Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless TD have today announced a €16 million funding package to support four major cross-border research collaborations between higher education institutions in Ireland and Northern Ireland. This investment comes through the second call of the North-South Research Programme (NSRP), managed by the Higher Education Authority (HEA).
This initiative forms a central part of the Government’s Shared Island strategy, promoting an all-island research agenda that strengthens cooperation across the border and delivers meaningful, lasting benefits for communities throughout both Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Each of the four selected projects will receive up to €4 million over four years. The projects were chosen from a highly competitive pool of 131 applications submitted by 17 higher education institutions, with evaluation carried out by international experts. This reflects the strong enthusiasm and commitment of academic and research institutions on both sides of the border to work collaboratively on an all-island scale.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD said:
“Deepening cooperation between higher education institutions and researchers on a cross-border basis to conduct research of economic and social benefit to the whole island is a key priority of the Government’s Shared Island Initiative.
“I am very pleased to see the Higher Education Authority in this second round of the programme enabling four major new institutional cross-border research partnerships with this focus.
“I congratulate all of the successful research teams and institutions and look forward to seeing the outputs and benefits that each project will deliver in the years ahead.”
Minister Lawless said:
“Since my appointment, I have actively engaged in strengthening North-South collaborations between higher-education and research institutions. Today’s announcement is a clear demonstration of the potential we unlock when we work together at scale.
“These projects, spanning cybersecurity, language and identity, Parkinson’s disease research, and inclusive design, demonstrate the potential of what shared research ambition can achieve. They will foster innovation, inform policy, and enhance quality of life across communities. Crucially, they set the stage for deeper collaboration in the years ahead.”
Higher Education Authority CEO, Dr Alan Wall, said:
“The Higher Education Authority is delighted to deliver the North South Research Programme which is a unique funding mechanism supporting the growth of research collaboration across all disciplines on an all-island basis. Projects funded under Call 2 have been selected based on excellence following a competitive call for proposals. Each project will receive up to €4 million over four years. The Call 2 projects will build on the success of Call 1 and further strengthen collaboration, research capacity and knowledge sharing on the island of Ireland.”
