The Irish Universities Association welcomes today’s announcement by Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton T.D. of €29.6 million investment by the Irish Research Council in ‘frontier research’ projects.
Thirty-six researchers will receive funding under the Irish Research Council’s new Laureate Awards to conduct ground-breaking research in the Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Engineering, and the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
Commenting on the announcement Jim Miley, Director General of the Irish Universities Association said: “The IRC Laureate Awards is an important milestone in research funding. It provides essential support for frontier basic research which helps Ireland to build its competitiveness in world class research. It is essential that this tranche of funding is further supported by increased investment in research as part of the government’s ambition to grow our research funding from the current level of 1.5% of GDP to in excess of 2%. Sustained investment in research is the best possible foundation for future economic growth.”
IUA is delighted that some of the first recipients of the new Laureate awards come from a number of our member universities including:
- Dr. Sarah Doyle, based at Trinity College Dublin, whose research is focused on age-related vision loss;
- Dr. Larisa Florea, based at Dublin City University, who will develop micro-vehicles to navigate through the human body to recognise, diagnose and treat a variety of diseases;
- Dr. Jacopo Bisagni, based at National University of Ireland, Galway, who is researching how intellectual exchanges between Ireland, Brittany and Francia during the Carolingian age (c. AD 750-1000) laid the foundations of Europe as we know it;
- Dr. Dawn Walsh, based at University College Dublin, whose research will explore the role played by independent commissions in peace processes.
Click here for full Irish Research Council announcement
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For more information contact:
Lia O’Sullivan | Communications and Projects Manager
Irish Universities Association | Tel: +353 (0)1 6764948 | lia.osullivan@iua.ie | www.iua.ie