Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2021
1048. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the progress that has been made towards the target set in Innovation 2020 to establishing a successor to the Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30936/21]
View answerInnovation 2020 included an action to scope out and develop a successor to the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI) to support new investment in research infrastructure, including buildings and equipment. The scoping of a future cycle of PRTLI was undertaken by the then Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation working with the Department of Education and Skills, prior to the establishment of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
The Programme for Government recognises the high-quality research emerging through national funding agencies and programmes, such as SFI, IRC, HRB and PRTLI, and commits to continuing to support engagement in research that addresses societal challenges and advances the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Pending a new cycle of PRTLI, it is important to note that actions are being taken to address the key elements that had been encompassed by PRTLI including infrastructure, equipment and structured PhD programmes.
- My Department is committed to a significant capital investment over the coming years in higher education infrastructure.
- SFI funds six Centres for Research Training (CRTs) that are collectively hosted across a partner network of ten research bodies. The CRTs aim to promote excellence in research and education by training 719 CRT doctoral students in data and ICT skills; equipping them with transversal, cross-sectoral and discipline specific skills. The CRTs deliver a student-focused postgraduate research and training experience, where students are empowered, with appropriate guidance, to define their individual research and training programme. To date, 321 students (143 in 2019 and 178 in 2020) have been recruited across the 6 CRTs.
- The SFI Research Infrastructure Programme supports the research community in building and sustaining the required infrastructural capacity to accomplish high-quality, high-impact and innovative research in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics that demonstrably enhance and support enterprise competitiveness and societal development in Ireland. The programme seeks applications for strategic research infrastructures that focus on large-scale items in areas of national priority and other areas of strategic opportunity. Just under €50m was invested under the last call which opened in 2018 but for which a reserve list remained open for two years. Those investments provided critical, state of the art infrastructure within Higher Education Institutes across a broad range of areas of strategic and societal importance.
- SFI has recently opened a new SFI Research Infrastructure Programme call with applications being accepted until 2nd July 2021.
Future cycles of PRTLI were referenced in the National Development Plan, Project Ireland 2040, which is currently under review. My Department has recently launched a public consultation to inform the next National Research and Innovation Strategy. Through this, we are seeking submissions on a wide array of issues, including enhancing the talent pipeline at the heart of our research, development and innovation system and building a strong research and innovation environment grounded in excellence. These issues and how to continue to address them will play a significant role in the next national R&I strategy.
