Posted: 17 July 2007
UCD awarded €1.5m to help reduce poverty in developing nations
UCD has received €1.5m funding in the first round of Irish Aid’s Programme of Strategic Cooperation with Higher Education and Research Institutes 2007-2011. Launched by the Minister for Overseas Development, Mr Michael Kitt TD, last year, the programme encourages partnerships between Irish third-level institutions and their counterparts in developing countries.
“Together, they (universities and colleges) will work to develop innovative ways to tackle global poverty and underdevelopment,” said Minister Kitt. “I welcome the great interest they have shown in the field of development cooperation. Our work in Irish Aid will be enriched by the research carried out under this Programme.”
“With the funding received from Irish Aid, UCD will establish a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from across the UCD Conway Institute, the UCD Geary Institute and the Urban Institute Ireland at UCD to investigate poverty reduction in developing countries,” said Professor Walsh who is spearheading the UCD International Development Studies Initiative.
The areas of research include: Health and HIV Aids; Poverty and Disadvantage; Good Governance; Pro-Poor Growth; Education; Gender Equality; Food and Livelihood Security; and Environment.
“The results of the research will be disseminated across partner universities, governments, international organisations and the wider development community, to help reduce poverty in developing nations,” continued Professor Walsh, Chair of International Development Studies at the UCD School of Politics and International Relations.
“Through the initiative, UCD will expand its academic modules in development studies, and make these modules more accessible to undergraduate and postgraduate students studying at UCD and in its partner Universities Dar es Salaam and Trinity College Dublin.”
Two way flows of staff and student exchanges between UCD and the University Dar es Salaam in Tanzania will also be funded through the International Development Studies Initiative. As will further enhancement of the Development Studies Library which was established at UCD by the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1987.
Successful proposals were selected by an international appraisal panel of experts in the field of development research. The funding will be administered by the Higher Education Authority on behalf of Irish Aid.
Funding in this round was also awarded to NUI Maynooth, Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland and the Centre for Cross Border Studies. Networking grants were awarded to Dublin City University and Dundalk Institute of Technology.
The UCD research projects include:
Health and HIV Aids
UCD Conway Institute, Principal Investigator: Professor William Powderly MD, Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics, Head of the UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science
Poverty and Disadvantage; Good Governance; Pro-Poor Growth; Education; and Gender Equality
UCD Geary Institute, Principal Investigator: Professor Colm Harmon, Director, UCD Geary Institute
Food and Livelihood Security; and Environment
Urban Institute, Principal Investigator: Professor Eugene O’Brien, Director, Urban Institute Ireland
