The Government is to provide over €12 million in research funding to encourage early career scientific researchers to remain in the country and help develop technologies and products that will benefit the economy.

Minister of State for Research and Innovation Seán Sherlock said the funding will support 44 researchers and postgraduate students over four years through Science Foundation Ireland.

Ireland had developed “an internationally recognised credible research base” in recent years and it was essential to achieve scientific excellence to yield a competitive advantage that would provide for future economic growth and job creation, the Minister said.

Announcing details of the funding at the National Tyndall Institute in Cork yesterday, Mr Sherlock said researchers in areas relevant to Irish enterprise would benefit from the €12.3 million channelled through SFI’s starting investigator research grant programme.

The researchers are based at nine higher education institutions