Thousands of academics call for research funding changes

Academics have warned that Ireland risks being left behind by the rest of the European Union unless the country funds its higher education research sector to the same level as neighbouring countries, writes Carl O’Brien for The Irish Times.

As the government prepares legislation which will create a new research and innovation funding agency, almost 2,000 academics have signed an open letter calling for a step-change in how the area is funded.

A group of academics – including professors Kingston Mills, Jane Ohlmeyer and Luke O’Neill of Trinity College Dublin – handed in the letter to Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris on Tuesday 2 May. It calls for greater consultation of the research community around the new legislation, a balance between science, technology, engineering and maths and arts, humanities and social sciences, as well as strong governance and transparent selection of members of the body overseeing the agency.
Full report on The Irish Times site