Dundalk IT awarded €1M in performance funding

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless, T.D., has today announced the allocation of performance funding awards totalling €1 million to Dundalk Institute of Technology. 

The money is part of  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.”

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.

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.

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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.”