19th June 2000

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Vice Chancellor Professor Gerry McKenna has welcomed a massive £40 million investment in the Province's research infrastructure.

The £40m announcement was made by the Minister of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment, Dr Sean Farren.

Speaking during a Ministerial Statement to the Assembly, Dr Farren announced details of the Support Programme for University Research (SPUR).

He said: "SPUR is a public-private partnership programme, which will invest up to £40m in the research infrastructure at Queen's University and the University of Ulster over the next four years.

"The funding will be provided on a matching £ for £ basis with the Government providing up to £20m and the universities raising the rest from private sources.

"The aims of SPUR are to: enhance the strategic approach of the universities to the development of their research capacity; and strengthen their research base and, in particular, to increase the amount of research of the highest international quality."

Dr Farren explained that the investment will be made on a competitive basis under the auspices of the Northern Ireland Higher Education Council (NIHEC) assisted by an international panel of experts, which is currently being drawn together and which will be chaired, in a non-voting capacity, by Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, Chairman of NIHEC.

He continued: "The universities will be asked to submit their institutional strategic plans for research and their proposals by the autumn of this year and decisions will be made on funding by November. The Vice-Chancellors will be asked to confirm that they have raised the private matched funding for their successful proposals before public money is released.

"The intention is that the additional investment will enable the universities to fund the highest priorities within their strategic plans, which are judged by the Panel to be of, or to be capable of, attaining an international level of quality.

"This may include expenditure on appropriate buildings and equipment or on research teams or other facilities. In addition, I believe that this investment will contribute significantly to research of a social and cultural nature.

"Our research base is vital to our economic prospects and today's announcement is a real step forward towards a better future for everyone in Northern Ireland. It will help our universities, which are already renowned for the quality of their research, develop even further and turn economic potential into reality," added the Minister.

Professor Gerry McKenna, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ulster, also warmly welcomed the news.

He said: "The University of Ulster will be investing its share of the funding in areas of strategic research of crucial importance to wealth creation, increased economic competitiveness and social inclusion in
Northern Ireland. The funding acknowledges the Minister's gratifying acceptance of the urgency of the situation.

"I am fully confident that, on the basis of our track record, we will be able to attract private funding on a pound for pound basis to match government's faith in the quality of our work. Under-investment in University research and a public sector dependency culture have undermined the Northern Ireland economy's ability to sustain development at the rate of our competitors.

"The University of Ulster already has some world-class research in progress, a classification awarded to us by independent assessment. Our aim now is to raise other areas of our work to international levels of
excellence. That is the only way for Northern Ireland to be viable in the competitive post-industrial knowledge economy."

Professor George Bain, Vice-Chancellor of Queen's, also welcomed the funding boost while, Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, Chairman of NIHEC, described the announcement by the Minister as "hugely significant and heartening". He expressed confidence that the proposals submitted for assessment would "bring out the best in the two universities" and added "for our brighter future, nothing but the best will do."

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk