Ninth Level Ireland

“The Government is increasingly under fire for how the nation lags its European counterparts in funding basic, ‘blue skies’ research, the kind in which real world applications are not immediately clear. During Science Week 2019, Fianna Fáil’s science spokesman James Lawless, stated it was ‘over-concentrating resources around applied-commercial research at the expense of basic/discovery research’ …” (more)

[Conor Purcell, Irish Times, 2 January]

“The Presidents of Ireland’s seven universities, represented by the IUA, have called on the Government and the national research funding agencies to urgently address strategic deficiencies in how Irish research is funded, following the outcome of the latest European Research Council (ERC) funding programme. Only one Irish-based researcher was funded out of a total of 408 grant awards from the €621 million funding programme …” (more)

[IUA, 13 September]

“Just one of more than 400 recently announced European research grants has been awarded to Ireland prompting calls for an overhaul in how the Government carries out its own funding. The presidents of seven third level institutions represented by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) have said national funding for primary research is far behind that of other countries …” (more)

[Mark Hilliard, Irish Times, 13 September]

“A new controversy is erupting over State funding for university researchers after Trinity College Dublin (TCD) dropped 44 places in the latest annual global rankings. In a further blow to the nation’s higher education reputation, the only Irish entry in the world’s top 200 tumbled from 120th to 164th in the UK-based Times Higher Education table …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 12 September]

“The Minister for Education and Skills invites applications from the STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) Academic Community to fill 3 vacancies on the Irish Research Council. Candidates must demonstrate in their application evidence of the following at an appropriately senior level: …” (more)

[StateBoards.ie, 12 July]

“A new government framework on ‘open research’ states that all Irish scholarly publications resulting from publicly funded research are to be made openly available from 2020. The framework was launched by Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development John Halligan and contains a set of initiatives designed to change the culture of Irish academia …” (more)

[Finn Purdy, Trinity News, 11 July]

“The Irish Universities Association (IUA) welcomes the announcement today by Ministers Joe McHugh and John Halligan of €12 million investment by the Irish Research Council in ground-breaking, basic research projects. Twelve researchers will each receive a maximum of €1 million funding under the Irish Research Council’s Advanced Laureate Awards to conduct leading-edge research over four years …” (more)

[IUA, 11 April]

“Mags Walsh, Director of the British Council in Ireland, has contributed this piece about the important relationship between the UK and Ireland from a research perspective. The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. They aim to create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries …” (more)

[Irish Research Council, 11 December]

“The Government has moved to substantially increase ‘frontier research’ by allocating €30 million to third level institutions in 36 projects approved by the Irish Research Council. Details of the council’s inaugural ‘Laureate Awards’ were announced by the Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton, who confirmed they were in response to a gap identified in critical basic research being conducted in Ireland …” (more)

[Kevin O’Sullivan, Irish Times, 23 March]

“Richard Bruton TD, Minister for Education and Skills, and John Halligan TD, Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation and Research and Development, today announced a €29.6 million investment by the Irish Research Council in ‘frontier research’ projects …” (more)

[Irish Research Council, 22 March]

“Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the sum of moneys allocated by the Irish Research Council in each of the years 2012 to 2017 and to date in 2018 under the enterprise partnership schemes or employment led schemes; the amount recouped from employers in each of those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 21 February]

“The Irish Research Council has welcomed the launch by Minister of State Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD of a gender equality task force in higher education. Commenting today, Professor Jane Ohlmeyer, Chair of the Irish Research Council, said …” (more)

[Irish Research Council, 6 November]

“Peter Brown has been appointed as the new Director of the Irish Research Council (IRC), one of Ireland’s most important funding bodies. Brown, who has been Interim Director of the IRC since May 2017, will take up the role with immediate effect. He’ll replace Dr Eucharia Meehan, who left the position to become chief executive of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) …” (more)

[Kilian Tscherny, University Times, 18 October]

“The Irish Research Council has welcomed a long-term commitment from Government to supporting research across all disciplines and career stages in today’s Budget announcement. The Government have announced a capital allocation of €21m over the period 2018-2021 to support the development of a pipeline of researchers at all career stages and disciplines …” (more)

[Irish Research Council, 10 October]

“Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS), an internationally-renowned institute for basic research and scholarship, has appointed Dr Eucharia Meehan as its new registrar and chief executive. She was director of the Irish Research Council since it was established in 2012 …” (more)

[Kevin O’Sullivan, Irish Times, 29 May]

“Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton TD, and Minister of State for Training, Skills and Innovation, John Halligan TD, today (Thursday) announced the launch of the Irish Research Council’s €2.5 Million Frontier Research Programme, which will be titled the Irish Research Council’s Laureate Awards. The Programme will aim to attract world class researchers to Ireland …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 6 April]

“Sir, – The importance of funding ‘basic research’ for the future wellbeing of Irish society and our economy is clearly articulated by John FitzGerald (‘Research to shape public policy is hard to measure – and fund’, Business Opinion, March 3rd), although he could have added that the Irish Research Council funds basic research across all disciplines …” (more)

[Jane Ohlmeyer, Irish Times, 7 March]

“Ireland’s research community is preparing for changes that will come once Brexit arrives. There are overt efforts to coax leading UK scientists to set up in Ireland with the promise of research funding. Novel ways of bringing top scientists here on a part-time basis are also being organised …” (more)

[Dick Ahlstrom, Irish Times, 31 January]

“Fiona O’Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if funds will be allocated in 2017 for research in third level institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 17 January]

“Moves to withhold research funds from universities that fail to deal with gender inequality have been welcomed by an academic union.The Irish Research Council, Science Foundation Ireland and Health Research Board will only allow those from 20 publicly-funded third-level colleges apply for competitive funding if they have met minimum requirements to deal with the issues from the end of 2019 …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 13 December]