitive enterprises. Proposals are evaluated in open competitions via a combination of international peer review and strategic fit with SFI’s mission. SFI provide a number of environmental funding opportunities in areas such as sustainability, climate change, conservation, water challenges, renewables and the marine.
Web Page: http://www.sfi.ie
The Marine Institute is the national agency responsible for Marine Research, Technology Development and Innovation (RTDI). The organisation aims to promote sustainable development of the marine industry through funding research programmes and safeguarding Ireland’s 220 million acre marine resources through research and environmental monitoring. Marine Institute also aims to promote economic development and create employment while protecting the marine environment. In addition to managing dedicated national marine research funding the Marine Institute seeks to catalyse funding from other funding agencies, e.g. through co-funding initiatives, aimed at achieving the objectives of Sea Change. The Marine Institute is mandated to "undertake, to coordinate, to promote and to assist in marine research and development" in accordance with the Marine Institute Act, 1991. The Institute works in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, other Government Departments, semi-state agencies and various national and international marine based bodies.
Web Page: http://www.marine.ie/Home/
Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) is a division of the Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources (DCENR). GSI provides geological information and advice from local to national decision-makers and stakeholders, which contributes to our national sustainable development, environmental protection and the National Development Plan. The organisation carries out ongoing data acquisition which contributes geological information to various research projects.
Web Page: http://www.gsi.ie/
EPA funded environmental research provides essential scientific support for environmental policy development, implementation and broader decision making. Since 1994, the EPA has funded research that has increased national understanding of our environment, the challenges it faces and responses to these. It has also developed high quality research capacity and supported innovation that is internationally respected. EPA Research is targeted to address the needs of key governmental and non-governmental stakeholders and also encourages the researcher community to engage with these stakeholders.
Between 2007-2013, the EPA STRIVE Programme has funded over 100 Research Projects (projects with a budget over €10,000) related to water with a total commitment from the EPA of approximately €19.5m. The range of projects funded includes desk-studies, scholarships, fellowships and large-scale multi-annual and multi-partner awards.
Web Page: http://www.epa.ie
Enterprise Ireland is the state agency responsible for supporting the development of manufacturing and internationally traded services companies. We provide funding and supports for companies - from entrepreneurs with business propositions for a high potential start-up through to large companies expanding their activities, improving efficiency and growing international sales. We also provide funding and supports for college based researchers to assist in the development, protection and transfer of technologies into industry via licensing or spin-out companies. Please select the relevant funding offer below that best reflects your stage of development to browse our full range of funding supports. We help researchers based in third level institutions and Public Research Institutes to engage in research. Our aim is to facilitate collaborative links between enterprise and the research community that lead to the practical application of research in business, yielding benefits to both groups. Learn more about our supports for academic research and its' commercialisation.
Web Page: http://www.enterprise-ireland.com
The Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM) plays an important role in the innovation and economic success of the Agri-Food and Marine sector. Side by side with national research programmes, DAFM also provides the National Contact Point and National Delegate for Horizon 2020 who facilitates increased participation of Irish researchers in first-class, international research.
Web Page: http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/
COST is an intergovernmental framework for European Cooperation in Science and Technology, allowing the coordination of nationally-funded research on a European level. This framework consists of 35 Member Countries and a Cooperating State and each country is involved in networking research actions. COST contributes to reducing the fragmentation in European research investments and opening the European Research Area to cooperation worldwide.
Web Page: http://www.cost.eu/
The European Innovation Partnership on Water - EIP Water in short - is an initiative within the EU 2020 Innovation Union. The EIP Water facilitates the development of innovative solutions to address major European and global water challenges. At the same time, the EIP Water supports the creation of market opportunities for these innovations, both inside and outside of Europe. It aims at removing barriers by advancing and leveraging existing solutions. Its implementation has started in May 2013 with the main objective to initiate and promote collaborative processes for change and innovation in the water sector across the public and private sector, non-governmental organisations and the general public. This is mainly done via the establishment of Action and other Working Groups. The EPA is represented in the Task Force of the EIP Water.
