Vol. 490 No. 7
28 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Science the scope and cost of each research project under way at each college in the university and technological sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11080/98]
Academic research is recognised as an important component of the national system of innovation in all countries. Three key aspects of the activity are increasingly highlighted: its role in generating new knowledge; its role in educating and training the next generation of researchers and technologists for work mainly in academia and in industry and the increasing relevance of academic research for industrial development.
The annual block grant to the universities is paid to and distributed by the Higher Education Authority. The approach to the direct funding of research in universities has traditionally been and continues to be that the unified teaching and research budget, which forms the Higher Education Authority block grant to universities, provides the basic level of research funding. The block grant to institutes of technology does not directly provide such a research element. However, my Department has in recent years provided specific funding of over £1 million per annum to the technological sector for research programmes related to graduate training and enterprise development. Most basic and strategic research is predominantly in the universities while the focus of the institutes of technology is mainly on applied regionally orientated research. In addition to the funding allocated by the State, third level institutions earn or are awarded grants for research from a wide range of State bodies, including funding from various operational programmes of the European Union.
In addition I have made provision in the 1998 Estimates for my Department for a dedicated budget of £5 million for research and development activities at third level. The Higher Education Authority has been asked to develop proposals and mechanisms for expenditure of this research and development provision on the basis of making funding available to universities and institutes of technology through a competitive process.
It is estimated that the total amount of research expenditure, both externally funded research and funding received via the block grant, is in excess of £100 million.
