An offshore autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) project at the University of Limerick has received €1.8 million as part of a new Government funding round announced on Friday.
The project, led by Prof Gerard Dooly, aims to develop a nine metre long coastal and offshore ASV with a range of 2,500 nautical miles.
It will be designed to enhance Ireland’s marine science capabilities, bridge data gaps, and improve understanding of ocean habitats.
It is one of nine research infrastructure projects awarded a total of €17.7 million in funding through Research Ireland’s Research Infrastructure Programme.
There was also €3.7 million for the development of a “cryo electron microscopy unit national platform” – a project being led by Prof Oliver Blacque at University College Dublin. It will provide high-resolution 3D visualisation of biological structures, aiding various biomedical research applications.
Another project led by Dr Stephen Butler at Teagasc to develop a national enteric methane mitigation test bed was awarded €1,983,502. It will develop strategies to reduce methane emissions from ruminant animals, contributing to climate change mitigation.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless said the awards will “contribute to the advancement of high-quality and high-impact research activities across Ireland”.
“This targeted investment in research infrastructure will help to future-proof the conducting of high-quality research endeavours across our higher education institutions and in a wide range of disciplines,” he said.
“It is important for researchers to be equipped with the innovative tools and the conducive environments that can help deliver research excellence and impact.”
Celine Fitzgerald, interim chief executive of Research Ireland, said: “The Research Infrastructure Programme supports the research community in building and sustaining cutting-edge infrastructure to accomplish high-quality, impactful, and innovative research.
“The programme encourages partnerships and collaboration between different cohorts of researchers in Ireland, across academia and enterprise.”
Other awards were given to projects at Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University.
