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Praise for Irish 'professionalising' postgraduate research education A new international report has commended Irish higher education institutions for ensuring both the standard of awards, and the quality of student experience, by ‘professionalising’ the delivery of postgraduate research education and training in Ireland. The report was published by an international expert team within the European University Association. The expert team investigated the level of implementation of the National Framework for Doctoral Education (NFDE), identified examples of good practice within the Irish higher education sector and provided recommendations on further implementation and deepening the practice of provision. The report recognised that Irish higher education institutions have reformed their doctoral education in line with
developments in continental Europe through broad consultation, and the provision of a coherent set of guidance documents through the NFDE. The report makes a number of recommendations regarding the future course of doctoral education: • Enhance collaboration between institutions in doctoral training; • Improve the student representation in governance; • Improve career development supports offered; • Work with alumni and employers to develop 'soft skills' training; • System to track the careers of research graduates; • Revamp the current NFDE Advisory Forum to build a community of practice; • Improve the promotion of the 'Irish doctorate' abroad.
Tim Conlon, HEA, Micheál Martin and Simon Harris announcing the €40m Shared Island Funds for research
€40 million for North-South new research programme THE Government has recently announced €40 million in funding for a new North-South Research programme. The investment will be provided through the Shared Island Fund and will support the deepening of links between higher education institutions, researchers and research communities on the island of Ireland. The funding will support individual researchers based in an southern higher education
institution (HEI) to collaborate with a researcher in a northern HEI on a research project, or research teams to collaborate on an agreed work programme. In the Year 1 call, Strand I projects may receive a maximum of €100,000 per annum for up to two years, while Strands II and III projects may receive up to €1 million per annum for up to four years. A maximum of 50% of any award may be allocated to NI partners.
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