Strategy for Research and Innovation

Professor Terry SmithVice President for Research

Deans and Heads Meeting

April 17th 2009

Strategy for Research and Innovation

Objective and Vision Objective

NUI Galway to be firmly embedded among the top rank of research universities internationally

VisionNUI Galway to be recognised nationally and

internationally for its leadership position in selected priority areas of research and innovation

Strategic Research Objectives

Focus on research excellence, and on regional and national strategic priorities

Concentration on selected priority areas with critical mass and track record of achievement

Collaboration and alliances with strategic partners (region, national, international)

Focus on Innovation, and Industry partnerships to build the Smart Economy

Improve Physical infrastructure

Irish Studies, Texts, Contexts & Cultures

Human RightsDigital Humanities

Irish Studies, Texts, Contexts & Cultures

Human RightsDigital Humanities

Thematic PrioritiesThematic Priorities

Biomedical Science & Engineering

Biomedical Science & Engineering

Environment, Marine & Energy

Environment, Marine & Energy

Applied Social Sciences & Public Policy

Applied Social Sciences & Public Policy

Informatics, Physical & Computational Sciences

Informatics, Physical & Computational Sciences

Humanities in ContextHumanities in Context

Major Institutes &

Centres

Major Institutes &

Centres

Fundamental/Theoretical

Continuum of Research Activities

Applied

Cross-thematic activities

Cross-thematic activities

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Biomedical Engineering Cancer

Infection Inflammation, and Immunity Neurosciences

Regenerative Medicine

Biomedical Engineering Cancer

Infection Inflammation, and Immunity Neurosciences

Regenerative Medicine

Applied ComputingPhotonics

Semantic Web & Web Services

Applied ComputingPhotonics

Semantic Web & Web Services

Climate change Environment

Marine Energy

Climate change Environment

Marine Energy

Innovation Social Inclusion

HealthBalanced Development

Innovation Social Inclusion

HealthBalanced Development

NCBES REMEDINFB AGRCCBAS IBICCB CPRMDRG

NCBES REMEDINFB AGRCCBAS IBICCB CPRMDRG

Moore InstituteIrish StudiesICHR

Moore InstituteIrish StudiesICHR

MRI ECIERCPower Electronics C-CAPS

MRI ECIERCPower Electronics C-CAPSCISCICSGCHPSCFCRCHSRD

CISCICSGCHPSCFCRCHSRD

DERI CHPCNCLAApplied Optics

DERI CHPCNCLAApplied Optics

Dig

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Recent Achievements 2003-2008

Overall, research publications and citations have doubled, with citations per academic staff member increasing by over 20% annually since 2003

Strategic appointment of International research leaders 63 new Chair appointments, >150 Lectureships

SFI CSETs (REMEDI and DERI), and SRCs (NFB and AGRC)

Biorefinery and Bioenergy Competence Centre (EI)

Major industry collaborations and partnerships with world leaders and start-up companies

Recent Achievements 2003-2008

UNESCO Chair in Children, Youth and Civic Engagement, the first such Chair in the Republic of Ireland

Substantial AP funding for Life Cycle Research

Major PRTLI and other funding successes for Humanities and Social Sciences

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation award for Research in the Humanities and Social Studies

Technology Transfer

TT Office established in 2005 to manage Innovation

Leading Irish University in Technology Transfer (2007-2008) 91 Invention disclosures 101 Patents filed (28% of HEI sector output) 33 licence and option agreements (30% of sector output)

6 Start-up companies (2006 – 2008)

Business Innovation Centre Entrepreneurs in Residence Campus Commercialisation Programme Start-Up Solutions

PRTLI Cycle 5 €300m national competition for funding

€200m for infrastructure (capital) €100m for research related funding (recurrent)

Objectives Concentrated research-intensive excellence through

investment in priority research areas and facilities

Inter-institutional co-operation and industry partners

Support the provision of structured education and training for graduate researchers

Build the SMART economy

TRF-CRF | SOUTHWEST APPROACH

1. Research BuildingsBiomedical Research Humanities & Social Sciences

Translational Biomedical Research

2. Other PRTLI 5 Programmes

National Shared Facilities Environmental Technology Centre Ireland (EPA) SmartBay (Marine Institute) Chemical Biology Screening Facility (SFI) National Audio Visual Repository

Structured PhD programmes (8 proposals) Biomedical Science and Engineering Humanities and Social Sciences Energy and Environmental Technologies Nanotechnology/Photonics

Strategic Priorities to 2014

Prioritisation by building on research strengths Focus on increasing the quality of research outputs Targeted new appointments in research priority areas

Responsiveness to regional and national economic needs Increased engagement with key industry sectors

Partnership and Collaboration with research organisations Enhanced partnerships with Institutions in the region Strategic alliances and collaborations with world-leading

Institutions in research priority areas

Increased emphasis on Innovation, and on Start-up company formation

Enhancing Regional Partnerships

Collaborative R&D and Tech. Transfer with public sector partners Lionra partnership with BMW Institutes Teagasc and Marine Institute Georgia Tech Ireland

Increased interactions with UL Research collaborations in Biomedical Engineering

and Energy Increased collaboration in Technology Transfer

Enhanced industry partnerships Biomedical and ICT sectors Other sectors of regional strategic importance

Specific Targets to 2014

15 new Professorial appointments, and 30 new academic staff members with internationally recognised research programmes across thematic priority areas

Increase research funding to >€80 m and increase EU funding to 15% of total funding by 2014

Increase PhD student intake by 75% between 2009 and 2014

Increase peer-review journal publications, books and monographs by an average of 12% per annum

Increase citations by an average of 20% per annum, with individual targets being assigned to each School