Projects funded include a study to reduce seizures in epilepsy, the development of antimicrobial food packaging and the use of AI in speech and language therapy.
Research Ireland has announced €27.5m for 290 projects under this year’s Government of Ireland postgraduate scholarship and postdoctoral fellowship programmes.
The scholarship schemes support “exceptional” early-career researchers to pursue innovative research in disciplines across sciences, engineering, arts and humanities.
The awards this year will fund 80 postdoctoral fellows and 210 postgraduate scholars, including 10 postgraduate scholarships that were made in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
“Following the establishment of Research Ireland earlier this year, I am delighted to announce this very significant investment in top research talent,” said the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Patrick O’Donovan, TD, who announced the awards today.
“Ireland has a strong reputation for research and innovation and it is vital that we continue to invest in future research leaders.”
Postgraduate projects funded this year include a study investigating the potential of a chemical compound to reduce seizures in temporal lobe epilepsy by Niamh Clarke at University College Dublin and novel manufacturing techniques to aid the fabrication of antimicrobial surfaces on reusable food packaging by Ronan Farrell at the Technological University of the Shannon.
Ana Oliveira Buckley at University College Cork will investigate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to develop individualised speech and language therapy for young children with developmental language disorder.
Postdoctoral awardees include Jizhong Meng from Teagasc, who will investigate innovative bipolar membrane electrodialysis for organic fertiliser production to empower organic farming and Hannah Prendeville at the University of Galway, who will examine the treatment of ovarian cancer through an immunotherapy-based approach.
The collaboratively funded projects include an EPA postgraduate scholarship for Gráinne Gibson, who will study the complexities of climate action in companies by examining the role of research and development and digital skill shortages at the University of Limerick
While the DFA Andrew Grene Postgraduate Scholarship in Conflict Resolution was awarded to Evans Amoako Amoah at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, whose project will examine farmer-herder conflicts in Ghana and investigate linkages between climate change, resource competition and food security in rural communities.
Celine Fitzgerald, interim CEO of Research Ireland, said that “a diverse range of early-career researchers working across a spectrum of disciplines will benefit from this funding”.
“The 290 awardees have demonstrated through rigorous international assessment the quality of their projects and the capacity to contribute new insights and solutions to technological, scientific, environmental, social and cultural challenges.”
Late last year, the Irish Research Council named Aaron Maloney as the winner of the Jane Grimson Medal of Excellence – an annual award that is given to the top-ranking postgraduate STEM scholar in Ireland. Earlier that year, Maloney was awarded funding through the Government of Ireland Postgraduate programme to complete his studies.
Suhasini Srinivasaragavan
This article originally appeared on www.siliconrepublic.com and can be found here
Research Ireland has announced €27.5m for 290 projects under this year’s Government of Ireland postgraduate scholarship and postdoctoral fellowship programmes.
The scholarship schemes support “exceptional” early-career researchers to pursue innovative research in disciplines across sciences, engineering, arts and humanities.
The awards this year will fund 80 postdoctoral fellows and 210 postgraduate scholars, including 10 postgraduate scholarships that were made in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
“Following the establishment of Research Ireland earlier this year, I am delighted to announce this very significant investment in top research talent,” said the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Patrick O’Donovan, TD, who announced the awards today.
“Ireland has a strong reputation for research and innovation and it is vital that we continue to invest in future research leaders.”
Postgraduate projects funded this year include a study investigating the potential of a chemical compound to reduce seizures in temporal lobe epilepsy by Niamh Clarke at University College Dublin and novel manufacturing techniques to aid the fabrication of antimicrobial surfaces on reusable food packaging by Ronan Farrell at the Technological University of the Shannon.
Ana Oliveira Buckley at University College Cork will investigate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to develop individualised speech and language therapy for young children with developmental language disorder.
Postdoctoral awardees include Jizhong Meng from Teagasc, who will investigate innovative bipolar membrane electrodialysis for organic fertiliser production to empower organic farming and Hannah Prendeville at the University of Galway, who will examine the treatment of ovarian cancer through an immunotherapy-based approach.
The collaboratively funded projects include an EPA postgraduate scholarship for Gráinne Gibson, who will study the complexities of climate action in companies by examining the role of research and development and digital skill shortages at the University of Limerick
While the DFA Andrew Grene Postgraduate Scholarship in Conflict Resolution was awarded to Evans Amoako Amoah at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, whose project will examine farmer-herder conflicts in Ghana and investigate linkages between climate change, resource competition and food security in rural communities.
Celine Fitzgerald, interim CEO of Research Ireland, said that “a diverse range of early-career researchers working across a spectrum of disciplines will benefit from this funding”.
“The 290 awardees have demonstrated through rigorous international assessment the quality of their projects and the capacity to contribute new insights and solutions to technological, scientific, environmental, social and cultural challenges.”
Late last year, the Irish Research Council named Aaron Maloney as the winner of the Jane Grimson Medal of Excellence – an annual award that is given to the top-ranking postgraduate STEM scholar in Ireland. Earlier that year, Maloney was awarded funding through the Government of Ireland Postgraduate programme to complete his studies.
Suhasini Srinivasaragavan
This article originally appeared on www.siliconrepublic.com and can be found here
