Ulster University is setting up a data analytics institute, creating of a new batch of research-level posts in the process.
A dozen new researchers are needed at Ulster University (UU) after the announcement of a £4m global data analytics research unit.
The cognitive analytics research lab will be headquartered at UU’s Magee campus, with offices at the Belfast campus.
Big investment
The 12 research posts will pay an average of £66,600 per year, over the course of the five-year project, complementing the £30m already invested into the university for this general area of science.
It will add to the 60 research staff already working on data analytics-related research, representing a diverse range of sectors, from personalised medicine to financial technology.
UU is also partnering with Catalyst Inc to engage with the wider community and create an entrepreneurial ecosystem, while Letterkenny Institute of Technology is supporting skills development and delivery of increased research capacity on a cross-border basis.
“The cognitive analytics research lab, conceived and built from the ground up through collaborative consultation with our industry and civic stakeholders across Northern Ireland, will consolidate the internationally renowned expertise already evident throughout the university,” said Prof Paddy Nixon, vice-chancellor of UU.
“Through the lab, we can ensure that we maximise our industry partnerships and academic collaborations to deliver even greater economic and societal impact with pioneering solutions.
“Importantly, one of our key priorities will be to ensure that the lab leverages the potential of open government data, enabling our research to inform public policy and transform the lives of our citizens.”
Irish prize
South of the border, news emerged last month that 100 high-value research jobs would be created as part of a €10m Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme under Horizon 2020.
These jobs will be in major companies, civil society organisations, public bodies and higher education institutions, and were put forward by a partnership between the Irish Universities Association and the Irish Research Council.
One of the successfully funded projects is Alcatel-Lucent, which will now be able to fund six research staff members to develop new automotive, aeronautics and energy-generation technologies.
Meanwhile, Carlow-based TE Laboratories will collaborate with Dublin City University on a project concerning contaminated land site remediation, and with Teagasc on a project about soil and groundwater contamination.
