Government launches National Open Access Statement – 23 Oct 2012

IUA is one of 20 organisations that have backed the National Principles on Open Access Policy Statement launched on Oct 23rd 2012 at the Digital Repository of Ireland Conference in Croke Park by Sean Sherlock, Minister of State, Department of Enterprise, Jobs & Innovation and Department of Education & Skills with responsibility for Research & Innovation.

The principles driving the Open Access Policy statement are that the outputs from publicly-funded research should be publicly available to researchers and to potential users in education, business, charitable and public sectors, and to the general public.

As one of its Strategic Innovation Fund projects the IUA was involved in the development of www.RIAN.ie – Ireland’s first open access to research portal.

Definition of Open Access

“…free availability on the public internet, permitting any users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as data to software, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself. The only constraint on reproduction and distribution, and the only role for copyright in this domain, should be to give authors control over the integrity of their work and the right to be properly acknowledged and cited”.

Pointing The Way – Op Ed for Irish Examiner – 22nd August 2012

admin 2012 Press Releases, Press Releases August 22, 2012

IUA Op Ed for Irish Examiner

August 22 2012

“Pointing the Way”

Education is an immensely powerful force which enriches lives and is the cornerstone of civilised society. Ireland has a rich tradition of respect for education. One of our great successes has been the progressive democratisation of education, turning both second (and subsequently third level) from elite to mass participation systems. Nevertheless, the demand for higher education continues to increase, both in the aggregate and even more so for particular courses which are seen as highly desirable.
The points system has served the country very well in efficiently and transparently matching the available supply of education places to demand. This ensures that the valuable resource of a place at college is not squandered. In isolation, it could be said that the points system works extremely well. However, the truth is that system cannot be disconnected from the second level curriculum and assessment that precedes it.

From our perspective, the central concern is that the system is not doing enough to encourage positive educational values and the kind of rounded adaptable learning behaviours needed to flourish at college and through a lifetime of work and continuous learning.

It is for this reason that the Irish Universities, working collectively through the IUA, were glad to respond to the invitation from the Minister Quinn for proposals on how the system might be reformed. Our new report contains both a menu for change and some clear strategic recommendations which we wish to take forward. In the latter case we have identified three priorities.

The first of these is the collapsing of the Leaving Certificate Grading scale from fourteen to eight points. This will allow a different approach to marking the leaving certificate and we believe could be a significant help in making the exam less predictable. A less predictable exam in turn should help unwind the current problem of rote learning.

We are also looking at a move towards more common entry. While our system is not especially unusual in a European context, large numbers of highly specialised courses can have the effect of raising points levels due to strong competition for limited places. More common entry can help reduce that pressure and allow students more time to think about the areas they in which they want to specialise.

Thirdly, we are looking at whether there should be more incentives built into the system to encourage students to study some particular subjects. While there has been some debate over bonus points for maths, we are satisfied that it has achieved its primary goal of broadly increasing performance in maths which we see as an essential foundational skill not just for college but for lifelong learning.

In our report, we also explore other avenues such as the possibility of moving towards a ranking based approach to the award of points. Under this approach, success would depend on how the student performs relative to their peers in the subject. One advantage of this is that any differences in subject workload, real or apparent, become irrelevant, since the competition for points is among peers seeking to achieve within the individual subject. On the other hand, it may have collateral implications for behaviour in relation to subject choice which need careful consideration.

This example is illustrative of the findings of our report that while change is needed and will be forthcoming, there are no simple solutions. It is also true that what may seem attractive in theory can throw up some curve balls when it comes to implementation. It is for this reason that we are establishing an expert Taskforce to be chaired by Professor Philip Nolan, President of NUI Maynooth, and with input from key players in the curriculum and assessment space, to take the detail of our report and deliver a precise, sequenced set of interventions to build on the current system’s strengths but also address its weaknesses.

Selection and entry for university is a profoundly important part of the education jigsaw. Successful reform will see students better prepared for college and also continue to effectively utilise scarce educational resources. However, the quality of the education we are able to provide also depends on a comprehensive overhaul of how higher education is funded and regulated. Securing a place at college is only the first step. We need racial and courageous solutions across a whole range of areas to ensure that the quality of student experience and the outcomes achieved are best in class, and that our institutions are likewise. In the coming months, we look forward to bringing more proposals to government on how this can be achieved.
Ned Costello is Chief Executive of the Irish Universities Association

European Commission Press Release – €8.1 billion investment in research and innovation to create growth and jobs in Final Call of FP7

admin 2012 Press Releases July 9, 2012

The European Commission has today announced the final and biggest ever set of calls for proposals for research under its Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). In total, €8.1 billion will support projects and ideas that will boost Europe’s competitiveness and tackle issues such as human health, protecting the environment and finding new solutions to growing challenges linked to urbanisation and managing waste. The funding – which is open to organisations and businesses in all EU Member States and partner countries – makes up the lion’s share of the EU’s proposed €10.8 billion research budget for 2013. This announcement comes just days after EU leaders emphasised the importance of research and innovation in the Compact for Growth and Jobs.

