Evidence Base for the Tertiary Sector: Call for Evidence

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) published its Statement of Research Priorities for 2023 - 2024 in July 2023.  This statement highlighted the research intent and priorities of the Department as they relate to evidence for tertiary sector policy and operations.

The Department is now seeking to identify key research activity and expertise which may be relevant to policy development and decision making in the published areas of activity.  Policy development can take place along different timelines and information is required at different times and at different levels. It is intended to utilise submitted evidence to support relationship building with active researchers and potential knowledge brokerage activity. The timing and extent of this activity is necessarily on an as-needed basis linked to progress on policy priorities and activity and the Department is unable to commit to a defined work programme or timeline at this point.

The Evidence for Policy Unit within DFHERIS remains open for submissions on an ongoing basis, however this initial call for evidence will inform the development of a repository of evidence and expertise as a foundation for ongoing interaction with the research sector into the future.   The Department will hold the information submitted, including the relevant contact details of individuals, for potential future contact and follow-up subject to the relevant permissions.

The areas of interest set out in the July 2023 paper have been supplemented by two additional areas (i) the contribution of the research and innovation sector to the State (ii) opportunity for researchers to provide learnings from outside the key areas through which unique policy perspectives may be drawn.

Areas of interest:

• Bringing the tertiary sector towards carbon neutrality
• Understanding the contribution of the tertiary system to individuals and society
• Further developing the strategy for tertiary education
• Enhancing inclusion within the tertiary sector
• Informing skills policy to address labour market needs
• The impact of the research and innovation system on economic, societal and sustainability goals
• Other relevant research – ‘Blue Skies Thinking’

Submissions are invited from both early career and experienced researchers, both on work underway and on relevant published literature. In order to be included in the Department’s evidence base, researchers must be linked to a public or private research performing organisation.

The Department recognises also that the scope of this call for evidence is wide and that submissions on areas of interest may arise from broad research specialisms.

Further details on the call are set out in the document.

Responses will be collected using survey software. To make a submission, please provide your response here.

If you would like to make a video/audio submission please contact evidenceforpolicy@dfheris.gov.ie.

Printable version of the survey

The closing date for submissions to this call for evidence is October 21st, 2024.

Queries can be directed to evidenceforpolicy@dfheris.gov.ie

Any personal information submitted to the Department will be treated strictly in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Please note that information submitted can be sought under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 and may be released in response to an FOI request. Any personal information included in this survey will be redacted prior to release. If you have any queries in relation to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Disclosure policy, please email foi@dfheris.gov.ie.

Use of information provided

The information collected through the Department’s ‘Call for Evidence’ survey will be used to identify key research activity and expertise which may be relevant to policy development and decision making in the published areas of activity outlined in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science’s Research Priorities 2023 – 2024 document. Information collected will also be utilised for the purposes of developing a repository of evidence and expertise by collating participants details, including name, email and research, to potentially contact the participants in future.

Privacy

Any personal information submitted to the Department will be treated strictly in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 and the Data Protection Act 2018. Please note that information submitted can be sought under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 and may be released in response to an FOI request. Any personal information included in this survey will be redacted prior to release. If you have any queries in relation to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Disclosure policy, please email foi@dfheris.gov.ie.

The full Privacy Notice can be assessed and is available in the attached document.

The Department's Data Protection Policy is available to read here.