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Minister Harris announces appointment of new Ireland Co-Chair to the US-Ireland R&D Partnership Steering Group

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD has today announced the appointment of Professor Mark Ferguson as the new Ireland Co-Chair to the US-Ireland R&D Partnership Steering Group.

The US-Ireland R&D Partnership was established in 2006 and is based on the principles of the Good Friday Agreement.

Speaking today, Minister Harris said:

"Following a recruitment and assessment process which attracted a number of highly qualified candidates, it was my great pleasure to consider the appointment of the Ireland co-chair.

"I am delighted that Professor Mark Ferguson has accepted this appointment as Ireland Co-Chair to the US-Ireland R&D Partnership Steering Group. I am sure that Mark’s vast experience and leadership within the research and innovation communities in all three jurisdictions of the Partnership will enable him to make an extremely valuable contribution to its goals over the next four years.

"I would also like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the fine contribution and commitment made by the previous Ireland Co-Chair, Mr Feargal Ó Móráin during his tenure. During that time, the Partnership expanded its scope to include the new thematic areas of agriculture and cybersecurity, as well as further developing the existing areas.

"The US-Ireland R&D Partnership provides great opportunities for Irish researchers to develop and build on funded collaborations with partners in the US and in Northern Ireland. It is more important than ever that we continue to forge global strategic relationships that are based on complementary priorities and values."

The Steering Group includes representatives of the three jurisdictions, guides collaborative efforts under the Partnership and reflecting the partnership ethos, and has a co-chair from each of the three jurisdictions.

It involves the governments of the United States of America, Ireland and Northern Ireland working together to advance scientific progress by awarding grants for research on a competitive basis in the thematic areas of Telecommunications, Energy, Health, Agriculture and Cybersecurity.

US-Ireland R&D Partnership

Background to US-Ireland R&D Partnership

The US-Ireland R&D Partnership was formally launched in July 2006, having been developed on foot of political commitments made at the US Ireland Business Summit held in Washington in September 2002. It is considered a real and tangible outcome of the US contribution to bringing peace to the island of Ireland during the peace process.

The Partnership involves the governments of the United States of America, Ireland and Northern Ireland working together to advance scientific progress by awarding grants for research on a competitive basis in the thematic areas of Cybersecurity, Agriculture, Health, Nanoscale Science & Engineering, Sensors & Sensor Networks, Telecommunications and Energy & Sustainability.

The Partnership helps link scientists and engineers across academia and industry to address crucial research questions in these areas, foster the potential for new and existing technology companies, attract industry that could make an important contribution to the three economies and expand educational and career opportunities in science and engineering.

The work invested in developing the Partnership is paying off. Close cooperation has been developed between government departments and agencies, north and south of the border and with their US counterparts. To date the partnership has raised €121.026m and funded 75 projects from a combination of sources including the US National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the United States Department of Agriculture; Science Foundation Ireland, the Health Research Board and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in Ireland; and, in Northern Ireland, Health and Social Care R&D, in partnership with the Medical Research Council, the Department of Employment and Learning and Invest NI.

Central to the process is the use of the highly competitive proposal review procedures of the US National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health and the United States Department of Agriculture, which guarantees that only research of the highest quality will receive funding. In each successful project, each jurisdiction only provides the financial resources necessary to support research carried out in its jurisdiction. In Ireland’s case, that funding is provided by Science Foundation Ireland, the Health Research Board and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine through their existing rigorous competitive funding structures.

The Steering Group

Each jurisdiction provides one Co-Chair to the Partnership’s Steering Group. The Steering Group (with specialist sub-groups for the priority areas) is comprised of senior government officials, academics and business interests from the three jurisdictions to guide, monitor and evaluate the collaborative efforts.

The key role of the Ireland Co-Chair is to give strategic drive and direction to the work of the Partnership with the support of this department and InterTradeIreland which provides secretariat support to the Steering Group. Within this role a key aspect is the appropriate and timely networking and building of relationships with key players of the Steering Group including, in particular, the Ireland members, the NI Co-Chair and the US Co-Chair.

The position of Ireland Co-Chair is unremunerated, with travel and expenses provided by InterTradeIreland. All expenses are paid in accordance with approved public sector rates.

The other Irish members of the US-Ireland R&D Partnership Steering Group are Prof Philip Nolan, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland, Dr Mairead O’Driscoll, Chief Executive of the Health Research Board and Dr Karl Walsh, Senior Inspector/Head of Division, Research & CODEX Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.