An annual fund of £50,000 and technical/mentoring support for postgraduate students of civil or environmental engineering will be divided equally between TCD, UCD, UCC and NUI Galway, with one student from each college doing research into engineering and environmental issues, mainly in the field of public infrastructure.

M C O'Sullivan & Co Ltd, the State's largest indigenous firm of engineering and environmental consultants, have provided the funding.

"Most of our 250 staff are graduates of Cork, Galway, UCD or Trinity College and we want to give something back to the colleges who have provided the best engineers, not just to us, but around the world," said managing director Kerry O'Sullivan.