Department of the Taoiseach Shared Island New Foundations Awards
Department of the Taoiseach Shared Island
A Shared Island unit in the Department of the Taoiseach is examining the political, social, economic and cultural considerations underpinning a future in which all traditions are mutually respected.
The Programme for Government sets out the Government’s commitments on a Shared Island and to working with all communities and traditions on the island to build consensus around a shared future, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. The Taoiseach launched the initiative in October 2020, with a speech setting out the Government’s vision and approach.
In December 2021, the Taoiseach reviewed progress and set out Government priorities in a keynote address to the Shared Island Forum. As part of the initiative, a Shared Island unit in the Department of the Taoiseach was established in September 2020 to examine the political, social, economic and cultural considerations underpinning a future in which all traditions are mutually respected. Operationally, the unit focused its work in three areas: commissioning research, fostering dialogue, and building a Shared Island agenda, including delivery of the commitments in the Programme for Government.
Strand 8: Department of the Taoiseach Shared Island New Foundations Awards
The Department of the Taoiseach funded Strand 8 under the New Foundations 2020 and 2021 scheme. This strand provided researchers with an opportunity to conduct research and engage in related networking and collaboration, for the purpose of informing and supporting the implementation and development of the Shared Island initiative. Projects funded under Strand 8 also supported the building of a pipeline of further research proposals and collaborations related to the Shared Island initiative, which may be relevant for future research calls.
The research themes under this strand are focused in particular on:
- Shared Island priorities set by Government as part of the revised National Development Plan (2021-2030) to work through all-island partnerships to invest for a more connected, sustainable and prosperous island for all; and,
- Key themes from the Shared Island Dialogue series[1] convened by the Government to foster inclusive civic dialogue on working in practical ways for a shared future on the island, which has engaged over 1,300 civic representatives to date.
For further information on the research themes, please click on the below links.
New Foundations Projects: 2021 and 2022
The projects contributed new knowledge and perspective to inform the Government’s objectives and commitments on a Shared Island, as set out in the Programme for Government and by the Taoiseach, and specifically to the following areas: political, policy and economic cooperation on the island, and civic, social and cultural connections and understanding on the island. For 2022, research themes under this strand were focussed in particular on Shared Island priorities set by Government as part of the revised National Development Plan (2021-2030) to work through all-island partnerships to invest for a more connected, sustainable and prosperous island for all; and, and key themes from the Shared Island Dialogue series 2 convened by the Government to foster inclusive civic dialogue on working in practical ways for a shared future on the island, which has engaged over 1,300 civic representatives to date.
A total of 19 awards were made, each up to a maximum value of €20,000, funded by the Shared Island unit of the Department of the Taoiseach.
The full list of awards for 2021 and 2022 can be viewed by clicking the below link.
Impact
The projects and awardees to date have demonstrated a hugely impressive range of outputs, outcomes and deliverables within and across the diversity of disciplines. The clarity, quality and innovativeness of these outputs can be seen through their public dissemination plans and promotional events. There are numerous examples of the development of conferences, workshops or networking and collaboration activities. Projects demonstrated strong engagement and collaboration with project partners and networks which has contributed towards future research funding applications and opportunities. To read more about the impact, please click on the below link.