In 1997 concerns were growing about deficits in the biomedical research infrastructure and the lack of research careers in the university sector in the Republic of Ireland. The concerns were reflected in a three-year funding partnership – the Matching Funding Agreement – in which the Wellcome Trust agreed to make £3 million available, to 'pump prime' biomedical and health-related research, provided the Irish Government matched the contribution. A partnership was established between the Wellcome Trust and the Health Research Board, and between 1997 and 2000 the two organizations contributed £6 million of new money to Irish research.

The Wellcome Trust concentrated on supporting junior researchers, including Start-up Grants for New Lecturers (project grants for junior researchers) and 'New Blood' Fellowships – five-year awards leading to new permanent positions in the Irish academic system. The fellowships were designed to attract high-flying researchers to the Republic and to provide an attractive career option for talented Irish researchers considering leaving. In all, eight new permanent posts have been created through the Matching Funding Agreement.

In parallel, the Health Research Board ran six funding schemes, including new start-up grants, interdisciplinary project grants, equipment grants and North–South Cooperation Project Grants. Reflecting the Republic of Ireland’s long tradition in medical training and clinical research, two new fellowship schemes were instigated in this area.

A review of the Matching Funding Agreement (MFA) has recently been carried out, including some bibliometric analysis, group discussions and interviews with key stakeholders in the Republic. While it is a little early to measure tangible research and career outcomes, some interesting points emerged.

The review found universal acknowledgement that the partnership had been an important catalyst to the substantial growth in the Irish research environment in the late 1990s. As one interviewee put it:

"In terms of getting us up off the floor the MFA had value much greater than the financial value of the scheme."

Although the total funding committed through the Matching Funding Agreement looks small compared with what came later, the research community described it as a major force in effecting change in Ireland.

"It was a practical and highly symbolic event. It was an incredible morale boost and there was a feeling that something was changing."

Not surprisingly, those supported through the initiative held positive views, and identified a number of benefits:

"The Wellcome Trust grant was the trigger for further funding. Now I have funding from the HRB and a European grant."

"The Programme was very innovative and definitely encouraged me to make the jump back. I had been in the States for ten years and it was a major factor in getting me back."

Moving forward

The Wellcome Trust is committed to working with organisations, where concerted efforts can maximise benefits – indeed, 'Partnerships' is one of the 11 Values underpinning its work. The funding partnership with the Health Research Board worked well, and much has been learned from the experience that will guide further collaborative work.

Historically, applications to the Trust from the Republic of Ireland have been relatively small in number, even though Irish researchers are eligible to apply to most Wellcome Trust schemes. The Matching Funding Agreement provided an additional funding stream and should have raised the profile of the Trust – encouraging more researchers to apply in future.

Indeed, bibliometric analysis, using the Research Outputs Database, provided evidence of a thriving research base in the Republic. Between 1990 and 1998, the number of Irish biomedical research papers published rose by 64 per cent, compared with 28 per cent in the UK. In addition, much greater international collaboration was evident. Fully one-third of papers were classified as clinical, further evidence of the country’s strength in this area.

This growth has mirrored the upturn in the Irish economy, which coupled with greater political stability has served to increase the profile of Ireland as a place for investment. The Irish Government is continuing to consolidate this investment and in 1999 unveiled its 'National Development Plan 2000–2006'. By retaining a presence and visibility in the Republic of Ireland and building on the achievements of the Matching Funding Agreement, the Wellcome Trust can to make its contribution to the growth of Irish biomedical research.

External links

• City University London: Research Outputs Database
• National Development Plan 2000-2006 of the Irish Government