An unsung hero of Irish research and innovation

What is the connection between smart beehives and monastic Ireland? Or the connection between bronze-age metalwork and ultrafast magnetism? Or between solar flares and financial markets? In fact, what is the connection between all of these?

All six topics, and well over 1,000 more, are the subject of research currently under way in our higher-education institutions with funding from the Irish Research Council. Most people not directly involved in research and innovation will not be aware of the council's work, but it deserves to be more widely known. Although relatively small in budget, accounting for less than 5 per cent of total State investment in research and development, the Irish Research Council delivers results that are disproportionate to its size. Having served as chair of the council, I witnessed this impact at first hand.

The council supports talented people with great ideas. These are drawn from all disciplines – social sciences and humanities as well as science and engineering – and reach into all areas of culture, society and the economy. The council has a particular role in supporting researchers in the early stages of their careers, and most of its funding is awarded as fellowships for postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers.. These fellowships are highly competitive, and the standard of the research they deliver is very high. Past recipients have gone on to success in the highly prestigious European Research Council funding or as founders of some of our most exciting start-up companies.

Sometimes the right catalyst in research can yield great rewards. One example is the partnership between the Irish Research Council and The Wheel, which supports and represents about 1,000 community and voluntary non-profit organisations across Ireland.

These organisations encounter problems that could be resolved through research insights but typically do not have the resources to conduct or fund the research themselves. Through the partnership, researchers are funded to work with organisations such as Trócaire, the Immigrant Council of Ireland and Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, addressing important societal problems while also learning from the expertise and network of the organisations.

Another link developed to great effect by the Irish Research Council is its partnership with enterprise and other employers in supporting postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers. Last year one-third of the postgraduate students funded by the council were co-funded by employers (more than 60 per cent of them SMEs) to conduct research projects on topics of shared interest. Through this, the students learn to work within a network, partnering with others to ensure their research work has an impact on the businesses or community organisations with which they work. This enables innovative research, while also developing the employment potential of the students.

Industry and society

The research funded by the Irish Research Council advances understanding, drives innovation and answers questions for industry and society. In doing so it also delivers on its primary objective, which is the development of talented individuals through research. The availability of such talent is increasingly central to the national proposition for inward investment and for the development of Irish business, as well as for our ability to tackle complex societal challenges.

In the words of Damien English, Minister of State with responsibility for Skills, Research and Innovation, "Ireland's investment in research and development is really an investment in human capital, building research skills and capabilities not just in academia but also in industry." The period of the last strategy saw very good progress in the development of postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers. One element of the next strategy will be to ensure that we make best use of the potential of this cohort as they transition to their next career stage.

For the majority who will move to employment outside higher education institutions, we need to optimise the routes through which their skills and talents can be absorbed into society and the economy.

Programmes such as those of the Irish Research Council have done much to deliver talented human capital at postgraduate and postdoctoral level. By building on these, we can amplify the impact of these talented individuals.

• Orla Feely is vice-president for research, innovation and impact at UCD