Title: Professor Frank Hegarty
1- Professor Frank Hegarty
- www.ircset.ie
- info_at_ircset.ie
2Summary
- Background and objectives of IRCSET (Science
Engineering and Technology) - Ensuring Quality (in first round grants)
- Quality the PhD Experience
- Quality Research Outputs
3Mission and Objectives of IRCSET
- The Council will promote excellence on a broad
range of research in Science, Engineering and
Technology. The emphasis will be on innovative
and original scientific research which is aimed
at generating new knowledge. - Funding Activities
- Research Scholarships
- Postdoctoral Fellowships
- Projects, small teams
4NATIONAL INNOVATION SYSTEM
2002
Dr Don Thornhill
Mission Orientated Strategic SFI EI HRB
People Skills Knowledge (Human Capital)
Mission Orientated Function Marine Institute EP
A Teagasc
Investigator/Scholar (IRCSET, IRCHSS)
Institutional strategy (PRTLI)
Block Grant
5NATIONAL INNOVATION SYSTEM
2002
Dr Don Thornhill
REVIEW AND OVERSIGHT
Mission Orientated Strategic SFI EI HRB
People Skills Knowledge (Human Capital)
Mission Orientated Function Marine Institute EPA
Teagasc
Investigator/Scholar (IRCSET, IRCHSS)
Institutional strategy (PRTLI)
Block Grant
6Nature of Council
- Council is an independent and autonomous body
funded by the Minister for Education Science - The HEA provides administrative support to the
Council in executing its mission - "the new Council will oversee the spending of
75m (Euro 95 m) on researchers and their
projects and provide a timely boost to the
development of an interest in and the practical
outputs of science, engineering and technology.
Our future competitiveness and international
standing depend on our ability to innovate in
these three important segments of our economy".
Minister Woods, June 2001
7People Ideas
- Empowering individuals and small teams
- Primarily curiosity-driven
- No requirement for applicability
- Desire for IMPACT, pace
- Research Careers
- Reflect on debate relating to Relevance
8Background to EMBARK
- IRCSET has been in operation since November 2001
95million to end NDP in 2006. - Mission is to train researchers of the first rank
and to promote excellence across a broad range of
research in science, engineering and technology. - Aims to invest in the development of the research
community by supporting individual researchers
and research students to excel in their chosen
area.
9Sudden Impact-Quality vital
Ratio of Government Research Expenditure to GDP
- Rate of change
- Supply vs. Demand
- Large time-lags
- Need for mobility
- Nearly 10 of Euro 17.3 billion!
Indicators for benchmarking of national research
policies, European Commission 2001
10Quality and HE not new
- Professor Sir Ron Dearing Chairman, National
Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (UK). - The TIMES Education Supplement October 1997
- EUA Lisbon Conference 2000
- Inge Knudsen www.unige.ch/eua
11The Impact on Academic Institutions of Research
Evaluation Systems
- Main Conclusions
- Research evaluation has become an accepted fact
of University life - Universities have seen their advantage in being
pro-actively involved in the evaluation process - There is still widespread scepticism among
researchers as to the utility of research
evaluation - Research evaluations are often not pre-defined
with transparent criteria and clear aims and goals
12What is Quality
- Quality of Campus experience
- Quality of Teaching
- Research QualityFocus in my talk is on this last
topic - What constitutes research quality for
Postgraduate development?
13EMBARK Quality first steps -1
- Postgraduate Scholarships
- Early application date
- Selection by Externs
- Academic preparation most important
14Scholarships
15EMBARK Quality first steps -2
- Postdoctoral Fellowships Projects
- International peers
- Fair review procedures
- Assessment committee, chaired by external
member - Appropriate feedback
16Selection and Monitoring
- Rigorous assessment
- External experts with broad experience
- Follow-up every year through annual report
- What carrot? Suffice to say that initiatives are
under consideration.
17The PhD Experience 1
- Too dependent on the individual Supervisor
- Completion rates?
- Time to completion?
- Adequate funding (3- or 4-years)?
- Track record of Supervisor or Research Group?
18The PhD Experience 2
- Professionalise !
- Structured programmes
- Bids for linked projects?
Other drivers of quality
- Wellcome Trust Requirements
- HETAC Postgraduate Research Degrees
www.hetac.ie - PRTLI 3 undertakings
19Some elements of Quality
- Code of practice for postgraduate development
- Qualification of prospective supervisors
- Coursework, transferable skills
- Structured approach some element of training and
common tools - Allocation of resources to researchersSpace,
equipment, mentoring - Assured by Graduate Schools ?
20Measures for Research Outputs?
- Few would advocate a strict RAE approach
- Mapping What research is where? Is there
critical mass in a discipline? - Mapping research excellence in GermanyDr. Phil.
Ulrich Schmoch Helsinki
University 80 peer review teams - Reporting research performance what parameters
are tracked ERA link.
21Measures role of Universities?
- SFI Benchmarking
- Research Council Success who determines the
research agenda? - Need for unified approach (ownership)?
- UCD Output Based Budgets
- Review of NDP is timely opportunity
- Celebrating success is a more powerful tool than
searching for flawed performance.
22Research in an Output Based University Budget
- Publications 40
- PhDs and Research Masters 30
- Competitive Research Funding 25
- Intellectual Property 5
But how do you compare publications across
Departments, Faculties?
23Clarity of objectives
- TOWARDS A CIVIC SCIENCE A MISSION FOR THE 21ST
CENTURY Tánaiste www.ria.ie - Non directed research has an objective!
- Resource allocation across disciplines
- Belief that the proportions with top-class PhDs
must increase dramatically.
24Resources for Quality
- Must recognize achievements however
infrastructural deficit exists (QA to QI) - Key nature of Basic Research grant scheme
- ERC to what extent will vision be realized?
- ESF Interaction
25- Irelands EU Presidency 2004
- Research Quality as the central Theme?
(OST/Forfas)
26Summary
- Objective measures long overdue. This does not
mean that they are easy to obtain - Given the level of investment, output will be
assessed - Universities should fully engage and drive the
process - Development of researchers (merit awards?) and
the PhD experience (Structured?) - Scientific excellence is the common denominator
agreed measures