European Research, Innovation and Science Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn said:“Knowledge is the currency of the global economy. If Europe wants to continue to compete in the 21st century, we must support the research and innovation that will generate growth and jobs, now and in the future. The high level of competition for EU funding makes sure that taxpayers’ money goes to the best projects that tackle issues that concern all of us.”

The calls target both innovation and a range of societal challenges, building a bridge to Horizon 2020, the next funding programme for EU research from 2014-2020. In total €4.8 billion is dedicated to thematic research priorities. Industrial innovation will be supported through close-to-market activities such as piloting, demonstration, standardisation and technology transfer. Special attention will be given to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in a package worth up to €1.2 billion. Around €2.7 billion will help cement Europe’s place as a world class destination for researchers, mainly through individual grants from the European Research Council (€1.75 billion), and Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (€963 million) for research training and mobility.

To help spread excellent research more widely, a new “European Research Area Chairs” initiative is being prepared. A €12 million pilot call will select a total of five ERA Chairs, to be hosted by universities or other eligible research institutions in less developed regions in five different EU countries. To host an ERA Chair, institutions must demonstrate their ability to support excellence through providing the necessary facilities and complying with European Research Area principles such as open recruitment.

Most of the calls for proposals (invitations to bid for funds) will be published on 10 July, with some further specific calls to follow in the autumn.

Background

Innovative thematic research priorities in this FP7 call include: around €155 million for “Oceans of the future“, to support sustainable growth in the marine and maritime sectors; around €365 million for technologies that will transform urban areas into sustainable “Smart Cities and Communities”; some €147 million to combat the rise of drug-resistant bacteria; and nearly €100 million dedicated to innovative solutions for managing fresh water resources.

The calls also support the Digital Agenda’s ICT research funding targets, with almost €1.5 billion going to the thematic area of information and communication technologies.

There will be around €970 million of financing for SMEs under the thematic research priorities. Other measures include an extra €150 million for guarantees to leverage €1 billion in loans for SMEs and mid-caps (slightly larger firms up to 500 employees).

The €8.1 billion announced today is expected to leverage an additional €6 billion of public and private investment in research, and estimated to increase employment by 210,000 in the short-term and generate, over a 15 year period, an additional €75 billion in growth .

The FP7 framework programme, launched in 2007, has a total budget of €55 billion for research and innovation. It has so far supported some 19,000 projects involving over 79,000 participants (universities, research organisations and businesses) across all EU Member States, with a total EU investment so far of €25.3 billion. By 2013 it is estimated that FP7 will also have directly supported some 55,000 individual researchers’ careers.

The EU’s total research budget includes funds that are not included in the calls announced today. These include funding under the Euratom treaty covering nuclear energy research (€993 million), or to help support “joint technology initiatives” with industry (€751 million) or “joint programmes” set up between Member States. The total budget also includes funding for the Commission’s Joint Research Centre and the Commission’s contribution to the Risk Sharing Finance Facility (RSFF), managed by the European Investment Bank Group.

Winners announced for Government of Ireland Scholarships for India

admin 2012 Press Releases July 6, 2012

Government of Ireland Scholarships to attract high calibre Indian students to Irish Universities

Announcement of Winners…..
IUA are delighted to announce the following Government of Ireland Scholarship Holders coming to study at one of Irelands seven universities:

Hazim Hamza
Amrita Manohar
Nikhil Dubey
Jayant Saksena
Srishti Devarajan
Madasamy Shanmugaraj
Philip Lintu

The IUA would like to congratulate these exceptional students and look forward to welcoming them to one of Irelands seven universities.

Click here for details of the scholarship.

For further information please contact:
Sinead Lucey, International Manager, Irish Universities Association, 6764948,irishuniversities@gmail.com

Access Schemes DARE & HEAR win Taoiseach’s Public Service Excellence Award

admin 2012 Press Releases June 21, 2012

At a ceremony in Dublin Castle today (June 21st), An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny T.D. will present aPublic Service Excellence Award to two college admission schemes the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) and the Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) . The awards, which seek out improvements and innovative activities from the public sector, recognise the success of the DARE & HEAR schemes in increasing the numbers of students entering third level with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Since the schemes were opened up to all secondary school students nationwide in 2009 HEAR has seen a 154% increase in applications and a 103% increase in acceptances. The number of acceptances of a college place through DARE has risen by over 300% from 214 in 2009 to 753 in 2011.

