Carol Nolan
Question:167. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the allocation to the strategic innovation fund over each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18543/17]
View answerWednesday, 12 April 2017
Questions (167)
Written answers
The Strategic Innovation Fund was established in 2006 with the emphasis on promoting inter-institutional collaboration in bringing about substantial change, reform and quality improvement within the Irish higher education system. The Fund supported a wide range of projects aimed at supporting institutional restructuring, enhancing teaching and learning, enabling post graduate education and improving access and lifelong learning.
My Department provided the following funding to the Strategic Innovation Fund over the last 10 years. The funding allocation was last provided in 2012 when the programme finished.
- 2017 - Nil
- 2016 - Nil
- 2015 - Nil
- 2014 - Nil
- 2013 - Nil
- 2012 - €750,000
- 2011 - €14m
- 2010 - €18.89m
- 2009 - €27.07m
- 2008 - €16m
Since 2012, a more focused approach has been adopted in the public funding of research and innovation activity. Research prioritisation has concentrated the majority of competitive funding on areas deemed likely to yield greatest economic and societal impact. In the strategy set out in Innovation 2020, the aim is to build on the significant progress of the past decade in developing Ireland’s research and innovation system, by continuing to support excellent research across the full continuum and across all disciplines.