Minister Lawless announces €5 million in funding to support and recognise exemplary performance by higher education institutions

Posted: 27 March, 2025

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless, T.D., has today announced the allocation of performance funding awards totalling €5 million to five higher education institutions. Each institution is being awarded €1 million in recognition of their exemplary and significant contributions to the delivery of national priorities.

Minister Lawless, commenting on today’s awards, stated: “This funding serves to highlight the significant accomplishments of the higher education and research system, as well as the considerable impact that these institutions have on communities throughout Ireland. By addressing crucial national challenges in the areas of bullying, gender inequality, socioeconomic disadvantage, and national skills shortages, they are collectively contributing to an Ireland that is fairer and more agile.”

The performance funding is awarded on the basis of an evaluation of 14 Impact Assessment Case Studies submitted by higher education institutions (HEIs) to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) in September 2024.

HEIs were invited to submit case studies describing exemplary initiatives that contributed towards the achievement of national strategic objectives aligned with the higher education System Performance Framework 2023–2028. The submissions were assessed by an independent, international panel of expert evaluators.

The awards are being made to Atlantic Technological University (ATU), Dublin City University (DCU), Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT), South East Technological University (SETU), and Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) in recognition of successful initiatives set out in Impact Assessment Case Studies.

Reflecting on the awards, Dr Alan Wall, CEO of the HEA, commented: “One of the key objectives of the case study process is to demonstrate the impact of the higher education and research system on society. I am delighted to see the depth and breadth of the impacts showcased in the successful initiatives awarded funding this year.

The range of partnerships forged by institutions demonstrates the responsiveness of higher education institutions to society’s needs, the environment, and the economy at local, national, and international levels. Impact assessment case studies capture how Institutions are driving innovation and informing learning and policymaking at a national level. Whether they are addressing educational disadvantage in local communities, gender inequality in computing, or digital safety, these initiatives illustrate the value of higher education and research to Irish society.”

Among the successful case studies is Atlantic Technological University’s partnership with the National Institute of Bioprocessing Research & Training (NIBRT), which addressed industry and skills needs in Ireland’s biopharmaceutical manufacturing sector.

Dublin City University established the globally recognised ABC (Anti-Bullying Centre), whose research contributed to national policy, while its government endorsed FUSE Anti-Bullying and Online Safety programme was rolled out across schools nationwide.

Dundalk Institute of Technology partnered with Louth Local Development (LLD) to develop Pathways and Headstart, community education programmes that provided supported access routes for communities that were traditionally some of the most underrepresented in higher education.

South East Technological University collaborated with the Defence Forces to develop bespoke education programmes, addressing skills gaps, supporting public service reform, and offering enlisted personnel the opportunity to participate in higher education that they otherwise would not have had.

Technological University Dublin’s CS_INC research group addressed challenges in formal computing education through a national outreach program across primary and secondary schools, with a particular focus on enhancing gender diversity.

Performance funding was first introduced under the 2018–2020 System Performance Framework to support and recognise positive performance in the higher education system. The funding can be used to expand and progress existing initiatives or put towards new initiatives that contribute towards national strategic objectives. Project plans and budgets are agreed with the HEA to support progress monitoring and evaluation of outcomes over the lifetime of funded projects.

The successful case studies are published here on the HEA’s website.

Table 1. Performance Funding Awards 2024

Notes to Editors

The System Performance Framework 2023–2028 sets out parameters under which designated institutions of higher education identify their contribution to the achievement of national strategy, as appropriate to their mission, scale, location, and strategic plan.

HEIs’ annual reporting requirements under the System Performance Framework 2023–2028 include the submission of an Impact Assessment Case Study (IACS). Impact Assessment Case Studies (IACS) are linked to a positive funding mechanism that supports and recognises excellent performance within the higher education and research system.

Performance funding was introduced in 2019 and since then more than €25 million in performance funding has been awarded to HEIs. Impacts and learnings from successful case studies are highlighted in ‘Institutional Stories of Impact’ on the HEA website.

Under the System Performance Framework 2023–2028, a revised IACS process continues to provide institutions with an opportunity to demonstrate their significant contributions towards the achievement of national strategy by describing the design, delivery, and outcomes of an exemplary initiative and providing an assessment of its impact.

The purpose of IACS is to:

• Demonstrate the impact of the higher education and research system on society, the environment, and the economy at local, national, and international levels.
• Showcase exemplary HEI initiatives that have contributed to the achievement of national strategy.
• Enhance dissemination of good practice and learning across the system.
• Gather evidence to inform public policymaking and to identify areas for potential further development and investment in the system.
• Inform the allocation of annual performance funding.

Queries can be directed to systemperformance@hea.ie.