Measuring Research Culture Progress and initiation of the TU RISE ELEVATE programme in IADT

Author:  Dr Rachel Clarke

Organisation:  Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT)

The Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT), Dún Laoghaire Strategic Plan (2024-2028) has expressed IADTs ambition to be Ireland’s campus for the creative industries. IADT is respected and renowned nationally and internationally as an autonomous national centre of excellence for the creative, cultural and technological sectors and currently at the early stage of research capacity building. 
The ELEVATE programme, funded through the TU RISE (Technological University Research and Innovation to Support Enterprise) scheme, sets the objective to enhance central research functions within the technological university sector to further institutions’ engagements with their regions. ELEVATE is developing and enhancing the IADT Research Office in terms of increasing human capital in specific research areas that have potential to facilitate stronger engagement with regional enterprises aligned to Ireland’s Smart Specialisation Strategy and the Regional Enterprise Plans. The focal point of specific research domains within ELEVATE sit in the speciality areas of Screen, Design and Policy to create a virtuous Research, Development and Innovative ecosystem, fully integrated with the strategy.  ELEVATE will further enhance interdisciplinarity and intersectoral collaboration within IADT and regional enterprises, whilst cultivating a research ecosystem to establish and grow new research ideas through a ‘bottom-up’ approach, thus creating a robust research ecosystem that aligns with IADT’s strategic plan. 
Research culture will be measured by the formation of new collaborations institutionally and with regional Enterprise. The strategic approach of ELEVATE is to advance IADT's wider vision of becoming Ireland's creative industries campus and research and innovation hub.