Third-level institutions north and south are set to play a major role in cross-Border co-operation.

So says Prof Gerry McKenna, who is UU's pro-vice-chancellor for research. "In implementing the North-South dimension of the Belfast Agreement there will be a need for analytical and research support in order to evaluate policy proposals and to predict and evaluate outcomes," he says. UU is already co-operating in several ways with third-level institutions in the Republic. UU's recently published report, The Agreement - North/South Research Opportunities, outlines its collaborative links with other Irish universities and with a number of State agencies here.

The document also highlights areas in which future collaboration is possible. UU is also involved in a number of inter-university centres: the Centre for Innovation in Biotechnology (with QUB and BioResearch Ireland), the Northern Ireland Centre for Advanced Materials (with QUB) and the BEST (Biomedical and Environmental Sensor Technology) Centre (with DCU, UL and QUB).

UU is one of Britain's top-rated research institutions in biomedical sciences and scored 5* (the highest rating) in the 1996 Research Assessment Exercise. UU, QUB, TCD and UCC are members of the Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance, which is involved in joint initiatives in research and education.

A North-South dietary survey and research into copper in foods are among the current projects. Health has the potential to become a major area of cross-Border cooperation. McKenna cites reorganisations in the health boards on both sides of the Border. Deficits, he suggests, could be alleviated "in a financially viable manner" through cross-Border services.

Agriculture, education, transport, inland fisheries, aquaculture and marine matters are among the areas where third-level collaborations are in place and where more valuable work could be done. UU is currently developing an all-Ireland MBA in tourism management jointly with UL - a programme that will include significant research.

And discussions are under way with DIT on the development of an all-Ireland journal of tourism change-management. On the arts side, a major piece of work on the history of the Irish book - running to five volumes - is being undertaken by UU and QUB. The advisory board includes representatives of TCD, UCD, UCG and NUI Maynooth.

Mairin Ni Dhonnchadha has been appointed editor of the first volume, which will examine the Gaelic manuscript tradition. The voluntary sector, too, provides scope for co-operation. UU's Centre for Voluntary Action Studies has an all-Ireland brief and seeks to co-ordinate voluntary sector researchers in Ireland. The centre has recently launched the Association for Voluntary Action Researchers in Ireland and has commenced a project on charity law and practice on both sides of the Border.