The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland is developing a new focus for its research. It is building a £10 million research centre on the Beaumont Hospital campus and has appointed a director to oversee research and technology transfer.
"It is like being a coach and a facilitator for research staff in the college," said Dr Vivian O'Gorman, the RCSI's director of the office for research and technology transfer.
His role is not to decide what the research staff should do. Rather, he is a motivator, "directing them towards revenue sources, helping with applications and linking with organisations" on their behalf, explained Dr O'Gorman.
"It is bottom up. They come up with the ideas and I help them fund and support the ideas."
There will be no shortage of demand for his services. The college has more than 100 postgraduate research students working towards MDs or PhDs. There are also post-doctoral students and the staff academics who oversee students also pursue research.
Dr O'Gorman has plenty of experience to bring with him. He was previously chief executive of the Health Research Board (HRB) and has held positions in EOLAS, the former science and technology agency. The college knew that he was departing the HRB and approached him to take up the new position.
Appointed in November 1998, Dr O'Gorman helped the college prepare a submission for funding under the Government's third-level research funding programme, co-ordinated by the Higher Education Authority. He is also targeting opportunities coming from biomedical and health research under the EU's Fifth Framework Programme.
An important part of his work will be facilitating the creation of campus companies. College research facilitated the establishment in January 1998 of Biosys Clinical Ltd, a campus company doing clinical testing services. He will be trying to encourage other researchers to make this commercial jump.
The next big step is the clinical research centre at Beaumont, a £10 million project which should be ready to open by March 2000. It will run clinical trials and provide a valuable link between emerging research findings and clinical practice.