An Coiste Feabhais Acadúil
The Committee on Academic Quality Improvement
The Academic Quality Assurance Programme 2008-2009
Report to Údarás na hOllscoile
Review of
Irish Centre for Social Gerontology
Self-Assessment
Review Group Visit
Follow Up Meeting
December 2008
30th January 2009
23rd June 2009
This Report was compiled for members of Údarás na hOllscoile, NUI Galway and its
committees as a readily accessible but comprehensive source of information on the
above review, its context and its outcomes.
Quality Office, August 2009
Report to Údaras – Review of Irish Centre for Social Gerontology – 2008-09
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1. Overview of the Centre
1.1 Aims and Objectives
The mission statement of ICSG is to ‘develop and promote the social and economic
aspects of ageing in Ireland for the purpose of supporting a holistic and positive view
of ageing; and to act as a resource for all involved in ageing in Ireland’.
In order to deliver on its mission, ICSG had identified four strategic objectives, which
it aims to achieve in the five years between the start of 2006 and the end of 2010.
These are:
1. Research and Evaluation
Broaden the scope and depth of social gerontological research in Ireland and become
an internationally recognised centre of excellence in the field of ageing
2. Academic
Develop social gerontology research and policy as an academic field
3. Skill Development and Information Support
Enhance the capabilities and knowledge base of people working in the ageing sector
through training in research and policy analysis and the timely dissemination of
relevant information.
4. Policy Analysis
Become an internationally recognised authority on ageing in Ireland; raising
awareness of older person’s issues and influencing and implementation of public
policies of older people in Ireland and in the wider European Union.
These objectives are taken from the initial business plan of ICSG, produced for AP by
Prof. Eamon O’Shea in conjunction with Prospectus Strategy Consultants in 2006.
The goal was to revise this plan annually and update where necessary. To date, the
plan has not yet been revised but ICSG intend to revise this as part of the current
review process and consider it an highly important strategy to revise the plans in light
of new research opportunities (lifecycle research), new networks on ageing (Ageing
well network) and enhanced research capabilities in associated departments (health
economics). An annual progress plan is submitted to AP, and has been completed for
2007 and 2008.
1.2 Background
In 2005, Atlantic Philanthrophies (AP) approved an award of a €1,500,000 grant to
Galway University Foundation to assist in the development of Ireland’s first Centre
for Social Gerontology within the University. The core employees were in place by
May 2006 and the funding runs until December 2010. A business plan was developed
by the Director through engagement with Prospectus Strategy Consultants and
submitted to AP for approval. An essential requirement was to conduct a mid-term
evaluation of progress within ICSG.
Consistent with university strategic planning, an Advisory Board and Management
group was set up to advise on any necessary strategic revisions to the original plan.
An annual report was submitted to AP in 2007 and 2008, outlining progress to date in
terms of the original objectives. This mid-term evaluation report now critiques current
systems and describes new developments since 2006. This report aims to identify
areas of weaknesses and opportunities arising from developments within NUIG and in
the broader context of ageing research.
Report to Údaras – Review of Irish Centre for Social Gerontology – 2008-09
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In 2007, NUI Galway produced the Strategy for Research 2007-2011 and included 5
priority areas. One of these areas is Applied Social Sciences and Public Policy and
includes 5 major institutes, including ICSG. This is particularly important as ICSG is
recognised as one of the major research centres that contribute towards the national
goals of the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation 2006 and National
Development Plan 2007-2013.
1.3 Programmes and Courses
ICSG’s teaching programme consists of the Diploma in Social Gerontology, a
part -time programme run under Adult Education and the Faculty of
Commerce. The Diploma (worth 30 ECTS credits) is held for 6 hours every second
Saturday during term-time on campus.
1.4 Student numbers:



16 Diploma students (2006-08)
10 Diploma students (2008-10)
3 PhD students and 6 MA in Economics students were on placement working
on research projects.
1.5 Staff
Staff numbers have increased from 5 to 11, mainly as a result of the director securing
funding from Intel for the TRIL (Technology Research for Independent Living)
project) for the establishment of an Ethnographic Research Unit (ERU) within ICSG.
