Noel Dempsey T.D., the Minister for Communications, Marine & Natural Resources at a ceremony in Dublin today awarded Charles Parsons Energy Research Awards to seven research groups from Irish Universities.
The Charles Parsons Awards were created in September of this year to stimulate and develop Irish energy research by offering attractive packages to researchers and to provide them with the necessary funding to allow them to achieve significant results.
“These Awards will significantly increase Irish energy research capacity by providing funding to third level institutions to allow them to build sustainable research teams comprising senior researchers, PhD studentships and undergraduate summer placements,” commented Minister Dempsey at the awards ceremony.
There are a number of novel features in the scheme, including provision of 7 year funding for research positions. This is an important advance in increasing the attractiveness and recognition of research career positions. It is the first time that such extended early stage researcher funding has been provided in Ireland.
“A particular aim of the Awards is to attract a greater number of engineering students into research careers. This is relevant as engineering is a very appropriate background for many priority energy areas. We currently have a critical shortage of appropriately skilled people to meet our energy research needs,” continued the Minister.
A total of 208 researchers and students will be supported over the 7 year period of the Awards, which have a total value of over €20 million over this period. In all 22 proposals were received from 11 third level institutions. The applications were evaluated with the assistance of an international peer review panel.
The Awards are being made to:
- National University of Ireland Galway, Microbial Bioenergy Group
- Queen’s University Belfast, Electrical Power and Energy System Research Cluster
- University College Cork, Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre
- University College Dublin , Bioresources Research Centre
- University College Dublin , Electricity Research Centre
- University of Limerick, Charles Parson Research Institute & Graduate School
- University of Ulster, Centre for Sustainable Technologies.
“The North-South aspect of the Charles Parsons Energy Research Awards is very important and will, I believe, result in enhanced research collaboration on this island. I am pleased to note that Northern Ireland institutions are represented among the recipients of today’s Awards,” said Minister Dempsey.
“These Awards provide an important support to the priority research areas indicated in the recently published Energy Green Paper. The expansion of Irish energy research will provide both knowledge and skilled individuals, which are critical for the development of the Irish energy related industry. This will be vital as we seek to put in place a sustainable energy future for Ireland,” he concluded.
ENDS
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