The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton T.D., today (Friday) announced that Professor Mark Ferguson will take on the role of Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government in addition to his existing role as Director General of Science Foundation Ireland.
The announcement comes following a Government decision to abolish the separate Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA). This decision forms part of a wider drive for reform and greater efficiency within the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation which includes:
·the merger of the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority
·the reform of the five workplace relations bodies to create a streamlined two-tier mechanism
·restructuring the enterprise support model for micro and small businesses, including the dissolution of the CEBs and the transfer of their functions, assets and liabilities to Enterprise Ireland (EI)
·the integration of Forfas in to the Department to help drive the Action Plan for Jobs agenda and broaden and deepen the Department’s policy development capability
Minister Bruton said: "The Director General of Science Foundation Ireland, Professor Mark Ferguson, is particularly well placed to fulfil the role of Chief Scientific Adviser. This additional role will complement his existing work in Science Foundation Ireland particularly given SFI’s ready access to networks of national and international scientists – access which is crucially important for a Chief Scientific Adviser to be able to draw upon. I understand that Professor Ferguson will utilise an independent advisory panel of eminent scientists as the need arises".
"The role of the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government is an important one, particularly given the Government’s stated commitment to research, development and innovation and its importance for Ireland’s economic recovery. This move marks a consolidation of our resources in this area and complements the range of scientific advice that is also available within Government organisations, including in areas such as veterinary science, agriculture, environment and health. "
Minister Sherlock, the Minister for Research and Innovation, echoed these sentiments adding, "Professor Ferguson is an eminent academic and he has been the recipient of numerous international awards and honours – he is exceptionally well qualified in terms of experience and position to take on this additional role".
The contract of the most recent incumbent to the post of Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Patrick Cunningham, expired at the end of August this year. Minister Bruton, together with the Minister Sherlock, paid tribute to Professor Cunningham who held the post of Chief Scientific Adviser from January 2007 until the end of August this year with great distinction. In particular, the Ministers thanked him for the expertise, knowledge and commitment which he brought to the post, particularly during the bid phase and indeed the organisation of the prestigious Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF 2012), held in Dublin from July 11th to 15th this summer. Professor Cunningham was the lynchpin and leader of a dynamic team which was put in place to ensure the successful delivery of the ESOF 2012 initiative and it was a major success, with over 4,500 delegates from more than 80 countries attending the 5 days proceedings in the Convention Centre Dublin.
Notes for Editors
Until the retirement of Professor Patrick Cunningham on August 31st, the Office of the CSA included the post of the CSA plus 2 support staff seconded from Forfás which hosted the Office of the CSA. The 2 staff have subsequently been reassigned within Forfás.
In addition to having enterprise experience, Professor Mark Ferguson is a graduate of Queens University of Belfast with Degrees in Dentistry, Anatomy and Embryology and Medical Sciences. He holds Fellowships from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Edinburgh and is a Founding Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences. Having been appointed Professor in Life Sciences at the University of Manchester in 1984, at the age of 28, he went on to be Dean of Biological Sciences at the University. He is the recipient of numerous international awards, prizes, medals and honours for his research including a CBE in 1999 for services to Health and Life Sciences.
Overview of Professor Ferguson’s qualifications, scientific awards/publications record:
Prof. Ferguson graduated from the Queens University of Belfast with the following qualifications:
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BSc 1st class honours in Anatomy (1976);
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BDS 1st class honours in Dentistry (1978) [still the only student ever in Queens University’s history to achieve this];
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PhD in Anatomy and Embryology (1982);
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Doctor of Medical Sciences (2002).
Prof. Ferguson is the recipient of numerous (25) international awards, prizes, medals and honours for his research work, including the 2002 European Science Prize (jointly), The International Association for Dental Research, Washington USA Craniofacial Biology (2000) and Distinguished Scientist / Young Investigator (1988) Awards and the Swedish JJ Pindborg International Prize for Research in oral biology (1996). He is the author of 327 research papers and book chapters, 60 patents and author/editor of 8 books.
His research included studies on palate development and the birth defect of cleft palate, wound healing and scarring, alligator and crocodile biology including temperature dependent sex determination.
Prof Ferguson holds Fellowships from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (FFD), and Edinburgh (FDS) and is a Founding Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci).
He has been President of a number of Learned Societies e.g. the European Tissue Repair Society, he chaired the first UK Government’s Health and Life Sciences Foresight Panel, and he served on many committees e.g. the UKTI Life Sciences Marketing Board, the Committee of Safety of Medicines Biological Subcommittee and the European Space Agency. He has served on the Board or Scientific Advisory Board of a number of International Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Companies.
In 1999 Prof Ferguson was made a "Commander of the British Empire" (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for services to Health and Life Sciences.