Date: 10 July 2000
“An extraordinary achievement.” Principal C Duncan Rice
“An honour for Tom Devine, the University…and Scotland.” Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace
“A major advance…” Edward Barrington, Irish Ambassador to the United Kingdom
The world’s first Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies at the University of Aberdeen has been awarded what is believed to be the largest single grant made for humanities research in Scotland.
The Institute has secured a £870,000 grant over five years from the Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB) to develop an Aberdeen-based Research Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies in partnership with Trinity College, Dublin and the Queen’s University of Belfast. Aberdeen is the only University in Scotland to receive an award from the AHRB Research Centres Scheme which attracted 146 applications from universities throughout the UK.
The Aberdeen AHRB Centre will organise 14 major research projects which will explore three key themes: Irish and Scottish Diaspora, Languages of Scotland and Ireland, and the Literatures of Ireland and Scotland.
The Institute, headed by the distinguished Scottish historian Professor Tom Devine, was inaugurated by the Irish President Mary McAleese on St Andrew’s Day last year, and carries out graduate study and research on the history, language, literature and culture of Ireland and Scotland.
University of Aberdeen Principal C Duncan Rice said that the award was an “extraordinary achievement” for the University. “This is possibly the largest single grant made to humanities research in Scotland, and I am thrilled that Aberdeen has been uniquely recognised in this way by the UK’s leading funding body for humanities research.”
Principal Rice said: “Public support on this scale confirms the international reputation of Professor Tom Devine and of the sheer quality of the Irish-Scottish Studies research being carried out here and at our partner institutions - Trinity College, Dublin and the Queen’s University of Belfast.
“The strategy formulated on my appointment was that we would attract scholars of the highest quality to strengthen our international standing and research. Tom Devine was appointed less than two years ago and in that time he has built the Institute into something the whole of Scotland can be proud.”
Professor Devine, Institute Director, said: “As an historian I am enormously pleased with the magnitude of this award. For too long Arts subjects have been the Cinderella of research funding. This grant of nearly £1 million might even be well regarded by our colleagues in Engineering, Medicine, Science and Business. It a powerful vote of confidence in Arts-based research in Scotland.”
Professor Devine said that Aberdeen’s bid had to compete with applications of the highest quality from throughout the UK.
“A total of 146 applications were submitted from UK universities and only 10 have been successful. Our bid is the only successful one in Scotland, and this speaks volumes about the tremendous confidence the Board has in the research capabilities of Aberdeen and our partners.
“This news comes at the end of a tremendous academic year for the Institute. A year which has seen an historic visit to Aberdeen by the Irish President Mary McAleese and the staging of the Irish-Scottish Forum, a hugely successful meeting of around 50 leading politicians, journalists and civil servants from Ireland and Scotland.
“We believe that was we are doing at Aberdeen is crucial in that we are working relentlessly to provide an informed understanding of historical and cultural influences which have shaped relationships between Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland,” he said.
Deputy First Minister, Jim Wallace QC MSP, said that he was delighted that the “international research distinction” of the Institute has been recognised in a “very tangible way”.
“It is an honour for Tom Devine, the Institute and the University – which also honours Scotland. Devolution in Scotland and Northern Ireland has established an impetus towards a greater understanding of the diverse factors which have shaped modern attitudes and politics,” he said.
Mr Wallace added: “The Institute and its co-partners in the successful bid at Trinity College, Dublin and Queen’s University, Belfast, will play a crucial role in providing a fuller understanding of the political, cultural, social and religious forces which have influenced present political problems and opportunities.”
His Excellency Mr Edward Barrington, Irish Ambassador to the UK, said: “I had the privilege of being in Aberdeen when the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, inaugurated the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies on St Andrew’s Day 1999.
“I was deeply impressed by what I learned of the Institute’s ambitious plans for the pursuit of Irish and Scottish Studies. I am delighted to hear of the Institute’s success in winning this substantial funding which represents a major advance for Irish Studies.
“I congratulate Professor Tom Devine and his team for the magnificent progress they have achieved since the Institute’s inception.”
Dr Thomas N Mitchell, Provost of Trinity College, Dublin said: “The AHRB grant will contribute very significantly to the continuing success of the interdisciplinary research in Irish and Scottish studies among the collaborating universities.”
Professor George Bain, Vice Chancellor, Queen’s University of Belfast said: “We at Queen’s are delighted to share in this initiative with the University of Aberdeen and Trinity College, Dublin. The success of this application reflects the quality of research currently being carried out in Irish and Scottish Studies.
“This grant also signifies the growing level of national and international interest in this area, which is particularly timely given the recent constitutional changes in Scotland and Northern Ireland.”