Athlone Institute of Technology has received a massive funding boost for research studies, it was announced this week. The Department of Education has allocated €1.8 million to the college. The monies will allow the Institute to build a dedicated postgraduate research hub with 60 graduate placements, which it hopes to double within the next five years. Professor Ciaran O’Cathain, President of AIT, says this investment will attract world class scholars to the college.