Agriculture Minister Michelle McIlveen today announced that research institutions in Northern Ireland are to benefit from £1.7million of new funding awarded through the DAERA Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) initiative.
DAERA has been working in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) in the Republic of Ireland and the US Department of Agriculture to identify opportunities to co-fund research in areas of shared strategic priority. Addressing common issues with a collaborative approach has many benefits including the leverage of additional research capacity and expertise to meet the needs of the local agri-food sector.
The Agri Food Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) and the Ulster University will receive approximately £1.7million to complete six projects.
Announcing the funding, Michelle McIlveen said: “Science has a vital role in providing our farmers and agri-food industry with a competitive edge in demanding markets. I am therefore pleased to see AFBI, Queen’s and Ulster University, achieving funding awards totalling £1.7million through the Collaborative Research Fund.
“Local scientists, technologists and advisers play an essential part in assisting NI farmers who face the challenges of increasingly competitive agri-food and forestry sectors. Sharing both knowledge and resources through transnational collaboration enhances both the quality of research, and the value derived from DAERA funding.”
