Ninth Level Ireland

“Four Irish researchers are to benefit from a total of €10 million in grants to study the ancient genetic make-up of farm animals, complete a data analysis of 36,000 Victorian-era books, examine the impact of extreme trauma and investigate novel substances that could reduce energy and carbon footprints. The European Research Council (ERC), an EU institution, has allocated €2.5 million to each of the projects under its ‘advanced grant’ programme, which seeks to facilitate exploration of the most daring and creative ideas …” (more)

[Kevin O’Sullivan, Irish Times, 31 March]

“Researchers from University College Cork, University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin, as well as a number of Irish startup companies, were among the successful applicants to a new €344m European pilot innovation fund. The Irish universities were chosen from among what the European Innovation Council (EIC), which runs the fund, described as 100 game-changing ideas from across Europe …” (more)

[Fearghal O’Connor, Independent, 15 March]

“Individual countries are failing to champion European Union research spending, raising doubts about the bloc as a serious funder of science, university lobbyists in Brussels have warned after a recent budget summit ended in deadlock. In recent years, Brussels policymakers have talked up research and innovation as a key part of what the EU does …” (more)

[David Matthews, Times Higher Education, 2 March]

“A survey of New Zealand scientists found that recipients of a randomized funding program favored random allocations of some kinds of grant money …” (more)

[Dalmeet Singh Chawla, New York Times, 14 February]

“Sir, – Dr Yvonne Kavanagh of the Institute of Physics Ireland (‘Time to focus on science and research’, Letters, February 5th) rightly asserts that in order to put science and innovation at the forefront of our national development, it is imperative to ensure that every second-level student has access to a specialist physics teacher …” (more)

[Tom Morris, Irish Times, 6 February]

“Sir,– As we approach the formation of a new government of Ireland, in the immediate aftermath of the UK’s departure from the EU, it is imperative that the next government pursues policies to support and develop Ireland’s physics and wider science community …” (more)

[Yvonne Kavanagh, Irish Times, 5 February]

“Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald had said Brexit must not be allowed to damage scientific research and that the concerns of the scientific community must be heard. The party’s climate and economy spokesperson was speaking after representatives of university, research and science groups across Europe issued a statement calling for universities in Britain and the north to have ‘full association’ with European research projects after Brexit …” (more)

[Sinn Féin, 3 February]

“I am trying to decide whether to remove the Twitter ‘Scientists for the EU’ twibbon from my profile. I still am a scientist and I’m still pro EU, but there’s no longer quite the same message to be conveyed …” (more)

[Athene Donald’s Blog, 2 February]

“Top Irish academics argue that the importance of research is being ignored, to the detriment of the future. As the general election draws ever closer, politicians across the country are feverishly digging their heels in on their commitments to solve the country’s most pressing social and economic issues …” (more)

[Rachel O’Leary, University Times, 1 February]

“With the government launching a major review of research bureaucracy and methods, James Wilsdon asks: is the end of the road for impact measures in grant applications? …” (more)

[Wonkhe, 27 January]

“The Department of Education has clashed with the country’s largest State-funded research agency over how taxpayers’ money should be spent, documents show. Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) has been drawing up a strategy for the years 2020 to 2025 to guide the direction of future investment …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 20 January]

“Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) today published its Annual Plan for 2020. Key priorities are: a continued focus on individual-led research programmes, challenge-based funding initiatives including programmes to address climate action, international engagement through partnerships with funding agencies, public engagement programmes to drive public interest and participation in STEM, partnerships with enterprise and supporting Ireland’s world class SFI Research Centres …” (more)

[DBEI, 9 January]

“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]

“Uta Frith courted controversy earlier this year when she published an opinion piece in which she advocated for Slow Science, including the radical suggestion that researchers should be limited in the number of papers they publish each year. This idea has been mooted before, but has never taken root …” (more)

[BishopBlog, 1 January]

“Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent): To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the amount of funding her Department provided to Science Foundation Ireland in 2017, 2018 and 2019, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 8 October]

“Ireland could become a world leader in the emerging quantum technologies market if a national centre is established, according to researchers from Tyndall National Institute in Cork. Dr Georgios Fagas and Dr Emanuele Pelucchi concluded that despite a slow start, Ireland is still in a unique position to become internationally competitive in the burgeoning field, which some analysts have claimed could be worth trillions by 2030 …” (more)

[Irish Examiner, 22 September]

“Fianna Fáil has criticised Fine Gael’s ‘short-sighted and philistine’ approach to research funding in Ireland, after the country won just one of 400 grants from the European Research Council. Fianna Fáil spokesperson on science, technology, research and development James Lawless said the government’s approach is hindering research in Ireland …” (more)

[Sárán Fogarty, University Times, 16 September]

“Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Science, Technology, Research and Development, James Lawless, has said the short-sighted approach taken by Fine Gael in only funding research with expedient commercial outputs has greatly hampered the research and development ecosystem in Ireland …” (more)

[Fianna Fáil, 15 September]

“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]