---
title: "Science Foundation Ireland"
chunk: 1/2
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"
---

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI; Irish: Fondúireacht Eolaíochta Éireann) was a statutory body in Ireland. It was an agency of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, with responsibility for funding oriented basic and applied research in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with a strategic focus. The board of SFI was appointed by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

== History ==
The agency was established in 2003 under the Industrial Development (Science Foundation Ireland) Act 2003.
Following a Technology Foresight activity managed by Forfás, the Irish Government allocated €1.3bn under the 2000–2006 National Development Plan to spend on R&D. SFI was responsible for disbursing €650M of these monies in the targeted strategic areas of ICT and Biotechnology during this period.
After an initial call for research proposals in 2000, the first Director General, Dr William Harris, joined SFI in 2001 leading the organization to the establishment of a range of research programmes from Principal Investigator Awards to large research centers, called Centers for Science & Engineering Technology.
In 2006, under the next National Development Plan, under the Strategy for Science, Technology & Innovation (SSTI), the Irish Government allotted a further €3.7B to spend on R&D.
A more recent and significant amendment to the SFI Act in 2013 widened SFI's remit further to include both oriented basic research and applied research.  The extension of SFI's remit to include applied research enables the outcome of oriented basic research funded by SFI to be taken closer to market.
The foundation signed the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities in February 2009.
In January 2021, SFI was transferred from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
In November 2023, Simon Harris, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, announced the intention of the government to establish Taighde Éireann as a successor body to both Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Research Council. This was implemented by the Research and Innovation Act 2024. Patrick O'Donovan, Harris's successor as minister, set 1 August as the establishment date of Taighde Éireann.
Science Foundation Ireland was dissolved on 31 July 2024.

== Organisation ==

=== Remit ===
Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) is the national foundation for investment in scientific and engineering research. SFI invests in academic researchers and research teams who are most likely to generate new knowledge, leading edge technologies and competitive enterprises in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
The foundation also promotes and supports the study of, education in, and engagement with STEM and promotes an awareness and understanding of the value of STEM to society and, in particular, to the growth of the economy.
SFI makes grants based upon the merit review of distinguished scientists.
SFI also facilitates co-operative efforts among education, government, and industry that support its fields of emphasis and promotes Ireland's ensuing achievements around the world.
When applying to SFI, applicants will be asked to justify the alignment of their research with Call- or Programme-specific themes and/or they will be required to describe the alignment of their research or activities with SFI's legal remit, as outlined below. Eligible research areas, or themes, may vary according to the scope and objectives of an individual programme and are described in the relevant call documentation. Details of individual programmes are included in the SFI Annual Plan.

=== Structure ===

==== Chairpersons of SFI ====

==== Directors General of SFI ====

Graham Love acted as interim Director General of SFI from the departure of Frank Gannon until the appointment of Mark Ferguson.

== Funding Programmes ==
SFI provides grants for researchers from around the world who wish to relocate to Ireland and those already based in Ireland, for outstanding investigators, for conferences and symposia, and for collaboration with industry. Proposals are evaluated in open competitions via a combination of international peer review and strategic fit with SFI's mission.
Science Foundation Ireland funds early- and mid-career researchers to become fully independent research leaders and collaborates with a number of UK based funding agencies, such as the Wellcome Trust, The Royal Society and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). These partnerships work, in some cases, by sharing the funding costs between the two agencies or in others, by facilitating Irish entry into the UK based fellowship.

=== Transitioning to Independence ===
Applies to early career researchers ready to embark on a career independent of their current supervisor; they will have a track record of research activity including senior author publications and will demonstrate an upward trajectory; they should be capable of describing research plans that fit into a national and international context and be starting to show evidence of independence and international recognition. Applicants to the SFI Starting Investigator Research Grant (SIRG), Royal Society-SFI University Research Fellowship and Wellcome Trust Research Career Development Fellowships are considered to be at the transition-to-independence stage.

=== Transitioning to Leadership ===
Applies to early and mid career researchers who have already demonstrated research independence. The SFI Career Development Award (CDA), Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowships in Basic Biomedical Science and Future Research Leader applicants are considered at the transition-to-leadership stage of their career.

=== Established Investigators and Leaders ===
SFI Investigators Programme funds the development of high caliber research capability and human capital in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) that demonstrably support and underpin enterprise competitiveness and societal development in Ireland.
SFI Research Professorship Programme supports national research bodies in the recruitment of researchers for Professorial Chairs, or similar research leadership positions in targeted scientific areas in all areas covered by SFI's legal remit. The programme can also act as a mechanism to support the recruitment of individuals who possess a strong industry background, as well as for directorship roles in established research centres within eligible research bodies in Ireland.