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UCC Awarded €14.4m project funding under the Human Capital Initiative
UCC has been awarded €14.4 million under Pillar 3 of the Human Capital Initiative Programme for new projects on innovation and agility in Higher Education to meet priority skills needs across Ireland’s economy.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD has today announced details of 22 projects to be funded under the latest round of the Human Capital Initiative (HCI) programme.
University College Cork was awarded funding for two collaborative projects which it leads and a further three as a collaborative partner.
€8.7 million of funding has been awarded to University College Cork (UCC), CIT and nine industry partners to develop the next generation of graduates for the Health & Life Sciences industry sector. The new ‘iEd Hub’ which will produce a new generation of graduates, in line with the European Commission’s Skills for Industry Strategy 2030.
“This is a clear example of two educational partners in Cork working together with industry to secure our future” commented Professor John O’Halloran, Interim President, UCC. “Our economy faces significant challenges but at UCC we are working to ensure it is supported across all sectors.”
In total UCC was awarded €14.4 million in HCI 3 funding, which is funding that is designed to meet priority skills needs across Ireland’s economy.
€3.9 million funding was also awarded for the Sustainable Futures project, with Maynooth University and IT Sligo, which will provide students with the skills needed to deliver a low carbon future. The transition towards sustainable and net-zero carbon enterprises is one of the biggest opportunities for companies in the coming years and this new project will build on UCC’s recognised strength in this area.
As the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates the online learning experience, funding was also awarded to UCC to develop a Virtual Laboratories project where courses will be developed in in which a virtual laboratory experience is complemented with a real laboratory experience.
“UCC is Ireland’s leading university for industry engagement and our success in this funding is recognition of our knowledge of the type of graduate and skills that are required across industry sectors” commented Professor O’Halloran.
For more on this story contact:
Dr. Sandra Irwin, Deputy President & Registrar's Office, 021 4904874 or s.irwin@ucc.ie