Third-level projects get €40m boost

OVER €40 million was yesterday designated for more than a dozen third-level projects, in the first tranche of monies allocated under the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) for higher education.

The €300m five-year fund, first signalled 18 months ago by Education Minister Mary Hanafin, aims to help the higher education system meet future demands of the economy.

The fund puts focus on rewarding institutions which restructure and collaborate with each other.

Other key criteria include the backing of projects which improve teaching and learning, support institutional reform, promote access and lifelong learning and support development of fourth-level education.

Announcing the details of 14 selected projects yesterday, Ms Hanafin said the fund was set up to equip the higher education system to meet the challenge of driving Ireland’s development as a knowledge economy.

“The response from the institutions to this first call for proposals demonstrates that they are ready to rise to that challenge,” she said.

The projects include initiatives for developing student skills in maths, science and writing; reaching out to part-time learners in employment, encouraging innovative teaching practice, introducing new learning technologies and supporting internal structural change.

Of the €42.3m total, €35m was allocated to 12 projects led by individual institutions. A further €7.25m will be divided between each of the two higher education sectors, the universities and the institutes of technology.

The biggest proposed single project is a €9.6m programme led by University of Limerick, partnered with six other colleges. It is followed by NUI Galway leading a 10-college €7.3m project and University College Cork, which is lead college on a €5.7m project.

NUI Galway is partner in seven of the 12 college-led projects, with Athlone IT and Cork IT listed as partners or leading institutions in six and five of the selected projects respectively.

The country’s biggest third-level institution, University College Dublin, leads a €1.9m project but is a partner in just one other chosen project. UCD was singled out for criticism in the summer for trying to attract researchers from other colleges, but its president Dr Hugh Brady signed up to a protocol on collaboration last month.

The funding announcement coincides with a call from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) for a substantial increase in resources to be invested in research and development (R&D).

In its evaluation of investment priorities for the National Development Plan 2007-2013, the institute suggests R&D needs to play an increasing role if Ireland is to maintain or improve its competitive position.

The authors said investment in higher education is essential to support economic development, with priority placed on maintaining a stream of well-educated graduates to fill technical and managerial positions and supporting the growth of research at third level, with private sector links.