Science foundation sets global prize target
As Science Foundation Ireland launched an ambitious eight-year plan, with targets including a major international prize for one of its researchers or teams by 2020, 37 projects have been awarded funding to progress to the next level and to train the next generation of Irish researchers.
Among those to receive SFI research infrastructure awards are a germ-free facility for research in food and life sciences at UCC, and a marine energy testing site in Galway Bay to help secure renewable energy from ocean power.
On a different scale, the Crann nanoscience centre at TCD will get funding for an electron microscope to study atoms in new ways with a magnification of 10 million.
As well as six of the seven universities, projects at Cork and Waterford institutes of technology, agricultural research agency Teagasc, and the Marine Institute will get funding.
The funding was announced by Jobs Minister Richard Bruton, who said the investment will also be used to train graduate and postgraduate students.
“This cutting-edge equipment is vital to ensure that the facilities we have in Ireland’s research institutions are on par with the best internationally, further enhancing the ability of our institutions to collaborate with industry.”
He also defended the decision to abolish the office of chief scientific adviser, which is being merged with the director generalship of the SFI. He said the move would “enhance” the scientific advice available to the Government.
The funding announcement coincides with SFI’s Agenda 2020 strategy, the targets of which include:
nAttracting a top-tier prize-winning scientist to head up an SFI-funded team in Ireland by 2015;
nAn SFI team or researcher to win a major international prize by 2020;
nDoubling the proportion of patents, invention disclosures, licences, and spin-out companies by Enterprise Ireland linked to SFI research;
nHalf of SFI trainees moving to industry as a first destination by 2020.
As well as aiming to be the world’s best at creating impact from research and getting value for money, the agency will seek to have the most engaged and scientifically informed public. SFI director general Mark Ferguson said the strategy sets an enormous challenge for the scientific research and enterprise communities but it will be faced with confidence and enthusiasm.
The first of SFI’s infrastructure awards since 2007 sees funding going to projects in 10 research priority areas, such as therapeutics, processing technologies and novel materials, and communications, medical devices, and food for health.
