Science Foundation Ireland, the State agency which controls a £500 million (€635 million) science budget, has appointed one of two directors to oversee spending on research.
The foundation's new director for information and communications technologies is Dr Alastair Glass.
His position takes effect immediately and he moves to Dublin to take up his new post in early January.
The foundation was announced by the Tβnaiste, Ms Harney, in March 2000.
Its role is to direct and fund world-class research in two areas, biotechnology and information and communications technology (ICT). It has £500 million in State funding available to support this work under provisions in the National Development Plan. Dr Glass takes one of the two key research director appointments, overseeing research activity in ICT. The second director post, covering research activity in biotechnology, will be announced before Christmas, according to sources.
Dr Glass will also promote Ireland abroad as a world centre for research, according to the foundation's director general, Dr William Harris.
He will also help provide direction for research funded by the foundation. The foundation will also soon announce its board, with its membership and chair to be identified early next year and a first meeting scheduled for late January. Membership is understood to include key figures in the Republic's research policy area, including Dr Don Thornhill, chairman of the Higher Education Authority, Dr Edward Walsh, who heads the Irish Council for Science, Technology and Innovation and Mr John Travers, chief executive officer of Forfβs.
Academic researchers are thought to include Prof Tom Cotter of UCC and Prof Paddy Johnston of Queen's University Belfast. Industrial representation includes Dr Ena Prosser of Elan Pharmaceutical Technologies.
Dr Glass was vice-president and chief technical officer in optical networking at Lucent Technologies, a US-based telecommunications company.
He is a graduate of the University of London and the University of British Columbia.
