2008 Press Releases
21.11.2008
University College Cork (UCC) will launch the UCC Research Highlights Lecture Series and Associated Exhibition on Monday next, November 24th 2008 at UCC. Mr Batt O’Keeffe TD, Minister for Education and Science will open the event at 12.15pm in the Aula Maxima, UCC.
The event celebrates ten years of the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI) investment in UCC. Launched in 1998 by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), PRTLI heralded a new era for research and innovation, and has fundamentally altered the research landscape in Ireland. The programme supports the development of world class research capacity across all disciplines including the humanities, social sciences, science and technology.
As well as showcasing the remarkable portfolio of research endeavour that has benefited from the initiative, the Exhibition and Lecture Series aim to convey to a wide audience the significance and impact of PRTLI investment in UCC, including its contribution to the development of the University, the region and the nation.
PRTLI funding in UCC has supported the development of world-class research centres including the Tyndall National Institute, a stand-alone organisation within UCC, the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC), whose research in the area of gastrointestinal disease has earned it an international reputation, and the Analytical and Biological Chemistry Research Facility (ABCRF) — all have made major contributions to UCC’s leadership in research in Ireland.
Other initiatives that have benefited from PRTLI investment are the Environmental Research Institute (ERI), which was established in 2000 to support and further expand environmental research and education, and the Institute for Social Science in the 21st Century (ISS21) that will build, sustain and enhance research on social, economic and cultural issues.
Professor Peter Kennedy, Vice-President for Research Policy and Support at UCC explained: “Ireland has benefited enormously from PRTLI investment in UCC over the last ten years. As well as enabling the development of world-class research capacity, PRTLI investment has also allowed UCC to leverage additional funding from numerous national and international sources. We celebrate today ten years of PRTLI investment, and its crucial contribution to the success, growth and development of the UCC research community.”
Photographed at the Aula Maxima today (November 24th 2008) were: Mr Batt O’Keeffe, Minister for Education & Science, Professor Paul Giller, Deputy President/Senior Vice President Academic; Professor Peter Kennedy, Vice-President for Research Policy and Support and Lord Mayor Cllr Brian Birmingham.
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