Some €6m for agriculture research across Ireland has been announced this morning. The awards cover a broad range of research activities from sustainable food production at farm level right through to innovations in the processing sector.
Many of the projects funded are applied and pre-commercial in nature and there is also a heavy emphasis on research involving the modern biosciences. Funded projects include research on novel marine derived agents for the control of salmonella in pork and a project looking at lamb meat flavour based on the animal’s diet.
In general, these awards will further enhance and develop research capacity and capability in the Irish public research system that contributes to underpinning the sustainability and competitiveness of the Irish agri-food sector.
Announcing the news at the Agricultural Science Association Annual Conference, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney TD said: “Following the significant awards of €32m last November, I am delighted to announce the provision of further financial support for publicly funded research. This research will play a key role in driving innovation within our sector thus contributing to the growth targets outlined in the Food Harvest 2020 and ultimately making a positive contribution to the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs.”
Some 55 awards were announced on 26 November in 2012, with a further 12 awards announced today.
Below is a list of the institutions involved and awards allocated.
| No. | Project Title | Principal Investigator | Institutions involved | Award Amount |
| 1 | High pressure processing to control pathogens in ready-to-eat traditional cooked meat products with reduced sodium, lower preservatives and no artificial colours or flavours | Dr. Joe Kerry | UCC, Teagasc | €496,817 |
| 2 | Dehydration/ Rehydration dynamics for development of ‘SMART’ Dairy ingredients | Dr. Phil Kelly | Teagasc, UCC, UL | €800,983 |
| 3 | Extraction and validation of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients from Brewers Spent Grain | Prof. R.J. Fitzgerald | UL, UCC, Kerry Ingredients, Diageo | €456,586 |
| 4 | The use of marine derived antibacterial agents to combat the prevalence of Salmonella in pork products | Prof. Alan Dobson | UCC, Teagasc | €490,393 |
| 5 | Packaging & Chilling technologies to enhance meat quality & safety | Dr. Declan Bolton | Teagasc, UCC, UCD | €565,722 |
| 6 | Genetics of Cost production traits( fertility, health, milk yield and feed efficiency for livestock) | Dr. Noirin McHugh | Teagasc, ICBF, UCD, DCU | €290,142 |
| 7 | Predisposing factors for disease and immunocompetence in artificially-reared dairy and suckled beef calves from birth to weaning |
Dr. Bernadette Earley | Teagasc, UCD, AFBI | €754,719 |
| 8 | Gender, age and diet effects on lamb meat flavour and sensory quality | Prof. Frank Monahan | UCD, Teagasc, AFBI | €833,482 |
| 9 | Precision Nutrition for improved animal productivity, product quality and environmental sustainability | Dr. Bernadette O’Brien | Teagasc, AFBI | €504,115 |
| 10 | Breeding of wheat in order to enhance yield and disease resistance- mutation of the BRI1 brassinosteroid receptor gene | Dr. Fiona Doohan | UCD, Teagasc | €770,202 |
| 11 | Understanding and facilitating Farmers Adoption of Technologies |
Dr. Aine Macken-Walsh | Teagasc, NUIG | €199,463 |
| 12 | Joint Ventures to Enhance the Demographic Profile and Socio-Economic Sustainability of Irish Farming | Dr. Kevin Heanue | Teagasc, NUIG, UCC | €198,817 |