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NUI Galway awarded €36.6 million by HEA
It was the best possible Christmas present! The news that NUI Galway had been awarded €36.57 million in Cycle III of the Higher Education Authority's PRTLI (Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions) was greeted with jubilation and relief! The hard work in preparing the proposals and the long wait for the result were over, now that the green light had been given for the implementation of the various research projects. As one of just three universities successful in all funding cycles, NUI Galway has consolidated its research capabilities in recent years and greatly strengthened its centres of excellence.
Two main beneficiaries of the funding are the marine research facility and a proposed Centre for Innovation and Structural Change. A delighted President Ó Muircheartaigh congratulated all those involved in preparing the various proposals, paying special tribute to the Office of the Dean of Research (Professor Ger Hurley, Dean; Dr Maura Hiney, Administrative Officer; and Mary Lyons, Secretary), who co-ordinated the submission. "This funding award from the HEA is highly significant for NUI Galway", said Dr Ó Muircheartaigh. "Firstly, it allows the University to become a major international centre for marine research and establishes us as the main source of marine knowledge in Ireland. Secondly, the Centre for Innovation and Structural Change will be central to in-depth analysis of the Irish economy in a way that has not been widely researched in the past".
As well as these projects, the HEA funding will also support substantial research into three additional areas: biomedical engineering science, human settlement and historical change, and environmental change. According to Professor Ger Hurley, the five projects, when combined will transform the university. "This will consolidate our position as a research-led institution", he said. "All of this will put us into a different league".
The funding will allow for the radical expansion of the University's marine research resources, which will be allocated €19.17m of the overall award. When combined with the imminent relocation of the national Marine Institute to Galway, it makes for exciting times in marine circles. "It's spectacular", said Professor Michael Guiry, director of the Martin Ryan Institute. "It will give our work an amazing dimension and depth. We have a very enthusiastic and aggressive agenda".
The university also plans to use €2.79m of its HEA allocation to establish a Centre for Innovation and Structural Change - a place where the trends and patterns of Irish economic behaviour will be explored and analysed, and the results made publicly available. Professor Roy Green, who has championed the establishment of the new research centre, says that this data could offer an understanding of the Irish economy that has never before been available to policy makers. It could even reveal the aspects of economic behaviour that need to be in place for prosperity. "To what extend is knowledge-based activity now sustainable within the Irish economy? How do we measure the extend to which it has become part of the landscape? What are the ingredients for growth? Does the slowdown mean that we're back to square one? That's what this centre is designed to research", says Professor Green
| PRTLI - Cycle III |
| Biomedical Engineering Science |
€12.8 |
| Centre for Innovation and Structural Change |
€2.79 |
| Centre for Study of Human Settlement and Historical Change |
€0.89 |
| Environmental Change Institute |
€1.02 |
| Marine Science |
€19.17 |
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Galway Anatomist Elected President of the Microscopical Society of Ireland
At the 26th Annual Symposium of the Microscopical Society of Ireland (MSI) held in Queen's University, Belfast, Alexander Black, a Junior Lecturer in the Department of Anatomy, was elected to serve as President for the next two years. Alexander takes over from Professor Martin Steer, Head of Botany in UCD.
The MSI is an all-Ireland society serving as a research forum for those involved in the broad areas of Materials, Physics and Biological Sciences. As such it has been actively encouraging cross-disciplinary collaboration over the past three decades.
The connection between Galway and the MSI is a long one; the late Dr Rory Comerford was a founder member and played a pivotal role in keeping the society active. Further cementing this connection, the MSI plans to hold its next symposium in NUI Galway where it is hoped that a student prize will be established as a memorial to Dr Comerford. The symposium is planned to take place in late August 2002; any member of staff who has students involved in any type of microscopical research may wish to take note that the MSI offers student prizes in both Biological and Material Science. Student Travel Bursaries are also available, on a competitive basis, to student members of the society.
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Combustion Chemistry Group Secures Funding
The Combustion Chemistry and Kinetic Modelling group has secured funding for a doctoral scholarship from the Environmental Protection Agency under its ERDTI Programme for 2001. This grant was one of only 15 awards for the entire third level sector.
The student, Judith Wurel, MSc., will carry out studies on the simulation and modelling of exhaust emissions using advanced techniques in computational fluid dynamics and chemical kinetic modelling
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NCLA Project on laser Processing
Hewlett Packard Manufacturing (Ireland) Ltd and the National Centre for Laser Applications based in the Department of Experimental Physics, have begun a significant collaboration on laser processing of silicon materials. The project seeks to underpin existing development programmes, led by the HP leixlip plant, in developing new uses for laser technology in inkjet component manufacture.
The project with the NCLA seeks to minimise the debris generated during laser processing.
Pictured at an NCLA laser workstation are (left to right) Mr David Cahill, R&D Manager, Hewlett Packard; Dr Gerard O'Connor, NCLA Manager, and Professor Tom Glynn, NCLA Director
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