Address by Minister Noel Treacy at the Reception to Launch The Ireland France Research Visits Scheme "Ulysses", at the Royal Irish Academy on Wednesday 3 October 2001 at 7pm

I am delighted to be here this evening for the launch of the "Ulysses" scheme to fund Research visits to France. The title "Ulysses" is indeed a very appropriate one given the nature of the scheme. I am very pleased to see so many distinguished representatives from both Ireland and abroad gathered here for this event.

Despite the recent very significant advances in funding for research in Ireland, including Science Foundation Ireland, the Higher Education Authority's, Programme for Research in Third Level Institutes (PRTLI), and the Enterprise Ireland Schemes Ireland, as a small nation still has only a relatively limited presence in international research endeavour. This was even more so in the past and was the factor which encouraged those enlightened people, who back in the 1980's saw the merit of encouraging and facilitating Irish researchers to collaborate with their counterparts in the much larger research environment which existed in France.

It was fortunate too that the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) shared an interest in international research collaboration and a network of support between Ireland and France was developed. This network involved Enterprise Ireland, the Royal Irish Academy, the French Embassy and the French state research agency, CNRS. The partnership has been a long and fruitful one and can serve as a model of co-operation and high- level academic achievement at home and abroad.

I understand that the most recent agreement between the parties dates from 1997, when it was agreed that £20,000 per year would be made available from Enterprise Ireland and 160,000FF from the CNRS to facilitate research visits between Ireland and France. The research visits can cover a wide range of research endeavour including the sciences, engineering and the humanities. On the Irish side these visits are funded under the Operational Programme for the Productive Sector which forms part of the National Development Plan.

The research visits serve as a relatively inexpensive means of stimulating international collaboration between Irish researchers and their French counterparts. They also provide access for researchers from both countries to data and sources, which would not be available to them at home. I understand that the Royal Irish Academy is particularly pleased that they are able to support the humanities and social sciences through this programme, which is seen as an important element of the Academy's international role.

Apart from the immediate collaborative research undertaken, other important outcomes from the research visits include, - the establishment of joint research projects which are funded under EU programmes, shared access to valuable research techniques, researcher training and the supply of complementary skills to address problems for which neither party individually has all of the necessary background and expertise.

I understand that the scheme has supported one hundred projects over the years since 1997 (and of course, many more than that in the period since the 1980s when it commenced originally). The vast majority of projects have involved both Irish researchers visiting France and French researchers visiting Ireland.

One interesting aspect of the range of projects supported is the relatively high proportion of engineering departments involved. This is not surprising, however, given the very strong reputation of France in the field of engineering. The rapid development of the Irish economy over recent years, clearly provided an ideal setting for the development of links with engineers in France, where there has been a long-standing commitment to innovative and high quality engineering. This link is clearly appreciated beyond the research dimension, with the purchase of Citadis trams, manufactured by Alstom, for the LUAS project.

This reception, hosted by the Royal Irish Academy, celebrates the collaboration already undertaken with the support of the existing programme and draws attention to some of the fruits of this collaboration.

One of the participants in the scheme who will present a report on his involvement is Professor Peter Hogan of the Mathematical Physics Department at University College Dublin. Through his collaboration with Professor Claude Barrabes of the CNRS group in the University of Tours over the past 7 years, he was given the opportunity to host the Journées Relativiste in Dublin this year. This prestigious conference on the application of relativity to astrophysics was originally always held in France, but, as has been the case with the Tour de France, has become geographically broader. It was a considerable coup for UCD to host the conference which took place early in September and was deemed by all involved to be a great success.

All programmes and schemes need to be regularly reviewed and evaluated to ensure their continued relevance and interest. Having reviewed the operation of the exchange scheme in the period since 1997, the parties considered that it should be re-launched this year with an enhanced grant level and under the title, suggested by the CNRS, of "Ulysses".

In re-launching the scheme we look forward to many more years of successful Irish and French research endeavour, providing assistance to researchers in making the most of the knowledge, enthusiasm and resources available in each other's research environments.

While the system can provide a supportive environment for research, ultimately it is the researchers themselves who make it happen. We are grateful to all of those who have participated in this scheme in the interests of advancing the sciences, the humanities and collaboration with our friend and European neighbour, France.

In conclusion I would like to congratulate the French Embassy, the French state research agency CNRS, Enterprise Ireland and the Royal Irish Academy on their initiative in re-launching this scheme. I wish all involved with the "Ulysses" scheme every success in their efforts to promote increased collaboration between Irish and French researchers.