Web Page: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/innovationpartnership/
The European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7) was the EU’s Research and Innovation funding programme for 2007-2013. This programme was designed to address European employment needs, competitiveness and quality of life. Internationally, under the EU Framework Programme 7 (FP7) Irish researchers were involved in 18 water-related FP7-Environment projects (as of May 2013), including three projects coordinated by Ireland (Coral Fish, Eco India and Health Futures). The EPA was the National Delegate & Contact Point for FP7 Theme 6 (Environment including Climate Change).
Running from 2014 to 2020 with an estimated €71 billion budget, the EU’s new programme for research and innovation: Horizon 2020[23] will provide funding under three areas: Excellent Science, Competitive Industries and Better Society. There will be water-related funding opportunities across these three areas, and especially under the Societal Challenge 5 (Better Society) entitled “Climate Action, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials”. The EPA will continue, as National Delegate and Contact Point, in collaboration with EI, to provide support and expertise to Irish researchers in relation to their participation under the Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges 5. A number of areas have been identified for special focus in the first Horizon 2020 work programme, on the basis that they hold significant potential to support the drivers presented above. Each of these is embedded in the relevant parts of the work programme, covered by a specific call. “Water innovation: boosting its value for Europe” is one of them.
INTERREG provides funding for interregional cooperation across Europe. It is implemented under the European Community’s territorial co-operation objective and financed through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The overall objective of the INTERREG is to improve the effectiveness of regional policies and instruments. A project builds on the exchange of experiences among partners who are ideally responsible for the development of their local and regional policies. The areas of support are innovation and the knowledge economy, environment and risk prevention. Thus, INTERREG aims to contribute to the economic modernisation and competitiveness of Europe. Typical tools for exchange of experience are networking activities such as thematic workshops, seminars, conferences, surveys, and study visits. Project partners cooperate to identify and transfer good practices. Possible project outcomes include for example case study collections, policy recommendations, strategic guidelines or action plans. INTERREG also allows light implementation or piloting, but only if these complement the exchange of experience activities. The Operational Programme was approved in September 2007 and the period for INTERREG IVC ran from 2007-2013. The next Interregional Cooperation programme will run from 2014-2020. INTERREG EUROPE has 4 main themes including: Research and innovation, Competitiveness of SMEs and, Low carbon economy
Web Page: http://www.interreg4c.eu/programme/
LIFE is the EU's financial instrument supporting environmental, nature conservation and climate action projects throughout the EU. Since 1992, LIFE has co-financed some 4 171 projects, contributing approximately €3.4 billion euros to the protection of the environment and climate. The LIFE programme contributes to sustainable development and to the achievement of the objectives and targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy, the 7th Union Environmental Action Programme and other relevant EU environment and climate strategies and plans.
The ‘Environment’ strand of the new programme covers three priority areas: environment and resource efficiency; nature and biodiversity; and environmental governance and information. The ‘Climate Action’ strand covers climate change mitigation; climate change adaptation; and climate governance and information.
The programme also consists of a new category of projects, jointly funded integrated projects, which will operate on a large territorial scale. These projects will aim to implement environmental and climate policy and to better integrate such policy aims into other policy areas.
The new regulation also establishes eligibility and the criteria for awards as well as a basis for selecting projects. The programme is open to the participation of third countries and provides for activities outside the EU. It also provides a framework for cooperation with international organisations.
In June 2017, the European Commission will carry out an external and independent mid-term evaluation report and by December 2023 it will complete an ex-post evaluation report covering the implementation and results of the LIFE Programme.
Web Page: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/
Water challenges cannot be successfully tackled through the isolated effort of individual national research and innovation programmes. The JPI “Water challenges for a changing world” deals with research in the field of water and hydrological sciences. The availability of water in sufficient quantities and adequate quality is indeed a public issue of high priority and addresses a pan-European and global environmental challenge. The Council of the European Union decided to launch the Joint Programming Initiative “Water Challenges for a Changing World” on 6 December 2011 as a contribution to the reduction of fragmentation of efforts by Member States and mobilisation of skills, knowledge and resources, with a view to strengthening Europe's leadership and competitiveness on water research and innovation. The EPA is a partner in the Water Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) and related Coordination Support Action (WatEur).
Web Page: http://www.waterjpi.eu/