---
title: "Science Foundation Ireland"
chunk: 2/2
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Foundation_Ireland"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:35:04.993244+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

=== Industry Programmes ===
The Industry Fellowship programme funds the bi-directional movement of academic and industry researchers. Fellowships can be awarded to academic researchers wishing to spend time in industry worldwide and to individuals from industry anywhere in the world (including Ireland) wishing to spend time in an eligible Irish Research Body. The programme facilitates knowledge transfer and training, building critical mass in areas of strategic importance for Ireland.
SFI Research Centres are large scale Research Centres which have an economic impact for Ireland.  SFI Research Centres may be funded at a level of between €1-5 million per year in direct costs.  SFI funds up to 70% of the overall Research Centre budget.  A minimum of 30% of the budget must be secured from industry partners, at least one-third of which must be in cash.See details on the 16 funded SFI Research Centres here:

SFI Research Centre Spokes is a mechanism to allow new industry and academic partners to join the existing SFI Research Centres.
SFI Partnership Programme is a mechanism by which SFI builds collaborations with industry, funding agencies, charities, philanthropic organisations or higher education institutes (HEIs) in order to co-fund future opportunities.
SFI Centre for Research Training is a mechanism to fund cohorts of research students.

=== Other ===
SFI Research Infrastructure Call funds the research community in building and sustaining the required infrastructural capacity to accomplish research in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  SFI supports the use, renewal and development of existing national research infrastructures and invests in modern research equipment and infrastructure in areas of national priority.
SFI Fellowship Programme is a career development programme that allows candidates to participate in the activities carried out by a funding agency in order to gain new experience.
SFI Conference and Workshop programme funds international and national conferences and workshops hosted in Ireland. These events are for the dissemination of research, knowledge exchange, development and exposure of early career researchers and students and development and growth of new and existing collaborations both nationally and internationally. SFI will support conferences and workshops of timely importance in all areas covered by SFI's legal remit. SFI Conference and Workshop Awards fall into four different categories: Conference, Exceptional Conference, Workshop and Conference Bid.
SFI Award for Journalism Relating to Science and Technology is an annual award issued by the National Student Media Awards (Smedias) and funded by SFI. The Smedias are run by the Oxygen.ie website.
Technology Innovation Development Award (TIDA) is a joint funded initiative by SFI and Enterprise Ireland (EI). The TIDA programme enables researchers to focus on the first steps of an applied research project that has a commercial benefit if further developed.

=== SFI St. Patrick's Day Medal ===
Every year Science Foundation Ireland celebrates the achievements of Irish Scientists, engineers and business leaders living and working in the USA. The agency awards two Medals - one for industry and one for academia. Both Medals recognise individuals who are not only outstanding in their fields of expertise but who also have demonstrably assisted researchers in Ireland in either academia or industry - via mentorship, supervision, collaboration, industrial development, entrepreneurship or who have made significant contributions to developing the research ecosystem in Ireland.
Past medal recipients are: 

== Public Engagement, Education and Outreach ==
SFI Discover is the education and public engagement programme of Science Foundation Ireland and covers three main areas of activity:

Directly managed programmes (listed below)
Projects and activity completed through the SFI Research Centres and other researchers funded through SFI
Projects funded through the SFI Discover annual funding call.

=== Science Week ===
Science Week is an annual nationwide promotion of science to the general public, first starting in 1996. It consists of a week-long programme of events across Ireland each November to make science more interesting and accessible to children and adults alike.
Organised events take place in schools, colleges, universities, libraries, companies and other public places and are run by volunteers. The national media and promotional campaign is coordinated by SFI's Discover Programme with over 800 events taking place throughout the country.
The Science Week website is the information platform for events. Organisers submit their event details online to a searchable events database and participants upload images and videos of events they have attended.

=== SFI Curious Minds ===
The SFI Curious Minds Programme supports schools in delivering the science and maths curriculum in schools and to make it more interesting, relevant and visual for their students. It facilitates teacher training in general primary science, and provides teachers with online resources – which can also be used by parents and students – and classroom activity packs.
Major elements for the programme include:

"Continued Professional Development" for all staff of participating schools
Awards for 'Science and Maths Excellence', to reward primary schools for carrying out science, technology, engineering and maths activities both in the school and externally.
A network of over 50 Discover Centres with accredited workshops and outreach programmes for primary school students on a range of themes encompassing STEM

=== Discover Funding Call ===
Science Foundation Ireland, through the SFI Discover Programme promotes awareness and engagement of the Irish public with science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
The SFI Discover Programme was set up to catalyse, inspire and guide STEM education and public engagement. To achieve this the  programme Call funds the development of STEM education and public engagement sector in Ireland, investing in developing and extending activity and ability in this area, and exploring and encouraging novel means of engaging the public.

=== Science in Ireland Barometer ===
The study was commissioned by SFI and most recently completed by Qualia Analytics (in 2020–21) to establish the Irish public's attitudes and awareness of STEM in our society, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public attitudes and behaviours. Results from 2020 to 2021 are available on a dedicated SFI website: https://www.sfi.ie/engagement/barometer/. An earlier version of this survey was conducted in 2015. The 2015 study was involved face-to-face interviews, across a nationally representative sample of 1,008 adults aged 15+ in Ireland. The study found that awareness of science is generally positive. Science was deemed to be highly valued both for economic growth and personal prosperity but only half the population felt adequately informed. The public seek clarity and consistency in what they hear about science, with positive engagement of science teachers and parents being key factors to children's interest in STEM.

== See also ==
Open access in the Republic of Ireland
Government Chief Scientific Advisor

== References ==