Trevor Sargent
Question:100 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the number of post-graduate students funded by industry sources; and their average income. [6418/97]
Written Answers. - Postgraduate Students' Funding.
In 1994 there were approximately 2,000 research postgraduate students across all disciplines. There are a variety of levels and sources supporting these students. Informal surveys have shown that students receive support from a very wide range of sources, such as Government Departments and State agencies, local authorities, the European Commission, industry and third level colleges.
My Department, through the R & D sub-programme of the Operational Programme for Industry 1994-1999, provides funding for post-graduate students through the programmes in advanced technologies (PATs) and the national research support fund board. In the case of the latter, schemes such as the basic research grants scheme, strategic research grants scheme, applied research grants (RTCs/DITs), applied research grants (universities), research scholarships (PhDs), EU Presidency post-doctoral fellowship and international collaboration scheme all provide postgraduate students with funding possibilities.
In particular, the industry scholarships (MScs) scheme which are valued at £4,000 per annum are funded 50 per cent by industry. In 1996, 64 such scholarships were awarded. Information on other industry funding of postgraduate students is not available.
The Deputy will appreciate from the foregoing that postgraduate funding is a wide and complex issue. The White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation published last year recognised this and as a follow-up to the Government decisions set out in the White Paper, I have asked the national research support fund board to prepare a report on how this funding issue might be rationalised and consolidated.