Programme of Strategic Cooperation between Irish Aid and Higher Education and Research Institutes 2007-2011

The programme, launched in late 2006, aims to contribute to Irish Aid’s mission in reducing poverty.  It will promote linkages and increased cooperation between Irish higher education and research institutions and those in countries supported by Irish Aid with the objectives of institutional collaboration for knowledge generation, knowledge exchange and mutual learning.  While the overall aim of the programme is to increase the capacity of southern institutions to make an effective contribution to poverty reduction, in its initial phase there will be a strong focus on capacity building of the higher education and research sector in Ireland.  The programme is aligned closely with the thematic priorities of the Irish Aid programme as outlined in the White Paper. The Programme strategy document is also attached below.

Irish Aid has allocated over €12 million to the programme between 2007-2013.

Under two funding rounds, eight projects have received full grants and seven received smaller networking grants (see details below). A mid-term review of the Programme will take place in 2010. It is hoped that the findings of the review will assess progress towards the programme objectives and draw on lessons learned in order to make recommendations which will assist in decision making towards a potential future funding phase.

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) manages and administers the Programme on Irish Aid’s behalf. Further information on the Programme, including the projects, is available on the HEA website or by request to irishaid@hea.ie.

Full Grants

• Irish–African Partnership for Research Capacity Building (Centre for Cross-Border Studies) http://irishafricanpartnership.ie/
• Global Development through Education: Enhancing Teacher Education and Educational Research through International Co-operation (Mary Immaculate College) www.cgde.ie
• The Combat Diseases of Poverty (CDP) Consortium: Building Education and Research Capacity to Address Infectious Diseases in East Africa (NUIM) www.cdpc.ie
• Connecting health Research in Africa and Ireland Consortium ‘ChRAIC’ (RCSI) (www.chraic.org)  
• UCD’s International Development Studies Initiative: Consolidating and Expanding Capacity with Strategic Partnerships (UCD)
• Mozambique Cooperative Optometric Training Scheme: Sustainable Solutions to Community Health and Poverty Using Existing Irish Expertise in Optometry Programme Delivery (DIT) www.dit.ie/mozambique-eyecare
• Water is Life: Amazzi Bulamu (DkIT) www.dkit.ie/waterislife
• Doctoral Training for Development in Africa (TCD) http://www.tcd.ie/tidi

Network Grants

• Building Inclusive Governance Systems for Poverty Reduction (DCU)
• Sustaining Elements at Local Level for Poverty Reduction (DkIT)
• Building Capacity for Collaboration(GMIT)
• Strategic training and research initiatives on good governance and development in fragile states in Africa (Kimmage Development Studies Centre)
• Networked-Informality (NCAD)
• Transformative  Education to Address Hunger, HIV/AIDS and Climate Change in Africa (NUIM)
• Social Partnerships in Sustainable Development (UL)