ATU receives €8.5 million boost from €50 million Technological Sector Advancement Fund
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris T.D., announced a €50 million investment through the newly established Technological Sector Advancement Fund (TSAF).
Atlantic Technological University (ATU) receives a substantial allocation of €8.5 million from the TSAF. Dr Orla Flynn, President of ATU, welcomed the Minister’s announcement, “We are delighted to receive this significant investment which will enable us to further strengthen ATU’s impact on the region, as well as contribute to the wider higher education landscape.”
This fund marks a transition from the previous Technological Sector Transformation Fund, redirecting focus towards embedding the five Technological Universities (TUs) in the regions they serve.
Speaking today, Minister Harris said: “The Government has been to the fore in providing a range of funding supports – current and capital – to establish and develop our new technological universities and to support all institutions in the wider technological sector. I am delighted to announce further new funding today to ensure the TUs are embedded in their regions.
“We know the weight of expectation is on the shoulders of each TU to deliver for the areas and the people they serve. This funding will provide certainty between now and 2026 and will ensure we move from the establishment phase to a new era of delivery.”
The first-year disbursement will see funding of up to €30 million travelling to the institutions for projects commencing in January 2024.
The funding will contribute towards the costs of maintaining and mainstreaming existing activities, or initiating new activities that are an important next strategic step for institutions across a range of categories including:
- student support and success
- people and culture
- data and systems
- change management and integration
- engagement and system coherence
- reform and consolidation
The fund also makes provision for initiatives relating to further landscape reform and for eligible institutions to make combined applications in relation to synergistic sector-wide projects of universal benefit.
Minister Harris stated “Our higher education and research system is successful by virtue of its diversity, within and across regions. Each eligible institution is distinctive by nature of strategy, location, scale, mission and stage of development.
“This new funding stream will ensure that momentum in the technological sector agenda is maintained and marries with other structural supports that we have secured.”
The CEO of the Higher Education Authority, which manages the TSAF, Dr Alan Wall said, “This funding follows significant investment to build the sector under the TUTF and NRRP-funded NTUTORR project and is critical to enhancing the cohesion of institutions and for the next stage of strategic development.
“The allocations announced today will contribute to the implementation of institution’s new and emerging strategic plans as well as support capacity building in line with the Technological Universities Act 2018.
“The funding will also further institutions’ impact on their regions as well as in the wider higher education landscape”.
Aidan Haughey
ATU Communications Manager /
Bainisteoir Cumarsáide OTA
Ollscoil Teicneolaíochta an Atlantaigh (OTA), Éire
Atlantic Technological University (ATU), Ireland
Tel: +353 86 086 6913
www.atu.ie/communications