The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe TD, recently announced €8.5 million for 47 cutting-edge research projects across a range of areas including cystic fibrosis, genetics, infections, environmental monitoring, food safety, and wireless networks.
University College Dublin received the majority of awards (17 of 47) made under the Science Foundation Ireland ‘Research Frontiers Programme’, which will focus research in priority areas that are linked to health and well-being. The programme supports internationally-competitive, high-quality exploratory research across the science, maths and engineering disciplines.
The Minister stated that the €8.5 million investment will create jobs and training opportunities for 105 researchers, mainly PhD students, whose work will in turn generate new jobs. “By helping researchers at a relatively early stage in their work, the programme is targeting our most promising scientists in building their research teams and track records and enhancing our competitiveness,” said Minister O’Keeffe.
Director General of Science Foundation Ireland, Professor Frank Gannon, said: “Ireland’s performance in the fields of scientific and engineering research is directly linked to our future competitiveness. Last year, the Research Frontiers Programme resulted in many notable outcomes such as 88 collaborations with 83 companies, 715 academic collaborations, and 537 scientific papers.
“The programme has contributed to Ireland’s rapid ascent in the ranking of scientific output, rising from 36th place in 2003 to recently breaking into the top 20. Ireland has joined countries such as Finland, Germany and the US in the scientific output stakes,” Professor Gannon concluded.
| Prof Philip Newsholme | UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Sciences |
| Dr Tadhg O’ Croinin | UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Sciences |
| Dr Christine Costello | UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science |
| Dr Martin Leonard | UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science |
| Dr Brian Rodriguez | UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research |
| Prof Joe Carthy | UCD School of Computer Science and Informatics |
| Dr Gianluca Polastri | UCD School of Computer Science and Informatics |
| Prof Adrian Ottewill | UCD School of Mathematical Sciences |
| Dr Sander Zwegers | UCD School of Mathematical Sciences |
| Dr Kenneth Gavin | UCD School of Architecture, Landscape & Civil Engineering |
| Dr Madeleine Lowery | UCD School of Electrical, Electronic & Mechanical Engineering |
| Dr Niall English | UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering |
| Prof Martin Albrecht | UCD School of Chemistry & Chemical Biology |
| Dr Susan Quinn | UCD School of Chemistry & Chemical Biology |
| Dr Ronan McNulty | UCD School of Physics |
| Dr John Quinn | UCD School of Physics |
| Prof Frank McDermott | UCD School of Geological Sciences |
