In a surprise development, about 50 per cent of all projects approved for a new €42 million research fund are led by institutes of technology (ITs).
In all, more than €300 million is being distributed over five years as part of the new Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF), in which the 14 ITs and the seven universities compete for research funding.
The first €42 million from the fund was allocated yesterday. In all, 14 major projects have been approved for funding, following an independent assessment conducted by international experts.
Full details of the successful bids will not be known until later this week, but many of the approved projects are led by ITs.
These include projects by institutes of technology at Athlone, Cork, Galway/Mayo, Tallaght, Sligo and Limerick. In five of the projects, the lead IT will be working in partnerships that include both universities and other institutes. Institutes of technology are also involved in four of the projects led by universities.
An additional sector-wide project - for the 14 institutes of technology - worth €3.8 million was also approved.
In the university sector, it is known that funding has also been approved for a major research project in the University of Limerick. Overall, the projects approved involve:
enhancing collaboration between higher education institutions;
improving teaching and learning;
supporting institutional reform;
promoting access and lifelong learning;
supporting the development of postgraduate education.
Due to the collaborative nature of the projects, all seven universities and 14 institutes of technology will be involved.
Minister for Education Mary Hanafin said last night that the SIF "reflects the reality that for Irish higher education to attain world-class standards, we need to identify creative approaches that build on the collective strengths of our institutions, working together as a cohesive system".
The response from the institutions to this first call for proposals demonstrated they were ready for that challenge. The strong level of collaboration between universities and institutes of technology was particularly encouraging, she added.
Seven projects are based on partnerships that include both universities and institutes of technology. Ms Hanafin said they were a real demonstration of the potential for improvement that could be achieved when resources and expertise from across the system were brought together.
She added she would be asking the Higher Education Authority to provide feedback to institutions on unsuccessful applications for funding.