News

Applied Research Enhancement Programme (AREP)

DIT has become the first institution to receive the highest rating of ‘1’ under the Applied Research Enhancement Programme (AREP), which is funded by Enterprise Ireland. Awards under AREP are of the order of €1.25m and DIT received the award for establishing the Centre for Research into Engineering Surface Technology (CREST) as a ‘centre of excellence’.

Previously, the AREP funding was open only to the other Institutes of Technology and this has been the first time DIT was entitled to apply. While fourteen AREP awards have been made to date, so far none had achieved the highest possible rating. Congratulations to all who participated in the application, and particularly to Dr. Declan McCormack, Head of the School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and to Dr. John Colreavy, the former Director of CREST.

The Government recently announced a further €12.5m funding under the AREP scheme. Enterprise Ireland has stressed that applications should result from strategic decisions taken by the institution in consultation with EI, and there is a limit of three applications per institute. DIT has been invited to make two more applications under the scheme, in the disciplines of Aeronautical Research and Aircraft Services and Audio Research.