Higher Education Authority an tÚdarás um Ard-Oideachas HEA

 

Welcoming the announcement by the Minister for Education and Science of a €300 million investment in research, the Chief Executive of the Higher Education Authority, Tom Boland described it as “precisely the right initiative at precisely the right time”.  The investment comes through a fifth cycle of funding in the Programme of Research in Third Level institutions (PRTLI) which is managed by the HEA on behalf of the Department of Education and Science.

“While present economic difficulties require measures that will have effect in the short term, we cannot afford to lose focus on the future and what will make Ireland successful” he said.  “This announcement is a clear indication that Ireland is thinking not just short term, but long term about future development. That development is crucially dependent on developing a more innovative, high skilled economy.  Investment in research is key”. 

The investment is a key component of the Government’s Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation (SSTI); the national roadmap for developing research and technological innovation and excellence in Ireland.  Over the past ten years almost a billion euro has been invested in research under the PRTLI alone bringing about a sea change in Ireland’s research capacity with implications for current and future prosperity.

Mr. Boland praised the unique success of the public/private funding model that has developed under PRTLI, as a hugely successful example of public and private investment working in tandem towards a more successful and sustainable economic future.

The Higher Education Authority will now issue a call for proposals for funding under this new cycle of investment which will be allocated on a competitive basis during 2009. Investment under Cycle 5 will focus on a number of specific areas. It will inject capital investment into Ireland’s research infrastructure. State-of-the-art facilities will be delivered to accommodate an additional 1,400 researchers in higher education institutions. Institutions will also be invited to submit proposals for the development of national shared facilities that focus on areas of strategic national importance. Proposals will be sought in the areas of biomedical and health research, chemistry and pharmaceutical research, marine environmental research, waste management research and cultural heritage.

In addition, Cycle 5 will focus on commercialisation of research outcomes and on the enhancement of PhD programmes, enabling PhD students to enter the public and private sectors with the wider range of multi-disciplinary skills needed.

More details will be available on the Higher Education Authority website in the coming days.

ENDS

Mark Byrne

Communications Officer

Higher Education Authority

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01 231 7178

0877587922