25 professors to be recruited in first for Ireland's TU sector

James Lawless: 'Ireland's TUs are one of the great success stories of our higher education system, and today's announcement is about backing their next phase of growth.' File picture:Jason Clarke

Fri, 18 Sep, 2026 - 00:05

Jess Casey

Recruitment for the first professorships in the technological university (TU) sector is set to begin on Friday, with an initial 25 posts to be filled.

Further and higher education minister James Lawless will launch recruitment for the posts, which will see appointments made across disciplines including veterinary surgery and rural medicine, AI, climate action, and biomedical engineering.

In 2022, the OECD recommended introducing senior academic roles as part of a wide review it carried out into the career structures available in TUs, formerly called institutes of technology.

"The transformation of IoT institutions into technological universities cannot fully be realised without a new vision of the TU academic career, and concrete contractual and organisational changes needed to underpin this vision," said the review.

Last December, Cabinet approved the creation of the professorship roles, which will be funded through the Targeted Enhancement Fund.

"Ireland's TUs are one of the great success stories of our higher education system, and today's announcement is about backing their next phase of growth," said Mr Lawless.

The introduction of professorship posts is an important recognition of the talent and expertise that already exists within the sector, he added.

"It gives our TUs the opportunity to attract and retain outstanding academic leaders and to continue growing their impact at regional, national and international level.

"These positions will strengthen teaching, research, and innovation in areas that matter to Ireland's future, including AI, healthcare, biotechnology, and climate action, while creating new opportunities for students and researchers.

"Most importantly, this delivers on our commitment to strengthen the TU sector and ensure it has the tools it needs to continue driving innovation, regional development, and skills growth right across the country."

Funding for the posts is provided through the €65.8m Targeted Enhancement Fund, which provides targeted support for initiatives critical to the strategic development of higher education institutions.

Initial appointments across the sector will be made in "strategically important disciplines", including veterinary surgery and rural medicine, pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy, biotechnology, data science and AI, biomedical engineering, and climate and sustainability.