Research funding list surprise

The recent announcement of the shortlist of proposals submitted to cycle two of the Programme for Research in ThirdLevel Institutions (PRTLI) has caused more than a few gasps of surprise. Institutional proposals from two universities - DCU and UL - have both failed to make the shortlist, while proposals from two ITs - Cork and Sligo - are included on the list.

Other third-level colleges still in with a chance of research funding from the programme include TCD, UCD, NUI Galway, NUI,Maynooth, UCC and RCSI. A joint TCD/UCD proposal for a research partnership between UCD's Conway Institute and TCD's Institute of Molecular Medicine and a TCD/ DIT health infomatics programme have also been shortlisted. The DIT's institutional proposal, however, has been rejected.

The PRTLI, which is administered by the HEA, was launched in November 1998. Third-level institutions were invited to submit proposals for research funding. These were vetted by a high-level international panel of experts. Criteria for selection included the contribution the research would make to the goals and objectives of the institution's research strategy and to the quality of teaching there. Half of the capital funding was to be privately raised.

As a result of this process, in July 1999 the HEA announced funding to the tune of £162.5 million for 11 third-level institutions. These included Athlone IT (£1.8 million), DCU (£22.5 million), DIT (£8 million), Carlow IT (£1 million), NUI,Galway (£15.5 million), NUI,Maynooth (£8.9 million), RCSI (£8.7 million), TCD (£19 million), UCC (£21 million), UCD (£24.5 million) and UL (£11.4 million).

Cycle two of the programme, worth £65 million, was launched in December 1999. The institutions have been given greater discretion in relation to the breakdown between capital and current expenditures - which previously had been set at 50-50. In particular, the new cycle encourages inter-institutional co-operation. A total of 21 institutions applied for funding under cycle two.

All the shortlisted proposals involve collaboration with other institutions. For example, a UCC proposal for the construction of an Environmental Research Institute includes collaboration with eight other colleges, among them five ITs. That both DCU and UL's institutional proposals have fallen at the first hurdle is an undoubted embarrassment to those universities. Despite the fact that they both did well in the first cycle, they are now perceived as being pipped at the post by two institutes of technology.

UL will be particularly embarrassed. When Prof Roger Downer succeeded Dr Ed Walsh as president, it was expected that the strengthening of research would be a priority. The chances are, though, that UL will have some presence in research programmes funded under this cycle. The university has a collaborative involvement in no fewer than six of the shortlisted proposals. DCU, on the other hand, has none.

When you talk to the colleges, it's clear that the PRTLI has required them to make some very difficult decisions and look at themselves in a new light. They've been forced to prioritise their research and, in many instances, reject excellent research proposals simply because they failed to meet the criteria.

Different universities have different strengths, notes Dr Tom McCarthy, who is NUI Maynooth's dean of research. One of the benefits of the PRTLI is that the colleges have been forced to identify their strengths. However, "you have to make difficult decisions and keep on board people who are doing good work, but who don't fit the PRTLI criteria," he says.

Sligo IT was turned down for funding in cycle one of PRTLI, but is now hoping for greater success in cycle two. Sligo's proposal for funding for research into sustainable waste treatment recycling and the re-use of biosolids involves co-operation with Limerick Institute of Technology, UCD, NUI, Galway, UL, the Shannon Aquatic Toxicology Laboratory and Teagasc.

"The feedback we got last time was that our application was insufficiently focused," explains Dr John Bartlett, who is chairman of Sligo's postgraduate studies committee. "This time we've done a major focusing exercise and we have concentrated on the environment - last time we also included healthcare.

The pool of researchers is also much smaller." Bartlett believes that when it comes to preparing and submitting research applications, the IT sector is at a disadvantage compared to the universities. "We all have full-time teaching loads and have to organise our research efforts on top of teaching. We don't have people who are involved full time with the administration of research," he notes. Nonetheless, the strategic requirements of the PRTLI have forced the ITs to think more strategically, he says.

"Last time, our application was broadly based and more inclusive," comments Cork IT's development officer, Michael Delaney. Cork's proposal for funding for environmental research focusing on eco-toxicology, waste reduction and air pollution involves collaborations with UCC and NUI Galway. "We have learned by the process that you have to make tough decisions in relation to your development strategy and that you must address all of the criteria laid down in the programme," he says.

The shortlisted institutions still have a considerable way to go, however. They are now required to revise their applications in the light of feedback from the HEA and re-submit them by June 9th. Many colleges have been asked to prune their proposals' costs. The final selection will be announced in July.