Ten team-leaders for international science and technology research projects worth a total of £55 million were announced today as part of the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) first international awards scheme.
The appointments are part of the SFI’s first international awards project aimed at encouraging top international researchers to establish projects in Ireland.
The ten "Principal Investigators" were selected through a world-wide competition as being outstanding scientists in their fields of biotechnology and information and communication technologies.
The SFI has awarded them grants totaling £55 million to lead teams of 10 to twelve researchers drawn from Ireland and abroad in five-year research projects. The projects are to be announced over the coming weeks.
At the launch today the chief executive of Forfás, Mr John Travers said: "The Principal Investigators and their teams wil be working in a number of Irish third level education institutions. There was enthusiastic and co-operative response from these institutions to working with the SFI that augers well for the consolidation of a world-class research community in Ireland."
The Tánaiste, Ms Mary Harney, who was also at the launch with Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce, Mr Noel Treacy, said: "This is the largest investment in scientific research in our history, and it will have incalculable effects on Ireland’s international reputation and our ability to attract investment."
The ten "Principal Investigators" include: Professor Seamus Martin, based in Trinity College Dublin (TCD); Professor Kingston Mills, now based in TCD; Professor Ken Wolfe of TCD; Professor Michael Ceoy of TCD; US Professor Eugene Freuder based in NUI Cork; Dr Douglas Leith from the UK and moving to NUI Maynooth; Professor John Lewis, based in Dublin Institute of Technology; Professor Eoin O’Reilly from the UK and moving to NUI Maynooth; Professor John Pethica from the UK and moving to TCD; and Dr Igor Shvets of TCD.