Accepting the award on behalf of the 18 higher education institutions operating the schemes Cliona Hannon, Chair of the DARE & HEAR Strategic Development Group said, “The DARE & HEAR schemes are a fantastic example of how higher education institutions can work collaboratively in the public interest. The schemes have significantly increased the number of talented, ambitious young adults with a disability or from a socio-economically disadvantaged background progressing to degree courses and this outcome will continue to have an impact on their families for generations to come. We are delighted the schemes are receiving national recognition”.

The schemes, with support from the Department of Education and the Higher Education Authority (HEA), have undergone major change and development over the last 3 years to help meet the HEA National Access Office targets of a 54% college entry rate for all socio-economic groups by 2020 and a doubling of the number of students in 3rd level with sensory, physical and multiple disabilities by 2013.

Applications to both schemes were embedded in the CAO online application process;
The Applicant Base jumped from 300 secondary schools to all 730 schools nationwide;
For HEAR, extensive means testing by individual colleges was replaced by a multi indicator approach covering financial, social and cultural circumstances;
For DARE, varying disability criteria across the institutions was replaced with uniform disability criteria set by external expert panels;
The Accesscollege.ie website , Twitter, Facebook & You Tube sites were launched;
Presence at student information events was increased and Application Advice Clinics are run nationwide every January offering one to one advice to applicants in the run up to the February 1st application deadline.

These developments have also yielded robust national data which provide an invaluable evidence base for development of national policy to further increase opportunities for students from under-represented groups.

DARE and HEAR give a points reduction to disadvantaged students and students with disabilities thus increasing their chances of success in getting to Third Level. The schemes also offer a package of supports including academic, personal, financial and social supports. Access and Disability officers are on hand in each college to support students through the application process and continue to offer guidance and support throughout the student’s college life.

Ends.

For more information contact: Lia O’Sullivan, Chair of the DARE & HEAR Communications Group. Tel: 01 664948. Email: lia.osullivan@iua.ie

Additional Notes:

See accesscollege.ie for detailed information on the schemes

Participating Colleges

HEAR: 7 universities, DIT, 6 colleges of education, National College of Ireland and Pontifical University Maynooth

DARE: 7 universities, DIT, AIT, CIT, Mater Dei Institute of Education, National College of Ireland and Pontifical University Maynooth

HEAR Applications

The number of complete applications has been steadily increasing over the last 3 years from 4234 in 2010 to 5477 in 2012.
Of the 2751 eligible applicants in 2011, 1383 students accepted offers from colleges.

DARE Applications

The number of eligible applicants jumped from 701 in 2009 to 1279 in 2011
Acceptances have jumped from 214 in 2009 to 753 in 2011

Taoiseach’s Public Service Excellence Awards 2012

The Taoiseach’s Public Service Excellence Awards are organised as part of the Government’s programme of Public Service reform. The Awards are held every two years to recognise and reward examples of excellence in the delivery of public services and/or administration, by public servants. Approximately 190 applications were received from public service organisations. All applications received were assessed by the Awards Selection Committee, and 20 selected projects will receive Awards at a Conference in Dublin Castle on 21 June, 2012.

100% Success for Ireland in European Research Funding Scheme

admin 2012 Press Releases, Press Releases June 6, 2012

All projects involving Irish research organisations were recently awarded funding by the European Marie Curie research funding programme – International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES). The key aim of IRSES is to help researchers worldwide set-up or strengthen long-term cooperation with each other. Researchers in Ireland will now have the opportunity to spend time in research organisations in locations such as India, New Zealand and South Africa. The successful projects are in the areas of cancer diagnostics, photonics, genomics and mathematics for healthcare. These awards continue Ireland’s excellent track record in the Marie Curie Actions, with over €50 million secured since 2007, supporting around 800 high-value research jobs and studentships.

The awardees are:

Dr Eithne Dempsey from Institute of Technology Tallaght, coordinating theSMARTCANCERSENS project, involving 10 partners in 10 countries worldwide.
Dr Pascal Landais from Dublin City University, coordinating the UP-PI project, which links Ireland and the UK with key research organisations in India.
Dr Donagh Berry from Teagasc, coordinating the SEQSEL project, linking Ireland with researchers in New Zealand and Australia.
Dr Ken Duffy from National University of Ireland Maynooth, partnering in theINDOEUROPEAN-MATHDS project coordinated by Prof Carmen Molina-Paris from the University of Leeds in the UK. This award is in addition to securing funding for a Marie Curie Initial Training Network. Receiving two funding awards from the competitive Marie Curie Actions is a considerable achievement and is a good example of how researchers can use different schemes within the Marie Curie Actions to build up their research capacity.

