Five Irish universities awarded €5m in Performance Funding for strategic impact.
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has announced the allocation of €5m in performance funding to five Irish universities in recognition of their contributions to national strategic priorities.
Each institution will receive €1m following an independent evaluation of Impact Assessment Case Studies submitted earlier this year.
“Together they demonstrate the significant and valuable impact that our higher education and research system has on all aspects of our economy, environment and society”
The recipients are Dublin City University (DCU), Maynooth University (MU), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), University College Cork (UCC), and University College Dublin (UCD). Their initiatives span inclusive education, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and space science.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless, TD, said the awards reflect the breadth of innovation across the sector.
“The initiatives recognised today rethink inclusive digital education, tackle disadvantage through equitable access to work experience, foster entrepreneurship and support start-ups, promote the Sustainable Development Goals, inspire and train future engineers and scientists, and take Ireland into the space age. Together they demonstrate the significant and valuable impact that our higher education and research system has on all aspects of our economy, environment and society.”
Igniting opportunities and sparking success
Members of the various universities that will share €5m in Performance Funding with Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless, TD, in Dublin
University College Cork’s IGNITE programme supports graduate entrepreneurship through partnerships with Cork City Council, Local Enterprise Offices, and Bank of Ireland.
“This is a significant milestone for IGNITE and the broader innovation and entrepreneurship agenda in the region,” said Eamon Curtin, director of IGNITE.
An economic impact study last year revealed that as well as contributing €66m in salaries, IGNITE supported businesses have raised €27m in funding and employ more than 300 staff.
DCU’s award-winning initiative, Access to the Workplace, is a collaboration with LinkedIn and Rethink Ireland that provides paid professional work experience to students from underrepresented backgrounds. Maynooth University’s 5S project* enhances geospatial and sustainability literacy among educators and students using satellite data aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Trinity College Dublin’s DigiAcademy programme, developed with NGOs, education and training boards, and employers, uses a train-the-trainer model to improve digital literacy and employment readiness for people with intellectual disabilities.
University College Dublin was recognised for its collaboration with the European Space Agency on EIRSAT-1, Ireland’s first satellite mission. The project has advanced the development of the Irish space sector and engaged the public through education and the arts.
Dr Alan Wall, CEO of the HEA, said the awards highlight the sector’s responsiveness to societal needs. “These awards continue to highlight the valuable and diverse ways in which higher education institutions are responding to national priorities, global challenges, and community needs. Of particular note is the strength of partnerships and collaborations between these institutions and communities, organisations and networks throughout Ireland and beyond.”
The performance funding mechanism, introduced under the 2018–2020 System Performance Framework, has now awarded over €30 million to more than 50 projects. Under the current 2023–2028 framework, institutions submit annual Impact Assessment Case Studies to demonstrate their strategic contributions and inform future policy and investment.
Top image: Eamon Curtin, director of IGNITE at UCC, one of the funding recipients, with Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless, TD
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