“Norway and Switzerland are opposing a budget increase for the next Framework Programme, which starts in 2014, fearing that their contribution to its costs could grow out of all proportion. Both countries are outside the EU and would have to pay significantly more towards Framework 8 than previous Framework Programmes if its budget increases …” (more)
[Inga Vesper and John Fogarty, Research, 25 January]
“Given the turmoil in many areas, one may question the status of support for research in 2011 and beyond. There are two aspects, the immediate one of the 2011 R&D budget and longer-term national strategy. In the budget for 2011 despite cutbacks in many sectors the prospects for research are positive …” (more)
[Conor O’Carroll, Irish Times, 27 January]
“A group of scholars at the Freie Universität in Berlin is distributing via E-mail and their website alarming information about downsizing of the EU research funding in the Humanities and Social Sciences. The EU is currently drawing up its 8th framework program, in which it decides how to allocate its money …” (more)
[Ingrid Robeyns, Crooked Timber, 13 December]
“Last year in this blog I published a post in which I raised various questions about links between universities and industry, and in particular whether industry funding for university research can compromise academic integrity …” (more)
[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 26 November]
“Many scientists – myself included – were so relieved at the outcome of the recent Comprehensive Spending Review that we thought the government had accepted the argument that Science is Vital more-or-less completely. Most of us have stopped worrying about whether we’re going to have to go about to carry on doing science and just got on with doing it for the past few weeks …” (more)
[In the Dark, 17 November]
“A former Intel CEO said on Tuesday that Ireland’s 3% of GDP (gross domestic product) research target is no longer adequate. Is this wise or crazy advice in an economy where the indigenous sector only accounts for about 10% of tradeable goods and services exports? …” (more)
[Michael Hennigan, Finfacts, 17 November]
“Former Intel CEO Craig Barrett has said that the 3pc target for investment of GDP into R&D for Ireland is no longer a reasonable target and called for increased State investment in R&D projects …” (more)
[John Kennedy, Silicon Republic, 16 November]
“The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe TD, today told the new group drawing up an action plan for public investment in research to focus on the creation of new high-quality jobs and to set aside sectoral interests …” (more)
[Michael Hennigan, Finfacts, 10 November]
“As the buzz of Science Foundation Ireland’s event to celebrate ten years of existence and growth last week dissipated, I found myself thinking back to an earlier period of science in Ireland. The contrast is staggering and seems to be from a different country and world. I returned to Ireland, for the first time, in 1981 …” (more)
[Frank Gannon’s Blog, 29 October]
“The world’s recent financial meltdown did not hit research spending as hard as might have been expected, according to the EU’s latest investment scoreboard. R&D investment from the world’s largest spenders on research dropped 1.9% in 2009 …” (more)
[Daniel Cressey, The Great Beyond, 26 October]
“The European Commission’s 2010 ‘EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard’ shows that R&D investment by top EU companies fell by 2.6% in 2009, even though sales and profits fell much more, by 10.1% and 21.0% respectively …” (more)
[AlphaGalileo, 26 October]
“The Irish government put on a strong show of support for continued state investment in research at an event to mark the 10th anniversary of research funder Science Foundation Ireland in Dublin on 21 October. The Taoiseach Brian Cowen addressed the meeting …” (more)
[Dick Ahlstrom, Research, 25 October]
“The government remains fully committed to ongoing State investment in scientific research, Taoiseach Brian Cowen has said …” (more)
[Dick Ahlstrom, Irish Times, 22 October]
“The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded €580 million in ‘Starting Grants’ to 427 researchers at the beginning of their research careers. Each award is worth up to €2 million and the total represents an increase of 40% since last year’s funding round …” (more)
[Joseph Milton, The Great Beyond, 19 October]
“The crisis that has hit Europe is fresh in our minds – not only an economic crisis but also, more importantly, a crisis of institutions. The impact of monetary union has been vanishly small compared to the expectations it created. Now Europe understands it cannot compete with China, India or even the United States in terms of industrial production. Europe wants to become a knowledge-driven economy …” (more)
[Michael Arvanitis, Exquisite Life, 15 October]
“Are we making progress towards a knowledge economy? How do we know whether we are achieving this goal or whether our tax euro are being squandered on labs and scientists? …” (more)
[Dick Ahlstrom, Irish Times, 27 August]
“Long insulated by multi-year budgets and treaties, Europe’s multinational research organizations and the glittering scientific projects they fund are finally feeling the financial pain of their member states …” (more)
[Geoff Brumfiel, Nature, 24 August]
“The government has announced an additional €37m in funding for university research centres, which it said will facilitate the creation of jobs in Ireland’s so-called ‘smart economy’. The €37 million investment, which will be spread over six years, takes the funding of the Government’s competence centres programme to €90m over that period …” (more)
[Irish Times, 9 August]
“Last Friday the Government continued its commitment to investing in research with more than €296 million to develop infrastructure and research capacity across the higher education sector. With universities and institutes of technology bringing in €63 million from private and international competitive sources this makes of total of €359 million …” (more)
[Conor O’Carroll, Irish Times, 22 July]
“The European Commission’s in-house research arm is shifting resources from health and security work to a new focus on economics, its director general announced today. However, with its budget remaining flat for the foreseeable future, this means those areas identified as lower priorities will be cut …” (more)
[HT: Garret McMahon]
[The Great Beyond, 3 July]
Ninth Level Ireland 