This funding supports 3 research fellows and a project manager. Funding from PRTLI
4 was awarded for 2 post doctorate researchers in social policy and health economics
was obtained through a very competitive tendering process. Research assistants have
also been hired on a short term basis to work on various funded research projects in
the past two years. Furthermore, AP has provided new funding for the appointment of
a Professor of Social Gerontology which has been endorsed by the University through a
commitment to provide a permanent tenured position for the successful applicant.
The Director of ICSG has also been appointed Head of the Department of Economics.
As a result, the senior research officer has been appointed the title and position of
deputy director of ICSG, with responsibility for the Ethnographic Research Unit
transferring to Professor of Health Technology Assessment, Ciaran O’Neill.
1.6 Accommodation
Developments have led to capacity constraints and recently in 2008, ICSG undertook a
feasibility study for a new building in NUIG, initially to examine needs of ICSG, but
expanded to include the needs of CFRC and CDLP, both of which are also funded
by AP. The report has been submitted to AP but no decision has been made yet on a
new building for NUIG to bring together life-cycle research within the University.
2. Review Group Visit and Report
This report arises from a visit by a review team to the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology on
29-30 January 2009. The review team consisted of: Professor John Bond, Deputy Director,
Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University (Chair); Professor Matt Sutton, Professor
of Health Economics, Health Methodology Research Group, School of Community Based
Medicine, University of Manchester; Ms Mairead Hayes, CEO, Irish Senior Citizens Parliament
(Stakeholder); Dr. Ricca Edmondson, School of Political Science and Sociology, NUI Galway
(Cognate); Professor Adrian Frazier, English Department, NUI Galway (Rapporteur).
2.1 Summary
The ICSG is an innovative research centre, whose long-term potential should be secured. In
many ways the Centre exemplifies the aspirations of NUI Galway’s strategic plans for excellent
interdisciplinary research, research-led teaching and more profound contributions to society.
However, the Centre is not typical of the academic teaching units with which the University’s
financial and human resources structures normally deal. This lack of fit could thwart the
Centre’s plans and may have particular implications for the tenure of research staff.
2.2 Recommendations
Aims and Objectives:
The Centre needs to clarify its core purpose further, in order to balance the demands of
supporters, funders, students, and the university, while taking into account that a small group
cannot do everything.
Organization and Management:
It would be useful to devolve responsibilities within the Centre further, both for the sake of the
stability of the centre and the further professional development of its staff.
The Boards should meet according to their schedules (three times a year for one, once a year for
the other) for the sake of communication, reflection, internal publication of the Centre’s work,
and forging alliances in the wider world.
The proposed Professor of Social Gerontology will provide greater stability of management.
Multiple interdependencies (Nursing, Soc/Pol, Economics) improve stability as they mature;
connections with Medical researchers can be further developed. ICSG should work to extend its
research networks within the National University of Ireland by identifying others engaged in
ageing and life cycle research and encouraging them to work collaboratively with ICSG.
A significant challenge for ICSG in developing research capacity and in meeting strategic
research objectives is the lack of a well-travelled career path for researchers within National
University of Ireland. To support research staff in their career development the University, the
College of Business, Law and Public Policy and the ICSG should provide robust systems for
staff mentoring and professional development and review. To ensure continuing staff capacity to
deliver the University’s strategic research objectives, a less risk averse attitude to research staff
funding will be necessary on the part of the institution. Under current institutional rules the
ICSG is likely to lose a number of talented individuals and limit the capacity to recruit highcalibre staff from Ireland and Europe.
Report to Údarás – Review of Irish Centre for Social Gerontology 2008–2009
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Education:
In the first two years, the Centre has offered a Diploma, which has been experienced by students
as highly successful.
It should rapidly move to develop a taught MA programme, for the sake of providing budget
stability for the Centre, useful professional training for the researchers, and the discovery and
development of new leaders in Social Gerontology.
An MA programme should entail the appointment of another permanent member of the
academic staff.
The current PhD student was impressive in interview. It is crucial to increase the number of PhD
students, in order to develop a postgraduate culture, to enhance the creativity of the centre, to
pull in more research funds, and to create future core faculty for the discipline. However, until
there are more members of staff labelled officially as “academic”, capacity for thesis
supervision is constricted by the University’s regulations. Joint supervision of post-graduate
students is recommended so that research staff can supervise along side experienced academic
members of staff. This will benefit the career of junior colleagues and reduce the post-graduate
workload of the Director and other academic members of staff.
