Professor Maggie Cusack:

Brexit is very painful from my perspective. Growing up in the UK system, there was no doubt the UK punched way above its weight in terms of securing research funding from the EU. That provides an opportunity. Nothing is automatic but I emphasise everything we said about using the technological university transformation fund to upskill and support staff and to use any pump-priming initiative that might come from the Irish Research Council to help technological university staff compete for funding. That would have multiple benefits in upskilling researchers and then putting them in a position where they can be really competitive to lead on large European grants. The sector could then realise the benefits afforded to it.