Research & Innovation

Our Vision for Research & Innovation

To produce research that is recognised as being excellent, transformative, and relevant to societal and economic needs, while we train the next generation of researchers

We Will

Research and Innovation Impact

• Increase the quality, impact and international awareness of our research outputs
• Increase the number of Galway researchers publishing in high-impact journals that will enhance our reputation, as measured by national and European funding agencies and university ranking organisation
• Maximise the involvement of all academic staff in research, in particular in activities that generate funding, have societal impact and/or enhance our reputation
• Focus on recruiting, retaining and rewarding excellent academic staff who have a proven track record in delivering measurable research outputs
• Use our research to contribute to national competitiveness and to boost employment through the creation of spin-out companies, while also supporting existing and emerging businesses in our region
• Further develop our partnerships with external organisations and universities in order to enhance the quality, global impact and relevance of our research
• Develop new strategies and structures – involving liaison with industry, technology transfer, and research partnerships – that will generate new networks of entrepreneurs and innovators
• Develop clear metrics and performance expectations for Schools, Colleges and Research Institutes and their academic staff

Research and Innovation Environment

• Empower academic leaders to implement a research career strategy for staff, in order to foster excellence, innovation and entrepreneurship
• Continue to refine and consolidate our academic structures, including our Research Institutes and Centres, to ensure they are flexible and responsive to new opportunities, and facilitate the achievement of our ambitions for research
• Improve administrative supports and policies for our research community to help maximise their efforts in securing research funding and performing quality research
• Sustain the currently high level of doctoral graduates, increase numbers of academic staff involved in research student supervision, and double the percentage of students completing PhDs on time
• Ensure that all our PhD students enjoy a high quality research experience and have opportunities to develop skills to build successful careers in a range of sectors

Measures of Success

• €60M total direct research funding annually, increased from €52M
• €100M of direct research funding secured from the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme
• Institution-wide peer review of our research performance completed in all Schools
• 30spin-outs, 75 licenses, 40 patents by 2020
• Citation impact score of 8, up from 6.2
• Citation count per academic FTE of 35, increased from 26
• Integrated back-office supports for our research community
• European Commission Human Resources Excellence in Research Award retained
• In excess of 200 doctoral graduates per year
• 80% of PhD students participating in structured PhD programmes, up from 40%
• 10% increase in the number of academic staff involved in research student supervision
• Double the percentage of students completing PhDs within a four-year period