From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
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The Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Martin Heydon TD, and the Director of the Irish Research Council (IRC), Peter Brown, are pleased to announce the launch of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Strand under the Irish Research Council’s COALESCE Programme. The COALESCE programme provides businesses with support to engage with research and develop innovative solutions in key areas of the agri-food sector.
The Minister welcomed this initiative, stating:
"As an excellent example of a collaborative partnership between governmental organisations, working together to deliver innovative research for businesses in the area of food systems and the circular bioeconomy. It will help shape engagement by the agri-food sector in creating more sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly value-chains, products and services between producers, consumers and citizens."
IRC Director, Peter Brown, remarked:
"The Irish Research Council strives to establish and cultivate partnerships with government departments and agencies that serve to bring researchers and policy-makers together. The COALESCE programme in particular seeks to address national and global societal challenges, including those facing Ireland’s agri-food sector. The engagement of experts in our public research system builds a robust evidence and knowledge base, ultimately leading to more innovative and sustainable agricultural practices for the social and economic benefit of all."
The COALESCE Call launches for applications on Wednesday 28 October 2020 from 4pm. All Research Performing Organisations that are normally eligible under DAFM research funding programmes are invited to submit applications for funding by DAFM under the IRC’s competitively operated COALESCE Programme. Specifically, the DAFM Strand entitled ‘Re-imagining Cities for a Circular Bioeconomy’ seeks research proposals that consider the connections and synergies between rural and urban areas with a focus on an Irish city as a test bed and driver for a sustainable, healthy and regenerative food production and circular bioeconomy system.
The results of the research will be made available for the benefit of the agri-food and biobased sectors, the consumer, citizens and policymakers.
Full details on the scope of the DAFM Strand under the COALESCE research call are set out at www.agriculture.gov.ie/research/competitivenationalprogrammes/opencalls.
ENDS
The COALESCE Programme aims to fund excellent research addressing national and European/global national challenges. The 2020 COALESCE call is run in partnership with a number of government department and agencies, who fund or co-fund specific strands.
The DAFM Strand aims to fund a successful proposal up to €120,000 over 18-months. The topic is on food systems and the bioeconomy and, specifically, entails a desk study to feed into policy that seeks a multi-actor approach on how cities and their food systems and market for goods and services can impact positively rural areas through the circular bioeconomy.
Further information about the details of the research topic under the DAFM Strand, the application process, call documents and call deadline for submissions will be available when the COALESCE call opens on the IRC’s website.
The circular bioeconomy is the sustainable production and processing of biological resources driven by knowledge & innovation that ensures: the renewable use of natural capital for agriculture, aquaculture, forestry and fisheries; the separation and conversion (biorefining) of biological raw materials including from novel sources (for example: insects, grass) through cascading (higher value) and circular (multi-) use to produce biobased products (for example: food, feed, biobased chemicals & materials) with new more valuable functions (for example: healthier, lower emissions, carbon neutral) and services (for example: circular bioenergy & biowaste management); and the addressing of sustainability, circularity and climate action[1].
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine contributes to the development of Research & Innovation Policy relating to Agri-Food, Agri-Environment & Climate, Forestry, Food Systems and the Circular Bioeconomy. It operates and manages competitive research funding programmes for eligible Research Performing Organisations in Ireland and promotes and supports participation in relevant parts of the National and EU frameworks for research and innovation funding programmes, such as EU Horizon Programme for Research and Innovation.
The Irish Research Council was formed in 2012 and operates under the aegis of the Higher Education Authority. The core function of the Council is to support excellent frontier research across all disciplines and all career stages. The Council promotes diverse career opportunities for researchers by partnering with enterprise and employers. The Council also has a particular role in supporting research with a societal focus, and has established partnerships across government and civic society.