£2m extra for medical research equipment

The Government has approved an additional £2 million for the purchase of advanced medical research equipment under a programme administered by the Health Research Board. This brings to £2.7 million the amount to be spent for research equipment in 2000, a more than fivefold increase over 1999.

The extra funding was announced yesterday in the HRB's Dublin offices by the Minister for Health, Mr Martin. He was attending the launch of the board's research fellowships in nursing and midwifery. The Minister said the HRB had a key role in facilitating health researchers to undertake their role in biomedical research.

The HRB had expected to spend £700,000 this year on advanced research equipment, according to the board's chief executive officer, Dr Ruth Barrington. It invites research groups to submit proposals for the purchase of specialised equipment needed for research and the deadline for proposals had just passed, she said.

There were 63 applications requesting a total of £3.5 million, she said, and a greater proportion of these could now be met due to the additional funding.

The most expensive single piece of equipment requested was worth £122,000, but requests typically fell in the £20,000 to £50,000 range, she said. The new funding had come via the National Development Plan.

The board also provides funding for academics and students involved in advanced biomedical research. Last year it disbursed research funding worth £4 million but the figure has risen to £6 million for this year.

Mr Martin presented research fellowships to Ms Sile Creedon, of Co Cork, Ms Ellen Savage, of Cork, Mr Kevin Connaire, of Dublin, Ms Laura Frost, of Cork and Ms Mary Smith, of Dublin.