Science Foundation Ireland

1
Science Foundation Ireland

• The New Funding System

2
SFI Town Hall Meetings

• SFI programmes described
• Draft programme descriptions now on web
  www.sfi.ie
• Purposeful meetings with research community
• Advice/comments
• Draft legislation pending
• Support basic research in ICT/BioT areas
• Excellence is key
• Basis for knowledge-driven economy
• SFI staff review and decision process
• Partnership with the researchers
• Performance-based system
• Flexibility to the fullest extent possible

3
Rationale For The New Programmes

• Help build a healthy Irish research ecosystem
• Support first-rate research how to handle the
  5-year problem?
• Merit Review will support risk-taking
• Encourage appropriate campus-industry
  partnerships
• Develop robust government-university-industry
  partnership
• Attract retain exceptional new talent

4
Third Level Institutions

• Systemic issues to be addressed
• SFI owned intellectually by researchers
• Researchers must be part of the staff
• SFI a partner that listens/provokes discussion
  debate
• Faculty recruitment/appointments stars?
• Intellectual property
• lack of adequate supportso far
• Columbia University effort
• Value of undergraduates in research

5
SFI New Programmes

• E. T. S. Walton Visitor Awards
• Conferences/Workshops/Meetings
• Fellow Awards
• Investigator Programme Grants
• Centres for Science, Engineering and Technology
  Campus-University Partnerships

6
SFI New Programmes

• E.T.S. Walton Visitor Awards
• Key elements
• Attract outstanding international scientists for
  extended research visits
• Build international connections and
  collaborations
• Build culture of first-class research
• Foster recruitment of postgraduates and postdocs

7
SFI New Programmes

• E.T.S. Walton Visitor Awards
• Features
• Application deadline 12th April 2002
• Fellowship duration typically 3-12 months
• Budget Salary, benefits, relocation, materials
• Number of awards (2002) 0-20

8
SFI New Programmes

• Workshops Conferences Grants
• For intensive inquiry and collaboration on topics
  of timely scientific importance
• Key elements
• Facilitate workshops, symposia, and conferences
• Support Irish participation in international
  scientific debates
• Foster new scientific contacts for Irish
  scientists
• Stimulate research in academic research
  institutes, industry, and government laboratories

9
SFI New Programmes

• Workshops Conferences Grants
• Features
• Application deadline No later than August 15 for
  scheduling in 2003
• Budget Normally up to 50,000 for each workshop
  or conference

10
SFI New Programmes

• SFI Fellow Awards
• Key elements
• To recruit and retain truly world-class
  researchers
• To attract major catalysts for research
  excellence
• Criteria of such caliber as to be full professor
  or equivalent at distinguished institutions
  (i.e., Cambridge, Oxford, Johns Hopkins,
  UC-Berkeley)

11
SFI New Programmes

• SFI Fellow Awards
• Features
• Deadlines Open call
• Budget range Normally up to 1 million per year
• Salary support is provided
• Up to five years duration with annual review

12
SFI New Programmes

• SFI Investigator Programme Grants
• Objectives
• Fund internationally recognised researchers with
  research programmes and strong publication record
• Develop enhance the Irish research environment
• Encourage research training for students

13
SFI New Programmes

• SFI Investigator Programme Grants
• Objectives continued
• Aims to retain and recruit top research talent
• Supports excellence at all levels of research
  career
• Encourages interdisciplinary links among
  researchers and appropriately to industry

14
SFI New Programmes

• SFI Investigator Programme Grants
• Features
• Supports research programmes, large equipment
  core facilities
• Four years duration, contingent upon successful
  annual review
• Teaching replacement offered
• SFI will contribute to salary in exceptional
  cases

15
SFI New Programmes

• SFI Investigator Programme Grants
• Features continued
• Deadlines15th May and 15th November, 2002
• Budget range 50K - 250K (normally)
• More for core facilities, collaboration
• Overhead 30 MTDC

16
SFI New Programmes

• SFI Investigator Programme Grants can also go to
• Non-faculty applicants
• Aim
• Facilitate career development for SFI
  Investigators
• Features
• For senior postdocs and researchers from outside
  Ireland
• Opportunity to compete for faculty position
• Start-up costs and salary-sharing available as
  part of an SFI-Research Body Agreement

17
SFI New Programmes

• Centres for Science, Engineering, and Technology
  (CSET) Campus-Industry Partnerships
• Key elements
• Initial call
• Clusters of internationally competitive
  researchers
• Clear thematic areas and synergy
• Frontier investigations
• Partnerships with industry/strategic commitments
  (20 contribution widely defined people,
  equipment, funds)

18
SFI New Programmes

• CSETs Campus-Industry Partnerships
• Key elements continued
• Links to other campuses and international
  collaborators
• Education and outreach
• Features
• Pre-planning Proposal deadline 31st May 2002
• Full Proposal Deadline 3 months after completion
  of Pre-planning Proposal Review
• Budget range 1 million-5 million per year
• Note model proposals available
• for review at CHIU

19
Science Foundation Ireland

• The New Funding System