Tag Archives: Mark Ferguson

Module 1:

1. Some people are upset Prof Mark Ferguson has been entrusted with distributing €150 million of taxpayers’ cash with such an interesting recent business past.

2.  Academics are upset Prof Ferguson has changed the criteria for deciding who gets how much cash, if any at all.

3. All this comes after an annual report showed the number of links between researchers funding by SFI and private companies had risen by 19 per cent.

4. Some claim their usual grant for research was cut off- without explanation.

5. Many eminent people within the scientific community have suggesting Peter Higgs, of Higgs Boson, wouldn’t have got a cent under today’s SFI funding criteria.

6. And a lot of them  made their feelings known online.

7. Now, Prof Ferguson/SFI has obtained a High Court order to force UPC to reveal the identity of people who posted comments, articles about him/SFI. (It’s not known what comments or which articles).

8. Yes, Sherlock’s involved.

Brian Flannery, on Indymedia, writes:

“Some months ago a friend of mine, a journalist in Manchester asked me if I had any idea what was going in the SFI (Science Foundation Ireland). I replied ‘not a clue’.

{He] came to visit the weekend just gone and gave me an insight as to how people in Manchester view, with anger, the appointment of  Renovo’s Mark Ferguson (right) as Director General of SFI.

My facts state and these can be checked out by going on Google and looking up Renovo that this company had Stg1 million wiped of its value last year and that shareholders sustained a 75% loss in share price which I have no sympathy for because they took a gamble.

However 200 people lost their jobs in Renovo and I have the deepest sympathy for them.

My friend informed me that Mr. Ferguson was told by the Minister Sean Sherlock (above) and a Mr. Travers, a member of the Board of SFI that he had the job on the 23/12/2011 yet he was still Chairman of the fast ailing Renovo plc….”

More here: Secrets Of Cronyism In Semi-State Sector (Brian Flannery, Indymedia)

Previously: Science Foundation Ireland, the Director General and the Renovo Debacle (Network For irish Educational Standards, May 22, 2012)

Pic via PMBRC