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Universities and research funding

We need a new and substantial investment in research infrastructure

Letters to the Editor. Illustration: Paul Scott
The Irish Times - Letters to the Editor.
Tue Jul 23 2024 - 00:07

Sir, – The recent editorial “The Irish Times view on third-level funding: a vital investment for the future” (June 24th) on third-level funding highlighted critical concerns regarding the chronic underinvestment in Irish universities, in particular core funding and investment in research.

This issue is not just about funding; it is about the future of Ireland’s competitiveness, its talent supply and innovation capacity.

When the iPhone was launched in 2007, it revolutionised communication technology. However, would anyone today willingly use that outdated model? Shockingly, over a third of the equipment in Irish universities is older than the original iPhone and more than half is over a decade old. This antiquated infrastructure is what we rely on to educate our students and conduct cutting-edge research.

Our outdated equipment hampers our ability to train graduates to work in multinational and indigenous companies and stifles the potential of our talented researchers. We need a new, substantial investment in research infrastructure to enable us to regain our competitive edge and lay the foundation for the next phase of innovation-based growth.

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In the late 1990s, Ireland made a strategic investment in research through the Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions (PRTLI), injecting €1.2 billion into research infrastructure. This initiative was transformative, establishing the foundation for much of our current research capabilities that, in turn, helped secure the growth in foreign direct investment.

Despite recognising the success of PRTLI, successive governments have failed to launch a successor programme since 2015, leaving Ireland’s research community without the necessary tools to conduct innovative research and drive advancements. Investment in research is essential to addressing pressing social, economic, and climate challenges. Without it, we risk falling further behind in the global race for innovation.

It is imperative that we address this underfunding now, ensuring that our universities are equipped to educate and innovate at the highest levels. – Yours, etc,

BRENDAN JENNINGS,

VP for Research

& Innovation, TU Dublin;

Prof JOHN CRYAN,

VP for Research

& Innovation, UCC;

Prof JIM LIVESEY,

VP for Research

& Innovation,

University of Galway;

Prof NORELEE KENNEDY, VP for Research,

University of Limerick;

Prof SINEAD RYAN,

Dean of Research,

Trinity College Dublin;

Prof RACHEL MSETFI,

VP for Research,

Maynooth University;

Prof JOHN DOYLE,

VP for Research

& Innovation,

Dublin City University;

Irish Universities

Association,

Dublin 2.