The new research programme announced by Science Foundation Ireland is the latest attempt to foster high-level links between companies and academic scientists. The hope is that over time Irish researchers will be able to compete at the highest levels of international research.

The CSETs (Centres for Science, Engineering and Technology) scheme announced yesterday was based on a "proven model" applied in the US according to SFI's director general, Dr William Harris. "The Centres programme is a key programme," he said yesterday. "It allows Irish scientists to compete with the best in the world."

Aside from the €42 million provided by SFI for the three projects, multinational industrial partners are meant to provide an additional 20 per cent as cash, equipment or personnel.

"The goal is not to ask industry for money," Dr Harris said. "The real challenge to making this work is to get their researchers involved here. Some of them will put some money in but the real idea is people."

The programme hopes to bring industrial researchers into Irish third-level institutions and students and academic staff will travel to the company labs, Dr Harris said. Intellectual property rights were a matter for the university partner, he said. "The hope is there will be a lot of IP, but lets get the research going," Dr Harris added.

SFI has issued a second call for proposals under the CSETs scheme. So far 37 scientists have submitted proposals in this round, which closes on May 9th, 2003.