The Importance of Honesty

Today Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) launched its strategy for 2009-2013. Entitled ‘Powering the Smart Economy’, the strategy seeks to build on the momentum and substantial progress of the past five years, in establishing Ireland as a location for internationally-recognised research and innovation.

Director-General of Science Foundation Ireland, Prof. Frank Gannon, said: “SFI has more than delivered on the goals set out in the previous strategy (2003-2008). The new strategy is even more demanding and includes a number of practical and important metrics. While most of the focus in economic commentaries of late has, understandably, been on the short-term, it is essential that we prepare for the new global environment that will exist after this recession. We need to look closely and critically at how Ireland will then be positioned after the recovery. Ireland will have to be able to win exports by being the location from where new, essential and complex products originate. This can only happen if we give the necessary support, even in these difficult times to our high quality research and development. The realisation of the interdependent objectives set out in the strategy will deliver the basis for a prosperous and sustainable smart economy.”

Within a professional glossy presentation the contents propose a strategy for the next five years centered on four objectives; Human Capital, Quality Output, Global Reputation and Knowledge Transfer. hopes to increase the emphasis on linkages between scientific excellence and economic impact. The plethora of SFI programmes will be focused more directly on developing and sustaining and underpinning components of the Smart Economy in the areas of greatest strategic value to Ireland’s long-term competitiveness and development.

Science Foundation Ireland’s (SFI) key strategic goal is to make sure that certain key elements of the Government’s plans are fully realised. SFI claim that they have repositioned Ireland in the world of scientific research, from a relatively poor under-performer to a ’significant force’ in the strategically important areas of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Biotechnology (BIO). The recent addition of Sustainable Energy & Energy Efficient Technologies (hereafter referred to as ENERGY) to SFI’s remit presents the organisation with the opportunity to make a contribution to two of the most urgent issues facing the country: energy security and climate change.

The dramatic increase in investment in research and R&D in Ireland through SFI has been most welcome and will no doubt build on the HEA investment in infrastructure of the last 10 years. However, caution is required so as not to overplay the expectations from such a limited investment when compared to the investment in research of our international competitors. We must not delude ourselves about our’ world class’ status across all chosen sectors. Several reputable Universities alone in the US would have budgets in excess of the SFI budget over a similar time period.

It is true that certain human capital investment and research programmes funded by SFI are performing on the international stage, even some with flying colors. However large investment has also been made in human capital and research programmes that are far from internationally competitive. Despite a robust international peer review system, the Foundation must ensure that awards in some sectors are not directed by what the OECD called cronyism, political patronage and special favours and other contacts that influence funding decisions and behaviour that continue to plague Irish society. There is certainly strong evidence of this practice in the past.

When the explicit goal is to make sure that certain key elements of the Government’s plans are fully realised, care must be taken to ensure that this directive is not at the cost of quality high impact basic research, otherwise we will continue to delude ourselves of our true value internationally.

In times of economic downturn we must be more rigorous in our appraisal of our strengths and guarantee that we are honest with ourselves. The currency of excellence in research is universal and cannot be diluted for political expediency or strategic governmental imperatives. The innovation and commercialization will follow in time once we are honest and patient.