The signing of the first ever Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the world-renowned Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) and a Technological University was witnessed by James Lawless, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
The agreement with TUS was signed during the celebrations of the Institute’s 85th year anniversary, marking its lauded track record since it was set up by Eamon De Valera’s Government at the time when its first Director of Theoretical Physics was Nobel-prize winner Erwin Schrödinger.
The MOU, signed by Dr Eucharia Meehan, CEO of DIAS, and President of TUS, Professor Vincent Cunnane, will strengthen collaboration in research and innovation between the institutions, with a focus on advancing education and practical knowledge in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and Computer Vision (CV) and their application to Radio Astronomy.
Under the terms of the agreement, two TUS PhD research students, funded by the university, will be appointed DIAS scholars, receiving mentorship from DIAS’s world-renowned researchers at Dunsink Observatory and participating in cutting edge research, working on the prestigious I-LOFAR at Birr Castle in Offaly.
I-LOFAR stands for Irish Low Frequency Array and it is Ireland’s largest radio telescope. It is part of a Europe-wide collaborative astronomy project where Irish scientists and students participate in pan-European research in areas such as: Astrophysics, Cosmic magnetism, Space weather, Solar physics and Big Data and AI applications in astronomy.
I-LOFAR generates massive volumes of complex data — often terabytes per day – and CV and ML play a crucial role in how that data is processed, analysed, and interpreted.
DIAS and TUS will jointly collaborate on applying High Performance Computing including AI, ML and CV to the detection, classification and characterisation of targeted phenomena in the I-LOFAR data. Initially this will focus on Space Weather / Solar Phenomena but will be expanded to include others.
The research outputs will be held in a new centralised Astrophysics storage and High Performance Computing facility at TUS which will benefit all researchers nationally. This new facility will train undergraduates in modelling large datasets.
Together TUS and DIAS have also committed to regional educational and industrial workshops to create awareness of the expertise available from the collaboration. The first workshops will be held in conjunction with the LEO office in Offaly.
Congratulating both Institutions, Minister James Lawless TD, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Science said: “I warmly congratulate DIAS and TUS on the signing of this important Memorandum of Understanding. Strategic collaboration such as this strengthens our research base and positions Ireland globally at the forefront of technological progress”.
Dr. Eucharia Meehan, CEO, DIAS, said: “We are proud to formalise this collaboration with TUS as we mark 85 years of discovery at DIAS. Since our earliest days, DIAS has been a centre of discovery where students are welcomed and supported in their research endeavours. With this MOU we are further strengthening the research ecosystem to support talent, to foster innovation, and to deliver real impact for our research community and our economy. Building on our track record of developing research infrastructure for the benefit of research in Ireland and further afield, the establishment of a new centralised Astrophysics storage and High Performance Computing facility in partnership with TUS will provide an important resource for current and future generations of researchers.”
President of TUS, Professor Vincent Cunnane, said: “TUS is proud to embark on this new frontier with DIAS which will enable our students to explore previously undiscovered areas of research in the disciplines of engineering, science and technology. As a young university, we stand to gain immensely from the expertise and knowledge that DIAS has cultivated over its 85-year history..
“We are also incredibly excited by the opportunity to further unlock learning potential through the use of the i-LOFAR telescope at Birr Castle Demesne, Co. Offaly. Indeed, it is fitting that this collaboration comes just a month after the opening of the Mary Ward Centre for Science on our Athlone campus—especially given that the pioneering microscopist and scientist it is named after was a regular visitor to Birr Castle.”