Higher education international research

• The US-Ireland Research and Development (R&D) Partnership
• The Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)-DFE Investigators Programme Partnership (2014 and 2015 Calls)
• The SFI Covid-19 Rapid Response Rapid Response Call – Phase 2

US - Ireland R&D Partnership

The US-Ireland R&D Partnership has its origins in the US-Ireland Business Summit that took place in Washington, DC in 2002.

The US-Ireland R&D Partnership is a tri-jurisdictional alliance which was officially launched in 2006. Its aim is to promote collaborative innovative research projects which create value above and beyond individual efforts.

Through the Partnership, the Governments of the United States of America, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland support collaborative research with the potential to generate valuable discoveries and innovations which are transferable to the marketplace or will lead to enhancements in health promotions, disease prevention and healthcare.

The “US-Ireland R&D Partnership” helps link scientists and engineers in partnerships across academia to address crucial research questions and to expand educational and research career opportunities in science & engineering.

The Government Departments and Agencies across the three jurisdictions supporting this initiative are:

• Northern Ireland – Department for the Economy (DfE) and the Health and Social Care (HSC) R&D Division of the Public Health Agency and Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA);
• Republic of Ireland – Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), Health Research Board and Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine;
• United States of America – National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

Thematic areas 

The following thematic areas have been prioritised as important research challenges for the health and prosperity of the citizens of the United States, Ireland and Northern Ireland:

• Sensors and Sensor Networks
• Nanoscale Science and Engineering
• Telecommunications
• Energy and Sustainability
• Cybersecurity
• Health
• Agriculture 

How the Partnership operates

The Partnership is guided by a joint Steering Group composed of senior representatives from government and academia across the three jurisdictions. Secretariat for the Partnership is provided by InterTradeIreland.

Under the US-Ireland R&D process, the Partnership facilitates university researchers to submit joint research proposals in the identified priority areas. As part of this funding process, the governments (and/or relevant government research agencies within the Partnership) contribute to the costs of researchers based in their jurisdictions. All proposals submitted under the auspices of the Partnership must have significant research involvement from researchers in all three jurisdictions. Excellent science is considered fundamental and this is ensured by utilising the competitive peer review systems of the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which are gold standards for quality in scientific peer review.

In Northern Ireland:

• the Department for the Economy (DfE) supports projects in the eligible areas of Sensors and Sensor Networks, Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Telecommunications and Energy/Sustainability which fall under the jurisdiction of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the US;
• the Health and Social care (HSC) R&D Division of the Public Health Agency supports health-related projects which fall under the jurisdiction of the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the US;
• the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs supports agriculture related projects which fall under the jurisdiction of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) in the US.

For further details of pre-approval and submission procedures, please see the guidelines on the website of the relevant funding agency.  

Successful US-Ireland projects (led by Principal Investigator)

A list of approved projects for 2018 and 2019 is provided below:

2019 Principal Investigator Led Projects

2018 Principal Investigator Led Projects

US Ireland R&D Partnership - Centre to Centre Agreement

Under the associated US-Ireland R&D Partnership Centre to Centre agreement, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and its partner organisations Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and the Department for the Economy Northern Ireland (DfE NI) have developed a mechanism to link SFI-funded Research Centres, NSF-funded Engineering Research Centres (ERCs) and researchers in academic research centres in Northern Ireland.

This opportunity, building upon previous individual investigator driven collaborations between US researchers and colleagues in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, seeks to build Centre-based research collaborations.

As Northern Ireland does not have large scale Research Centres like the NSF and SFI Research Centres, the Department will assess Northern Ireland (NI) applications on a case by case basis. Depending on the volume of applications received, the Department may have to prioritise which applications can be supported based on the greatest potential benefits to the NI economy.and may restrict the number of awards to one Center to Centre award at a time.

How to apply

Downloadable forms and FAQs  are available at:

• US-Ireland R&D Partnership Programme downloadable forms, guidance and FAQs

Successful Centre to Centre US-Ireland projects

A list of approved Centre-to-Centre projects for 2018 and 2019 is provided below:

2019 Centre to Centre Projects

2018 Centre to Centre Projects

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) - Department for the Economy (DfE) Investigators Programme Partnership pilot

In 2014 the Department and SFI announced a ground-breaking collaboration which allowed NI universities to participate as full academic partners in SFI’s prestigious "Investigators Programme". The Collaboration Agreement covered the 2014 and 2015 calls only.

The "SFI/DfE`s Investigators Programme Partnership" is supporting collaborative projects involving universities from both jurisdictions to undertake internationally peer reviewed, leading edge, discovery and fundamental research.

Approved projects under the 2014 Call started in August 2015, approved projects under the 2015 Call started in August 2016 and February 2017. The projects are due to finish from late 2020-2022.

SFI/DfE projects funded 2014 and 2015

A list of approved projects funded in the 2014 and 2015 call is provided below:

SFI/DfE Investigators Programme 2015 Call Projects

SFI/DfE Investigators Programme 2014 Call Projects

SFI Covid-19 Rapid Response Call – Phase 2

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, DfE provided funding to allow Northern Ireland (NI) universities to collaborate with colleagues in the Republic of Ireland where they make a successful joint bid to the SFI Rapid Response Funding Call - Phase 2.

Launched on 30 June 2020, the SFI call represents an important opportunity for local researchers to make a significant and immediate contribution to tackling the hugely demanding and unique range of medical-related, societal and economic challenges posed by this latest strain of Coronavirus.

A total of 7 projects involving NI partners were successful at the international peer review stage. These will be funded for approximately 5 months until end of March 2021. These are listed below:

Further information

In the first instance, prospective NI applicants should contact the respective Research Office at Queen’s University or Ulster University.

Department for the Economy

Higher Education Research and Knowledge Exchange branch
Email: usireland@economy-ni.gov.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)28 90257637