SFI to fund five new research centres

lockman

It is being reported that SFI, along with industry partners, are to fund five new research centres. All of the Irish universities, and many of the Institutes of Technology, will be involved.

From The Irish Times:

€250m investment to see five new SFI research centres created

Mon, Oct 20, 2014

Almost €250 million is to be invested in five new world-class Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) research centres, in a move aimed at enhancing research in critical and emerging areas of the economy including applied geosciences, software and medical devices.

For more, see:
http://www.irishtimes.com/business/250m-investment-to-see-five-new-sfi-research-centres-created-1.1969945

djpbarry

While investment in research is to be welcomed, I worry about SFI's emphasis on "translational" research at the expense of basic research. Anything without an immediate economic benefit appears not to be worth funding at present.

Black Swan

Thanks for bringing this to our attention lockman.

challengemaster

djpbarry wrote: »

While investment in research is to be welcomed, I worry about SFI's emphasis on "translational" research at the expense of basic research. Anything without an immediate economic benefit appears not to be worth funding at present.

There's a big push at present on Universities to become self sustainable in terms of research, rather than continue receiving large grants from the government. That's why there's an increasing number of spin-out companies and a focus on translational research (which will potentially gain IP >>> Money).

I don't think translational research is being carried out at the expense of basic research. I think they're two different approaches to the same issues. More often than not, the funding gained from industrial partnerships to fund translational research allows better technology and better research. In terms of cell therapy and immunology, taking a translational research approach has probably lead to more "basic research" discoveries than would have happened through basic research alone.

Black Swan

challengemaster wrote: »

There's a big push at present on Universities to become self sustainable in terms of research, rather than continue receiving large grants from the government. That's why there's an increasing number of spin-out companies and a focus on translational research (which will potentially gain IP >>> Money).

Across the pond many of the flagship universities have research parks in close proximity to main campuses where faculty and students are employed, some being research arms of major corporations, while others are start-ups that spin-out. Some pure research that occurs in campus labs that later informs practical applications are scaled-up in research parks using various funding sources, both private and public.