32
SCIENCE FOUNDATION IRELAND ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Oriented basic research remains at the core of
Science Foundation Ireland’s remit. However, as
Science Foundation Ireland is increasingly funding
more applied research and research that involves
industry collaboration and partnership, it is beneficial
to categorise awards so that we can assess the
maturity of a proposed research programme and
potential resultant ‘technology,’ and how far down
the path towards applied use the programme of
research intends to bring this technology. To assess
the maturity of awards within its funding portfolio,
SFI has adopted the same Technology Readiness
Level (TRL) evaluation scale as utilised by the Horizon
2020 Programme (outlined below), which is an
adaptation of the TRL scale developed by NASA in
the 1970s.
As it stands, the majority of Science Foundation
Ireland’s portfolio of investment currently lies in TRL
1 and 2. With time and given Science Foundation
Ireland’s expanded remit, it would be expected to
see investments moving to span the TRL levels from
1 up to level 6 or 7. SFI’s mid-high TRL investments
will grow in the future, however, given the Innovation
2020 strategy and national plans to increase
public investment in STEM research, a substantial
proportion of SFI’s investment will continue to be in
the lower TRLs.
Technology Readiness Levels (TRL)
TRL 1 Basic principles observed
TRL 2 Technology concept formulated
TRL 3 Experimental proof of concept
TRL 4 Technology validated in lab
TRL 5 Technology validated in relevant environment
(industrially relevant environment in the case
of key enabling technologies)
TRL 6 Technology demonstrated in relevant
environment (industrially relevant
environment in the case of key enabling
technologies)
TRL 7 System prototype demonstration in
operational environment
TRL 8 System complete and qualified
TRL 9 Actual system proven in operational
environment (competitive manufacturing in
the case of key enabling technologies; or in
space)
Science Foundation Ireland’s Budget Breakdown by TRL
36.78%
TRL 1
44.42%
TRL 2
8.41%
TRL 3
3.51%
TRL 4
TRL 5
1.67%
4.29%
TRL 6
TRL 7
N/A
€0
0.02%
0.89%
€50,000,000
€100,000,000 €150,000,000 €200,000,000 €250,000,000 €300,000,000 €350,000,000 €400,000,000
Total Combined Budget