Concern at new science research awards

Procedures for the allocation of a new research fund worth £5 million have been announced by the Department of Education and Science. However, scientists who will depend on the fund to keep third-level student researchers active have expressed concern about the abrupt departure from long-established methods for awarding research grants.

The £5 million allocation was announced in the 1998 Estimates. Yesterday the Minister of State for Science and Technology, Mr Noel Treacy, gave details of how the funding would be distributed. The programme is to be administered by the Higher Education Authority, which is to establish an international panel to choose the projects. Third-level institutions will receive letters from the HEA tomorrow inviting them to submit "research programmes based on and consistent with the stated research policies and strategies of the individual institutions", Mr Treacy explained.

Science and technology proposals would attract £4 million of the total fund, and £500,000 of this would specifically be allocated for studentships, direct support for doctoral and post-doctoral research students.

Another £500,000 would be made available to research projects chosen some months ago by the National Research Support Fund Board, which operates on behalf of the Office of Science and Technology (OST) within the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and in conjunction with Forbairt. The remaining £500,000 "is to be set aside for proposals relating to the humanities and social sciences", Mr Treacy said.

The chairman of the HEA, Dr Don Thornhill, who is to chair the panel, said that applications from institutions were due by June 26th and that the panel's decisions would be made by the end of July.

The panel will include three or four scientists from abroad, an overseas scholar, a non-academic member of the Irish Council for Science, Technology and Innovation and two members of the existing research support fund board.

Mr Treacy said the procedures would apply for at least one year. "I want this money spent this year if you want more money next year," he said. When asked whether this might leave students on a typical three-year degree research project in limbo, he added: "We are not going to fund you this year and then leave you short of cash next year."

The Conference of Heads of Irish Universities welcomed the investment, describing it as a "much-needed boost to research in third-level institutions".

However, Dr John Donovan, executive secretary of the Irish Research Scientists' Association, described the procedures as "unnecessarily complicated", adding: "It is anything but simple. There is no good reason why it couldn't have been handled by the Research Support Fund."

The dean of research at Dublin City University, Dr Conor Long, welcomed the funding but said very little time had been allowed to prepare proposals.

Dr David Fegan, a member of the Research Support Board, expressed concern about continued support for basic research. The board had already chosen 110 projects for funding, but the new allocation meant that only 30 to 60 of these would actually get support.