Speaking about his project, Dr Donagh Berry from Teagasc said “I saw the IRSES funding scheme as an opportunity to get on the “EU ladder”. I had participated in EU projects before, but hadn’t the opportunity to take it to the next level of coordinating a project. I felt I had the time and skill-set to lead the project. Each partner has a different level and range of skills so it’s exciting to bring them all together.”

The Marie Curie Actions are a European Commission Funding Programme which supports researchers at all stages of their careers, across all research disciplines and in all employment sectors. The opportunities in the Marie Curie Actions range from individual fellowships for talented researchers to large-scale pan-European research training networks.

Dr Conor O’Carroll, Marie Curie National Delegate for Ireland, said “I am very pleased by this successful outcome for Ireland in the IRSES funding scheme. The Marie Curie Actions is one of the most accessible European funding programmes: whether you are an Individual Researcher looking for a fellowship, a Principal Investigator seeking to build a European research network, or a company looking to develop their research capacity, there is a Marie Curie Action for you”.

For more information contact:

Dr Jennifer Brennan, Marie Curie National Contact Point, mariecurie@iua.ie Tel: 01 6764948

Note to the Editor:

Irish Marie Curie Office

The Irish Marie Curie Office is jointly operated by the Irish Universities Association and the Irish Research Council. The office provides advice and support on preparing applications for Marie Curie funding and the management of Marie Curie awards.

Irish Universities score highly in the International Student Barometer

admin 2012 Press Releases, Press Releases May 30, 2012

The overall global satisfaction rate of international students studying across 16 countries who participated in the International Student Barometer (ISB) was 88% with Ireland’s 7 universities ahead on 91%. Areas where the universities collectively scored significantly higher than the international average were Student Support, Language Support, Careers Service, Employability, Opportunities to Teach and Host Culture. The universities welcomed these positive survey results as they will boost the profile of the Irish Universities on the International stage.

The results are based on a survey carried out in the academic year 2011/2012 with over 209,000 international students responding from 238 institutions in 16 countries, including 5408 international students studying at the 7 Irish Universities. The results are particularly meaningful as they are based on the actual opinions of International students studying at Irish Universities.

The International Student Barometer (ISB) is the largest independent annual study of international students in the world, tracking and reporting international student feedback. The ISB tracks decision making, perceptions, expectations and experiences of international students studying at third level institutions.

Commenting on the results, Sinéad Lucey International Education Manager at IUA said. “As the Irish universities continue to internationalise their activities the ISB provides valuable insight on how to evaluate and track the international student experience. We can benchmark performance against other universities and institutions worldwide and ultimately improve the student experience at our Universities”. Sinéad Lucey will present the Irish University findings at the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) seminar on June 7th. The seminar will be opened by Ciarán Cannon, TD, Minister of State for Training & Skills, Department of Education.

Ends.

For more information contact: Sinead Lucey, International Education Manager at IUA,sinead.lucey@iua.ie, 01 6764948

Scholarhips to attract high calibre Indian Students to Irish Universities

admin 2012 Press Releases, Press Releases March 22, 2012

Please note that the Government of Ireland Scholarship programme is now closed. Successful applicants will be notified this week (commencing July 2nd).

The Irish Universities Association is delighted to announce the launch of fully funded Government of Ireland scholarships available to post-graduate students from India, for the academic year 2012-2013, who have successfully gained a place on a 1 year Taught Masters Programme from one of the following universities:

Dublin City University
National University of Ireland Galway
National University of Ireland Maynooth
University College Cork
University College Dublin
University of Limerick

Attracting the highest calibre student from India is a priority for all of the Irish Universities and these scholarships signal that both the government and the Irish universities are committed to achieving this objective.

This prestigious scholarship scheme is co funded by the Government of Ireland and the participating Irish Universities. Each scholarship will entitle the successful student to a full fee waiver at his/her Irish university, as well as a stipend of €10,000 to cover living expenses for the year.

How to Apply:

Students applied for this prestigious scholarship programme directly to the Irish Universities Association. The call for application is now closed but the details of the scheme can be foundhere.

Closing Date:

The closing date to apply for the scheme was Thursday 14th June 2012 and the scheme is now closed. The list of successful scholarship holders will be announced the week commencing July 2nd 2012.

-ENDS-

For further information please contact:
Sinead Lucey, International Manager, Irish Universities Association, 6764948,irishuniversities@gmail.com