Scholarship and Research:
The Centre needs to maintain a balance between reports and peer-reviewed articles; i.e.,
between contribution to society and academic development. Both are valuable.
The Centre has a charismatic and acclaimed Professor and highly talented researchers. Between
them there is a difference in age and experience. Steps should be taken to bridge differences in
capacity between colleagues, and prepare for the significant influence this discipline will have in
future years.
We recognize the achievements of this cutting-edge research centre working in the context of a
traditional university environment. Its development is impeded by the fact that researchers
cannot supervise PhDs, act as Principal Investigators in grant applications, compete for longer
term research contracts, or plan their academic futures. Given the current economic climate, the
Centre and University should seek pragmatic solutions to overcome these barriers.
Report to Údarás – Review of Irish Centre for Social Gerontology 2008–2009
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3. Action Plans
National University of Ireland, Galway
An Coiste Feabhais Acadúil
Academic Review Programme 2008 – 2009
Irish Centre for Social Gerontology
Follow Up Meeting
Tuesday, 23rd June 2009
The Moore Institute Seminar Room, NUI Galway
Present: Professor James A Houghton (Chair), Professor James Ward - Registrar, Dr William Golden –
Dean of Business, Public Policy and Law, Dr Emer Mulligan – Head of School Business and Economics,
Professor Eamon O’Shea – ICSG Director, Dr Iain MacLabhrainn – Director of CELT, Ms Mary
O’Riordan – VP for Student Experience, Dr Gemma Carney (ICSG), Ms Christine DeLargy (ICSG), Mr
Padraic DeBurca – Research Office, Dr Brenda Gannon (ICSG), Dr Kieran Walsh (ICSG), Ms Aine Ni
Leime (ICSG), Ms Maureen Linnane (in attendance).
Apologies: Dr Ricca Edmondson (Review Group), Professor Adrian Frazier (Review Group), Professor
Terry Smith (VP for Research), Dr Pat Morgan (Dean of Graduate Studies).
Action Plan for the Director and the Centre:
1) The Director and Deputy Director of the Centre will
a) revise the ICSG Business Plan / Strategic Plan to clarify its core purpose further, sending
this Plan to APRC for approval in June 2010 ( this will allow the new Professor of
Social Gerontology to have significant input into the revised Plan)
b) ensure responsibility is devolved further to the Deputy Director from June 2009
onwards, both for the stability of the Centre and for the further professional development
of its staff. The Deputy Director will assign more time to a development role and
engage in strategic decisions with The Director from June 2009.
2) The Director will review progress with University Management in relation to recruitment of
the senior appointment for a new Professor of Social Gerontology, currently advertised.
This new senior appointment will bring leadership to research and funding strategies for the
ICSG.
3) From September 2009, the ICSG Board will meet three times a year and the Advisory
Committee will meet once a year for the sake of communication, reflection, internal
publication of the Centre’s work, and forging alliances in the wider world.
4) The Centre will work to extend research networks within the NUI by identifying others
engaged in similar activities and encouraging them to work collaboratively with the Centre.
5) With appropriate School and Institutional support, the Centre will work towards the
development of a taught MA programme which may form part of a combined ‘lifecycle’
MA programme, developed across the most relevant Disciplines, Schools and Colleges
within the University. The Centre will ensure that research into the possibility of a
combined and integrated MA programme is concluded by June 2010, with MA programme
open to students from September 2011.
Report to Údarás – Review of Irish Centre for Social Gerontology 2008–2009
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6) The Director will ensure that this MA programme is affiliated to the School and that
adequate support is requested, through School resource allocation mechanisms. An
application for funding, by means of a proposal, will be submitted to APRC before June
2010, to secure the necessary resources.
7) The Director and Deputy Director agree to increase the number of PhD students as a matter
of urgency , conditional on the following:
a) successful applications made to the Presidents Promotion Board for adjunct lectureships
for research fellows and above
b) the availability of assistance from Post-doctorate researchers (research fellow or above)
in the joint supervision of post-graduate students and the appointment of post-doctorate
researchers to membership of the Supervisory Committee.
8) In the short to medium term, the Centre will make adequate provision for students with
special needs and older people, by ensuring that venues for events are located on the ground
floor of buildings with trouble-free access, whenever possible. Further actions will be
proposed in terms of parking, elevators, hospitality, and access, when proposals are brought
forward in the design of a new ICSG building.
