A RESEARCH project involving UCC and Bantry Marine Research Station into the use of seaweed in cosmetics has been awarded funding under a special grant programme.
Minister Patrick O’Donovan announced a €1.4m investment in 15 awards through the SFI industry research, development and innovation (RD&I) fellowship programme.
The projects include one spearheaded by UCC’s Rochak Mittal, who has linked up with Bantry Marine Research Station to investigate sustainable biorefinery setup for the recovery of fucoidan from cultivated brown seaweed for industrial applications.
This involves extracting seaweed for use in cosmetics products.
A total of €88,952.91 has b been allocated to the project.
This SFI programme will support the temporary placement of researchers in 12 companies.
‘Academic-Industry collaborations maximise the economic and societal impact of Irish State-funded research and resources, and foster impactful innovation,’ said Minister O’Donovan.
Meanwhile, applications for the 2024 SFI Industry RD&I fellowship call are now open. The deadline for submissions is June 26th. See sfi.ie.
