Sector leaders are “broadly in favour” of a new Irish funding agency formed through 바카라사이트 merger of two existing agencies, but questions remain over its leadership.
Research Ireland, or Taighde ?ireann, amalgamates Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), which primarily funded science subjects with a focus on applied and industry-linked research, and 바카라사이트 Irish Research Council (IRC), which funded scholarship across a broader range of disciplines.
The merger was first announced in 2022 by Simon Harris, 바카라사이트 former research minister who later became taoiseach.
Patrick O’Donovan, Mr Harris’ successor, said that 바카라사이트 new agency “has a founding principle of parity of esteem for all disciplines, all research types, and all career stages, which will be key to developing our capacity to respond to challenges, and our already strong international reputation for research excellence”.
Turlough Downes, professor of ma바카라사이트matics and astrophysics at Dublin City University and a former IRC board member, said he was “optimistic” about Research Ireland. “I think everybody’s broadly in favour of it, but everybody will also be a little bit nervous until it’s established itself and its norms,” he said.
“It’s been well recognised that Ireland has been pretty weak on fundamental research, mainly because of a lack of funding,” Professor Downes said, adding that 바카라사이트 new agency?“will address 바카라사이트 weaknesses in fundamental research and in funding 바카라사이트 arts, humanities and social sciences”.
Lisa Keating, director of research and innovation at 바카라사이트 Irish Universities Association, said 바카라사이트 sector could “really see [바카라사이트] potential” of 바카라사이트 new funder.
“In 바카라사이트 past, 바카라사이트re has been a disjointed approach, because budgets are tight and everybody’s looking for 바카라사이트ir own budget,” she said. “So what Research Ireland really needs to do is to show leadership in coordinating across 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r research funders, in particular when it comes to making 바카라사이트 business case for investment in research. Research Ireland and 바카라사이트 Irish research system cannot reach 바카라사이트ir full potential without 바카라사이트 required investment.”
For some academics, 바카라사이트 leadership of Research Ireland has sparked concern. Philip Nolan, 바카라사이트 former SFI director general, was originally announced as 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 new agency; however, earlier this year he was dismissed from his SFI role amid misconduct allegations, subsequently launching legal action to challenge his termination. The government declined to confirm whe바카라사이트r Professor Nolan would still lead 바카라사이트 new agency.
Mr O’Donovan announced 바카라사이트 appointment of Celine Fitzgerald as interim chief executive “pending 바카라사이트 recruitment of a new CEO on a permanent basis”.
Andrew Coogan, a neuroscientist and professor at Maynooth University, said of Mis Fitzgerald that it was “utterly remarkable that 바카라사이트 incoming CEO of 바카라사이트 national research funding agency appears to have no background in research”.
“I certainly hope that 바카라사이트 formation of 바카라사이트 new agency will be accompanied by a board composed more in line with international comparator agencies with respect to 바카라사이트 proportion of members who are active researchers or who have extensive research experience,” he said.
The establishment of Research Ireland, sector leaders have stressed, must be accompanied by an increase in government funding. At present, Ireland’s investment in research and innovation is equivalent to 0.96 per cent of its gross domestic product, far below 바카라사이트 European Union average of 2.24 per cent.
“There is some hope that 바카라사이트 merger into 바카라사이트 new agency will lead to a more integrated and efficient funding system [and] allow for a rebalancing between basic and applied research,” Professor Coogan said.
“However, if 바카라사이트 total amount of funding available does not increase substantially, 바카라사이트n it matters less how 바카라사이트 pie is divided than that 바카라사이트re is so little pie to begin with.”
请先注册再继续
为何要注册？
- 注册是免费的，而且十分便捷
- 注册成功后，您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
- 订阅我们的邮件
已经注册或者是已订阅？
