Sir, - In recent years various Government Ministers, industrialists and academics have expressed grave concern at the low level of interest in science, especially chemistry and physics, in this country. The skills involved are important in the high-tech industries; several of my former post-graduates now work, at a high technical level, in this country with companies such as Intel, Hewlett-Packard, and GE (Superabrasives), etc.
Let me point out one important reason for the fall in interest. When students finish their basic, four-year (B.Sc.) degree, one of their options is research, i.e. to work for a three-year (if not four-year) Ph.D. degree. The sums involved are roughly as follows: they can apply for a Government "Research Scholarship", currently worth £2,000 a year; with course fees now in excess of the latter, they start with negative equity. If they are lucky they may get some additional (but usually rather small) funding from the university, local authority, or their supervisor's grants - but these are not always guaranteed.
A much better option for many bright students at present is to forget about research and go directly into industry, or to do their research abroad, where Ph.D. workers are adequately funded. The current funding of Ph.D. research in this State seems ludicrous and this is reflected in the attitudes of young people to science, especially as a career option.
Is the Government (and its advisers) trying to remedy this situation? It does not seem so! Last week we had the announcement of the award of about £56 million to eight super-researchers, who will obviously perform miracles. There can scarcely be a better recipe for restricting the range of technical skills being developed in Ireland. Who would have expected, 10 years ago, that copper electrodeposition would be of major importance in the manufacture of microchips, as is now the case? This country requires a broad range of high level scientific skills.
The Government should urgently install an adequately funded postgraduate research programme, and back-date it to cover existing research post-graduates. Most of my own researchers are currently industrially funded, but unfortunately I have had to reject applications: one cannot expect postgraduates (often living away from home) to survive for three to four years on fresh air and peanuts (around here, sandwiches now cost £1.40 each). We need to take care of young researchers at the most vital stage of their careers; they are important for future high-tech employment. And please, Minister, do not increase the level of support by reducing the number of grants. - Yours, etc.,
Prof. L.D. Burke, Chemistry Department, University College, Cork.