9) With immediate effect, the Centre will maintain a balance between reports and peerreviewed articles, i.e. between contributions to society and academic development. This will
be achieved by:
i) having a greater research concentration on journals with higher impact factor,
ii) all researchers aiming for top journals in their field,
iii) employment of the new senior appointment who will add value and foster high-level
research,
iv) all researchers balancing workloads with the Director and Deputy Director following
up on Supervisees to achieve balance,
v) evaluations taking place twice annually, in June and December of each year
10) Without delay, the Director and Deputy Director will meet with University Management to
seek solutions that allow core research staff to become tenured, through the allocation of
existing staff to cognate Disciplines or affiliation with those most relevant Disciplines, to be
enforced from June 2010, at the latest.
11) The Centre will take steps to bridge differences in capacity between colleagues, and prepare
for the significant influence this discipline will have in future years. This will be achieved
by:
a) working with the Head of School as posts are advertised, to ensure that job descriptions
relate to the interests and strengths of the Centre, and by
b) reviewing age structures and forward planning, to ensure that the advanced filling of
posts contain the expertise required for this discipline in the future.
Action Plan for the J. E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics:
1. The Head of School will support the Centre and the Registrar by making adequate
provisions for students with special needs and older people, in terms of parking,
elevators, hospitality, and access to the Centre.
Report to Údarás – Review of Irish Centre for Social Gerontology 2008–2009
Action Plan for the College of Business, Public Policy and Law:
1. The Dean will fully support the ICSG when developing an MA Programme, and agrees
that a broader MA ‘lifecycle’ research programme, involving multiple
Disciplines/Colleges, would be a more attractive option for potential students, providing
budget stability for the Centre, useful professional training for researchers, and the
discovery and development of new leaders in Social Gerontology.
2. The Dean, with the assistance of the Director of Human Resources, will help to support
research staff in career development and develop robust systems for staff mentoring and
professional development and review.
Action Plan for University Management:
1. The position for the new Professor of Social Gerontology located within the College of
Business, Public Policy and Law is currently advertised.
2. The Dean of Graduate Studies will facilitate opportunities for research staff (research
fellow or above) to co-supervise PhD students and to serve as members of the PhD
Supervisory Committee.
3. The Vice-President for Research, in consultation with the Centre, will seek to put
mechanisms in place to enable research staff to become principal investigators on
projects, managing their own budgets subject to normal University controls. This will
a. ensure that continuing staff have the capacity to deliver the University’s strategic
objectives,
b. keep the Centre sustainable, and help develop an excellent international profile
over the next 5 years,
c. increase the number of PhD students and develop a postgraduate culture,
d. enhance the creativity of the Centre, pull in more research funds, and create
future core faculty for the discipline.
e. allow researchers to compete for longer term research contracts, or plan their
academic futures.
4. The Vice President for Capital Projects will examine the possibility of suitable
accommodation for the expansion of activities of the Centre, to allow collegial and
collaborative elements of interdisciplinary research activity.
5. In the short term, the Vice-President for Capital Projects will work with the Buildings
Office to ensure that, when adequate notice is given, appropriate arrangements are
made for the provision of parking facilities for those with mobility and other
disabilities/difficulties visiting the ICSG.
6. The Director of Quality will review the guidelines for the academic review process.
Research Centres will be invited to submit examples of academic work and peerreviewed work, as part of the review process.
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Report to Údarás – Review of Irish Centre for Social Gerontology 2008–2009
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Approved by: Director, Professor Eamon O’Shea, 24th September 2009
Approved by: Head of School, J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics,
Dr Emer Mulligan, 2nd October 2009
Approved by: Dean of Business, Public Policy and Law, Dr Willie Golden,
28th September 2009
Approved by: Registrar, Professor Jim Ward, 28th October 2009
Approved by: Director of CELT, Dr. Iain MacLabhrainn, 25th September 2009
Approved by: Director of Human Resources, Mr Chris McNairney, 7th October 2009
Approved by: VP for the Student Experience, Ms Mary O’Riordan,
25th September 2009
Approved by: VP for Capital Projects, Mr Keith Warnock, 13th October 2009
Professor James A Houghton, Director of Quality
Finalised: 4th November 2009