The Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) board is set to scrutinise the results of an inquiry into accusations of misconduct levelled against its director general, Prof Philip Nolan, by senior personnel. SFI, a state-supported research agency responsible for allotting over €200 million in grants, verified the receipt of five confidential complaints in the latter part of December.
Prof Nolan, whon is lined up to head up an enlarged national research group, Research Ireland, an integration of SFI and the Irish Research Council is refuting these claims. He was unfortunately unable to provide any commentary this past Friday.
During the Covid crisis, Prof Nolan gained public visibility owing to his influential role on the National Public Health Emergency Team.
The Irish Independent published details of the third-party investigation, which absolved Prof Nolan from any breach of corporate governance and found no misconduct or bullying on his part.
Although, the probe reportedly discovered that his interactions with the staff members in question, particularly two seniors, were deemed “inappropriate” and ranked as “upper level”.
In a statement, SFI emphasised its commitment to addressing and investigating complaints seriously, and highlighted the significance of an “equitable, diligent, and sturdy procedure”.
The statement further clarified the necessity to ensure the confidentiality of the identities of those filing the complaints as per relevant laws and guidelines for public bodies handling confidential complaints and warned that violations of this would be considered a criminal confess.
To investigate the confidential complaints, the SFI board convened a specialized group in January who commenced their investigation by collaborating with all parties involved and conducting an introductory review of the complaints prior to launching a formal investigation. This included the appointment of an independent investigator to aid in the procedural aspect.
SFI iterated that a detailed scrutiny of the facts was undertaken by the independent investigator over the following months. SFI’s board received reports from the investigator and the protected disclosure group in March and April respectively and are now undertaking actions to confront the findings and suggestions made.
A female representative of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) has stated that the continuing procedure entails legal responsibilities to all involved parties, who are all deserving of an unbiased procedure. She confirmed that the foundation is unable to disclose details that would identify any parties involved.
She further mentioned that the SFI board consistently adheres to top-tier corporate governance standards. SFI boasts an extensive internal auditing system, and there’s no indication of a violation of appropriate corporate governance within the organisation. The representative also noted that SFI remains fully functional, persisting in its mission to finance and endorse superior and influential research and innovation, to the advantage of Ireland’s economy and community.