Stakeholders unaware of Government science strategy

An interdepartmental committee asked to devise a new scientific research strategy for Ireland has left out an important part of the process – the scientists.

While some stakeholders such as the Irish Universities Association and the Royal Irish Academy were aware of a consultation process launched on February 13th, others such as the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and Isme, the body that represents small to medium enterprises, received no notice.

This will make it a scramble for much of the research community to meet a March 23rd deadline for written submissions on what kind of strategy Ireland needs.

A coherent and well thought out strategy for science, technology and innovation is an essential part of any government’s planning. This is particularly true for countries such as Ireland which has aspirations to become a major international player in scientific research.

Our previous strategy ran from 2006 to 2013 and so effectively is two years past its sell-by date. The Government’s current plan is to have a new strategy in place by summer 2015.

The committee is made up of representatives from 10 government departments including the Department of the Taoiseach and is led by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. It also includes the Higher Education Authority and the chief scientific adviser.

The need for a replacement had been under discussion for more than a year, but the move to initiate a process came with little warning according to a source familiar with it.

“The whole process has been rushed,” the source said. It was set in motion at the end of December without public announcement and then a substantial document arrived on the 10 departmental websites.

The Consultation Paper for a Successor to the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation is meant to provide a basis for discussions. Its arrival was not announced, however, and many scientists asked about it were still unaware of its existence.

“They are doing this in a big hurry,” said Prof Tom Ray of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies who heard about the process via the academy. The institute is preparing a submission, as is the RDS. It became aware of the process last week and its science committee is putting together a submission.