Poor infrastructure in many of our third-level colleges is hampering scientific research, writes John Travers
The OECD's September report on the future of science and education in Ireland has attracted considerable debate about whether Ireland should reintroduce student fees for third-level education and, if so, on what basis. Unfortunately, these lightning rods for argument have so far diverted attention from other crucial ideas in this report. I have in mind, in particular, the OECD's recommendation that Ireland must rapidly improve its education and research facilities if it hopes to build the knowledge system so vital to the country's future.
Over the last few years, Ireland has made remarkable strides in improving its research and development talent base. Through Government investment in programmes such as Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), the Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions (PRTLI), third-level institutions, and research agencies with focused sectoral missions, Ireland has achieved the equivalent of being promoted from the fourth to the second division in the global research competition. It has proved its ability to recruit researchers and attract students who have the ability through science to create the products, services and technologies necessary for Ireland's lasting economic growth.
At the same time, it is next to impossible to conduct world-class research, teach students to the highest standards, or retain talented teachers and researchers when laboratories, equipment, classrooms, and other elements of a knowledge infrastructure are dilapidated or obsolete. Regrettably, this is the state of affairs in many parts of our third-level infrastructure today. The OECD report notes, for example, that "many science and technology buildings built in the 1960s and 70s are . . . seriously in need of renewal to meet the new research capacity."
In many areas of research, researchers and students try to keep up with the world using laboratories that were built before Microsoft existed. Meanwhile, universities try to recruit and retain researchers with facilities that haven't been updated since long before the mobile phone was born. Ireland cannot risk its far-seeing decisions in recent years to invest in developing a competitive base of researchers and students only to have them leave Ireland again because other places offer much better infrastructure, facilities and support.
We must do both parts of the job. The first part of the job is putting in place and developing the talent necessary to create a competitive knowledge-based economy.
The second part of the job is providing that talent with the tools and facilities necessary to conduct the research that will form the foundations for further social and economic progress in Ireland.
Fortunately, a successful model exists that Ireland can follow to invest in its research infrastructure in as shrewd and aggressive a fashion as it now invests in talent. This model, which works well in many countries, assigns funding to institutional research infrastructure just as it assigns funding to institutional research: through competition.
In these countries, universities that win competitive grants receive funding for the research as well as a lump-sum payment for the essential related infrastructure.
This process ensures that funding on talent and on facilities is not wasted; it strengthens both so they can build strength together.
By contrast, in Ireland, agencies generally fund researchers based on merit, while, at the same time the State has in the past largely invested in research facilities based on history: Roughly put, if Irish institution "A" received less money for research facilities than Irish institution "B" last year, this year "A" will receive more.
What does the OECD report say about such a process? It says: (A) "International experience suggests strongly that research support needs to be institutionally concentrated in order to yield the most effective results", and (B) "If universities are to become major research institutions with sustainable research profiles . . . incentives for performance and the allocation of research infrastructure support are critical."
The OECD report also wisely makes the point that developing a research infrastructure to sustain a research intensive environment goes beyond the provision of appropriate capital facilities, and must also include provision for equipment, technicians, library facilities and IT support. The choice before Ireland is stark. Either we can invest in an effective manner to keep our science and engineering students at home and compete with the world, or we can risk another diaspora of our brightest and best and sustained second-class research status.
It is time to stop following yesterday's model while we pursue tomorrow's goals. We can and must invest in infrastructure as we invest in people, in a manner worthy of Ireland's goal of having a world-class research system.
As the OECD reminds us, the time to start doing so is now.
John Travers is the former CEO of Forfás and SFI. He is a consultant on business and economic issues