Two major tranches of funding have been awarded to research departments in third-level colleges in the Republic in the past six months.
Science Foundation Ireland, which focuses on the biotechnology and information and communications technology areas, gave out €71 million to 10 projects in July last year. All three biotechnology awards went to research that is or will be based in TCD, while TCD also scooped three of the ICT awards. UCC got two awards with NUI Maynooth and DIT securing funding for one project apiece. All of the principal researchers are male. There is a further €635 million in SFI's coffers.
Need researchers working outside TCD apply? Dr William Harris, director of SFI, who was not involved in the first competition for funding, says: "I wouldn't draw a lot of conclusions from one competition . . . I am very encouraged by the level of potential here. We will be looking at whole new ways to connect colleges and industry."
Last month, €320 million funding was awarded under Cycle 3 of the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions. This comprises €142.2 million to support research personnel and €178 million for buildings and equipment. €58.4 million of the total amount is being provided by private donors. In all, €605 million has been provided under PRTLI since its inception in 1999.
Looking at Cycle 3 projects, by lead institution, UCC will receive €79.5 million, TCD €58.7 million, UCD €45.6 million, RCSI and TCD €44.8 million, NUI Galway €36.6 million, DCU €34 million, DIAS €11.8 million, Waterford IT €4.9 million, Sligo IT €2.5 million and UL €1.3 million.
With most of the funding going to traditional universities, just two institutes of technology are represented and they are at the lower end of the funding scale. A further six ITs are named as partner institutions.
In total, 23 institutions - including a number that are outside the higher education sector - will receive funding under Cycle 3 for projects in a broad range of disciplines. These projects include medicine, biotechnology, environmental science, marine science, neuroscience, information technology, food and health science, and humanities and business.
