Repro Free - Thursday 26th February 2018. Five Science Foundation Ireland awards for Science Policy announced. Pictured (left to right): Prof John McHale, National University of Ireland, Galway, Prof Helena Lenihan, University of Limerick, Prof Kalpana Shankar, University College Dublin, Prof Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland and Dr Alma McCarthy, National University of Ireland, Galway. Picture Jason Clarke.

Dublin, 26th February 2018 – Minister for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development, John Halligan TD, announced the first five awards of the Science Foundation Ireland Science Policy Research Programme, with an investment of €2.8 million. The selected research projects comprise studies of: the role of talent and human capital management in national science foundations; the economic and societal impacts of scientific research; the link between scientific knowledge production and technological progress; the peer review process; and the importance of star researchers.

Announcing the awards, Minister Halligan said, “The SFI Science Policy Research Programme is facilitating doctoral degrees that will generate important new policy insights that can help to bolster Ireland’s knowledge economy. The knowledge gained from these awards will help Science Foundation Ireland assess the impact of the research funding it awards, with the aim of strengthening and improving our overall eco-system.”

Commenting on the awards, Prof Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland added, “These awards will build critical knowledge to enable us to develop effective policies on how we fund, evaluate and disseminate scientific research. Building Ireland’s research capacity in science policy will help to solidify Ireland’s position in developing international best practice and encourage collaborations with international experts in the field.”

The five awards, with a total value of €2.8 million will support 15 research positions, for both postdoctoral researchers and PhD students, for a period of up to four years. The awards were made to the following researchers: