Semiconductor developer Microsemi Ireland are to provide €50,000 in funding over a six year period to help support excellence in engineering at the University of Limerick.  The company, which has been based in Ennis, Co. Clare for 20 years, is the largest employer in the town with over 300 staff.

The funds will be used to support scholarships for engineering undergraduate students with each scholarship worth €12,000.  The company is also offering an annual cash prize to an engineering student based on academic merit. The Scholarship shall be awarded annually, for the academic years 2012/13 – 2018/19, to an incoming first year student with the highest Leaving Certificate points registered in one of UL’s engineering programmes. The Scholarship, awarded over four consecutive years, will have a value of €3,000 per annum to the student for each of his/her four years of study.

Microsemi Corporation, which has its headquarters in California, designs and manufactures high performance analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits (ICs) and discrete high reliability (hi-rel) semiconductors.  High reliability chips are used in devices that need to perform under the most extreme conditions in which failures can be very costly, e.g. chips for regulating acemakers, high temperature diodes for oil drilling and transistors for aircraft engines.

Speaking about the scholarship, Jim Peterson, President & CEO of Microsemi said “We have been impressed at Microsemi with the calibre of engineering graduates in Ireland and we are confident about the future of the skill base in Ireland, hence our decision to make Ennis our European headquarters,” said Peterson. “As part of our commitment to Ireland, we are proud to sponsor an engineering scholarship at the University of Limerick and a programme at St. Flannan’s to cultivate interest in science and innovation,” continued Peterson.

Professor Paul McCutcheon, Acting President of the University of Limerick said "The University is delighted with these new scholarships and we look forward to working in partnership with Microsemi towards the economic development of the region through the supply of our high quality graduates."

David Cronin, Chief Executive of the UL Foundation added “We are delighted to congratulate Microsemi on the success and expansion of their Ennis facility and we are very grateful to them for their support.  We look forward to working in partnership with the company over the coming years and developing our relationship further”. 

For further information on Scholarships and Financial Supports offered at UL go to http://www3.ul.ie/courses/scholarships.shtml

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