Responding to COVID-19

In supporting the Irish government’s response to the crisis, SFI rapidly developed a five-point plan which focused on providing immediate research funding; collating information and facilitating collaborative engagement and problem curation across many sectors.

Researchers in Ireland truly stepped up to ‘pull on the green jersey’ providing expertise from across the HEIs in areas such as contact tracing and manufacturing. They donated equipment and essential supplies, as well as providing staff and facilities for testing, modelling, and 3D printing. Despite the immense challenges, researchers still continued to publish excellent scientific papers and engage industry throughout 2020.

SFI in turn recognised the major challenges facing many research groups, extending deadlines and assembling international peer review panels in a matter of weeks to disseminate funding with rigorous standards of excellence. The COVID-19 Rapid Response Research, Development and Innovation programme was delivered by a high level of interagency and HEI collaboration, together with EI, IDA Ireland, the HRB and the IRC, with SFI investing €18 million in 83 projects via two funding calls, to provide innovative solutions across academia and industry.

Pictured right: Image by Dr Niall Smith, Head of Research at MTU and Head of MTU Blackrock Castle Observatory, from an SFI-funded, multidisciplinary project at CIT (now MTU), under the COVID-19 Rapid Response Call Programme

Societal and Economic Impact

Outbreaks of COVID-19 in meat plants in Ireland have presented a threat to workers and to our wider society. Research funded under the COVID-19 Rapid Response Research and Innovation Programme, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and led by Prof Grace Mulcahy (UCD), aims to better understand why meat plants are vulnerable to the transmission of COVID-19, and how to decrease the risks.

Research led by Prof Wim Meijer (UCD) and Dr Niall O’Leary (UCC) will see an integrated system for all-island SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance established. A study led by UCD demonstrated that measuring the COVID-19 virus in wastewater in the Republic of Ireland can identify whether the virus is present and if the infection levels are going up or down.

View a full list of funded projects here

Pictured right: Prof Mark Ferguson, Director General SFI and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government; Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, TD, Prof Zena Moore and Prof Donal O’Shea at the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.