THE GOVERNMENT’S €359 million programme for third-level research will create jobs and play a pivotal role in economic recovery, Taoiseach Brian Cowen has said.
Launching Cycle 5 of the Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions yesterday, Mr Cowen said Ireland needed to translate investment in research into sustainable jobs and growth.
“We need to strengthen links between our research institutions and industry to ensure that we develop, transfer and apply knowledge in productive ways,’’ he said.
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Batt O’Keeffe said the five-year plan – the largest investment in research in the State’s history – will transform Ireland’s research landscape and lay the foundations for prosperity based on sustainable, high-quality jobs.
Yesterday’s announcement was greeted with enthusiasm – and relief – by university presidents. Concerns had been raised that the Government might cut research funding.
Last year, the McCarthy report raised questions about the poor track record of the programme in creating jobs. But Government sources claim the new fund has a sharper jobs focus since control moved recently from the Department of Education to Enterprise, Trade and Innovation.
UCD, Trinity and NUI Galway are the big winners under Cycle 5. Overall, the UCD/TCD Innovation Alliance stands to secure over 50 per cent of funding. As lead or supporting partner, UCD has secured over €220 million.
NUI Galway secured over € 60 million. Its president, Dr Jim Browne, said the new funding was great news for the university, for the broader higher education sector and for Irish industry.
Last night, UCD president Dr Hugh Brady said: “This funding confirms the importance of university-based research to innovation, job creation and the smart economy. Progress for an economy and a society is best achieved through a balanced diversity of initiatives in science, engineering and the humanities, which universities are uniquely positioned to deliver.”
The Provost of Trinity College Dublin, Dr John Hegarty, said no less than 17 of Trinity’s submitted proposals were successful, securing funding of €81.9 million. Trinity will be providing an additional €20.6 million in matched funding.
Under the programme, the Government will invest €296.1 million, with €62.6 million coming from private non-exchequer sources.
The Higher Education Authority said the new investment will allow Irish higher education institutions – in collaboration with industry – to ensure that the ideas that emerge from research will effectively translate into products and services and, importantly, sustainable employment.
The authority’s chief executive, Tom Boland, said: “Irish higher education institutions are now competing and collaborating in international research, particularly in a number of specialised fields, at a level that was unimaginable over 10 years ago.”
UCC president Dr Michael Murphy said he was delighted with UCC’s performance in securing competitive funding in the key areas of energy, life sciences, technology and health – all of which are crucial to Ireland’s economic future.
The Irish University Association, the representative group for the seven university presidents, said the funds represented “an investment to maintain the future competitiveness of Ireland”.