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YEAR BOOK |
Science Foundation Ireland - Fond�ireacht Eola�ochta �ireann
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Science Foundation Ireland
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Over the past number of years Irish scientific research has undergone considerable change, and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) has assumed a significant leadership role in this transformation. SFI has been investing, as part of the overall allocation of �2.5 billion under the National Development Plan 2000-2006, in Ireland's economic future through scientific research. The past year has been extremely productive for SFI as it continues its support for Science and Engineering research in Ireland.
SFI Achievements
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�In the Biotechnology sector SFI now funds 81 Research Investigators, involving commitments of over �170 million; and indirectly employs 550 life-science researchers.
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�In the Information & Communications Technology sector SFI now funds 77 Research Investigators, involving financial commitments of over �248 million; and indirectly employs 673 researchers.
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�128 research proposals from academic scientists and engineers in the fields embracing the Earth Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Biosciences and Computer Science were approved under the Research Frontiers Programme 2005.
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�SFI supported the scientific research community to raise both the level and quality of the scientific research being undertaken in research institutions in Ireland.
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�50 second-level teachers participated in the Secondary Teacher Assistant Researchers (STARs) Programme in 2005.
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�Collaborative projects were funded with China under the Ireland-China Research Collaboration Fund Agreement managed by the Royal Irish Academy.
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�Industry was proactively encouraged to locate their research laboratories in Ireland in partnership with the IDA and Enterprise Ireland.
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�SFI facilitated Irish research institutions to recruit and retain research leaders from around the world to Ireland.
Science Summit
In September 2004, An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, T.D. and An T�naiste, Mary Harney, T.D. hosted the first SFI Science Summit in Dublin Castle. The summit brought together over 250 leaders in the science, business and government communities under the theme 'Transforming our Economy through Science and Innovation'.
Speakers' topics covered science/industry partnerships, branding Ireland as a location for research excellence, economic potential of SFI investments and research quality. Among the speakers were three of Ireland's most distinguished researchers, Prof. Tim O'Brien, Director of REMEDI at National University of Ireland, Galway; Prof. John Pethica FRS, Director of the CRANN at Trinity College Dublin; Prof. Dolores Cahill, Director of the CHP at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland along with Dr. Reg Shaw, Managing Director of the Wyeth BioPharma Campus at Grange Castle, Co. Dublin and Jim O'Hara, General Manager of Intel Ireland.
Excellent Research & Industrial Collaboration � CSET Programme
The Centres for Science, Engineering and Technology Programme (CSET) is designed to build a critical mass of excellence for Ireland in areas of Biotechnology (BioT) and Information Communications Technology (ICT) that could well shape the future of science and engineering. The objective of this programme is to fund scientists who will build collaborative efforts that develop internationally competitive research clusters allied to industry. Already CSETs have led to research partnerships between Irish third-level institutions and companies like Bell Labs, HP, Intel, Medtronic and Proctor & Gamble.
In 2004, SFI introduced the Industry Supplement Award to support collaboration between individual SFI Research Investigators and industry. Collaborations are now underway with companies such as Areogen, IBM, SUN Microsystems and Siemens.
Research Frontiers Programme
Under the Research Frontiers Programme 2005, SFI awarded funding to 128 researchers in 11 research institutions. The Programme supports high-quality, novel exploratory research in the third-level sector in fields embracing the Bio Sciences, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science, Physics and Engineering. The 128 projects have been awarded almost �24 million over three years.
Women in Science & Engineering Research Initiative
In April 2005, SFI introducted a scheme aimed at boosting the number of women scientists in Ireland. The initiative comprises three SFI funded programmes aimed at addressing the under-representation of women in Irish science and engineering research. They are
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�The SFI Principal Investigator Career Advancement Award � The aim of this award is to provide assistance to academics in getting their research career back on track following maternity, adoptive, carers or parental leave.
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�The SFI Planning Grant and Institute Development Award � This will provide each research body with the opportunity to conduct an assessment of women's participation in science and engineering research activities and research management.
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�The SFI Junior Scholarship � This scheme aims to identify and encourage more high achieving girls into third level education and to support them during their undergraduate career.
Secondary Teachers Assistant Researchers (STARs)
In 2005, fifty second-level teachers participated in the Secondary Teacher Assistant Researchers (STARs) programme, which provides support for second-level teachers to conduct research alongside an SFI-funded researcher or research team during school holiday periods for up to eight weeks. The goal is to help teachers renew their interest in science as researchers, connect them with the science faculty in universities and institutes of technology, and enhance the teaching of science across the educational system.
President of Ireland Young Research Awards
In October 2004, four leading young scientists based in Ireland were awarded the first ever SFI President of Ireland Young Research Awards (PIYRA) at a ceremony hosted by the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese. The four recipients of the award were:
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Dr. Mario A. Fares, Department of Biology, NUI Maynooth
'Optimisation of protein function and potential drug targets through computational and biomedical analysis
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Dr. Emmeline Hill, Department of Animal Science, University College Dublin
'Genomics of performance in the equine athlete'
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�Dr. Jens Erik Neilsen, Department of Biochemistry, Conway Institute, University College Dublin
'A multidisciplinary informatics-based approach to understanding enzyme catalysis'
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�Dr. Fergal O'Brien, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
'Tissue engineering for the development of bone graft substitutes'
Awards Programme to June 2005
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About SFI Awards Programme |
SFI Principal Investigator Programme
� Grants for outstanding researchers, normally ranging between �50,000-�250,000 per year for a three to four year period*.
SFI Centres for Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET): Campus-Industry Partnership
� Linking academic and industrial researchers together on high-end research programmes, grants ranging up to �25 million (including industry cost share) over five years.
SFI Research Professor Awards
�� For outstanding researchers, with particularly distinguished international reputations, awards normally ranging up to �2.5 million over a five year period.
Research Frontiers Programme (RFP)
�� Supporting all areas of high-quality, novel exploratory research in the third-level sector, normally ranging up to �200,000 over three years
E.T.S. Walton Visitor Awards
��Supporting leading international scientists who visit Ireland to undertake research for up to one year, normally ranging up to �200,000 per year.
President of Ireland Young Research Awards (PIYRA)
��Attracting to Ireland and supporting Irish researchers within five years of completing their Ph.D., normally up to �1 million over five years.
Industry Supplements Programme
��Collaborative projects with industry that are directly related to and enhance existing SFI peer-reviewed programmes, normally ranging up to �50,000.
SFI Workshop and Conference Grants
��Supporting significant international scientific meetings taking place in Ireland, involving Irish scientists and research bodies, normally ranging up to �50,000 per event.
Women in Science & Engineering Research Initiative
��Three separate programmes designed to support and sustain women in science and engineering research in Ireland.
Undergraduate Research Experience & Knowledge Award (UREKA)
��Supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by SFI.
Secondary Teacher Assistant Researchers (STARs)
��Supplements to support second-level teachers in conducting research in Irish laboratories during summers.
The total figures above refer to direct costs. SFI makes a separate contribution towards overheads through the Annual Overhead Investment Plans (AOIP) to each research body based on the overall level of SFI grants.
*In exceptional cases SFI can award up to �1 million per year over a five year period.
DCU & Wyeth join forces on research
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Contact: Alva O'Cleirigh, Manager,
Communications & Public Relations,
Science Foundation Ireland, Wilton Park House, Wilton Place, Dublin 2.
Tel: 353 1 607 3249.
E-mail: [email protected] ; Website: www.sfi.ie