Frontiers for the Future: Minister Lawless announces €34.5M investment in cutting-edge research

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless, TD, has announced €34.5 million in funding to support 39 cutting-edge research projects. Seven UCD initiatives were funded under the Research Ireland Frontiers for the Future Programme Projects stream, and two were funded under the Awards stream.

The Frontiers for the Future Programme provides opportunities for independent investigators to conduct highly innovative, collaborative research with the potential to deliver impact, whilst also providing opportunities for high-risk, high-reward research projects.

Announcing the awards, Minister Lawless said: “We are investing in cutting-edge, curiosity-driven research, and empowering individual researchers to progress bold ideas that can lead to groundbreaking discoveries. These awards demonstrate our dedication to building a diverse and inclusive research community that delivers impact for our society and economy. I look forward to seeing the development and outputs of these projects over the coming years.”

Dr Diarmuid O'Brien, CEO of Research Ireland, commented: “Research Ireland’s Frontiers for the Future Programme has, at its core, the exploration of high-risk, high-reward ideas, and the building of collaborative teams that produce excellent research. We are proud to be partnering with Children’s Health Foundation, Breakthrough Cancer Research, and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, and supporting 66 PhD students, 47 postdoctoral researchers, and 13 other research positions.”

This year’s Frontiers for the Future Programme was co-funded by Children’s Health Foundation, Breakthrough Cancer Research, and Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, who collectively contributed €2.8 million to the programme.

UCD Projects:

Lead Researcher: Associate Professor Abdollah Malekjafarian, UCD School of Civil Engineering, Co-PI Professor Eugene O’Brien, UCD School of Civil Engineering. Company involved: Arup

Existing techniques for bridge inspection rely heavily on visual techniques. In recent years, electronic monitoring has started to happen, using sensors installed directly on the bridge. However, these methods are expensive and ineffective. NETSENS will develop “drive-by” bridge monitoring techniques, where sensors inside vehicles will indirectly infer bridge condition without the need to install anything on the bridge. This approach will provide a unique opportunity for infrastructure owners to perform a rapid assessment of all their bridge assets. It has the potential to greatly support decision-making regarding the operation, maintenance and repair of bridges.

Lead Researcher Dr Ciarán Hickey (Ad Astra Fellow), UCD School of Physics

Many of the most important experimental and theoretical tools used to study many-body systems can be cast into the relatively simple framework of linear response. That is, the induced response of a system to a weak perturbing force is linearly proportional to the force itself. A vast world of textbook physics lies within this linear regime. We aim to break beyond these traditional confines and shed light on a truly new frontier, the rapidly emerging field of non-linear response, with a comprehensive theoretical perspective on the new insights and breakthroughs awaiting in the important context of quantum magnets.

Lead Researcher: Associate Professor Dara Stanley, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science

Pollinators are essential for the production of crops and wild plants. However, many pollinators are in decline. One potential driver of decline is the impact pollinators managed by humans (e.g. honeybees) may have on wild pollinators (e.g. other bees, flies, etc). This project will test whether managed honeybees have implications for wild pollinators, working closely with stakeholders and using a variety of approaches from the field to the lab. It will also assess how managed and wild pollinators are portrayed in the media. This will advance our knowledge globally about these issues and provide the first evidence in Ireland.

Lead Researcher: Dr Demetra Achilleos, UCD School of Chemistry

The project proposes the use of scalable/sustainable nanofabrication and 3D printing techniques to develop artificial systems based upon photonic structures for a circular economy driven by sunlight. The paradigm shift towards scalable/automated processes using low-cost materials could derive state-of-the-art, ‘green’, and sustainable systems of commercial potential for real-world applications. Water splitting and waste utilisation (i.e., biomass, plastic) to produce ‘green’ fuels for transportation (i.e., H2) and useful chemicals for industry are only some of the potential applications of these systems. Such portable, light-harvesting units are expected to facilitate minimum consumption of resources and operate off-grid in remote/challenging environments.

Lead Researcher: Professor Mark Flanagan, UCD School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Company involved: Qorvo Inc.

Future wireless networks are envisioned to support new wireless applications and services, including smart cities and homes, intelligent connected vehicles, and smart manufacturing. These applications and services require both high-data-rate and low-delay wireless connectivity as well as highly accurate and reliable sensing capabilities. On the other hand, the recent development of smart radio environments means that we can greatly enhance wireless systems through intelligent radio wave control. This project will design novel and efficient joint sensing and communication techniques for future wireless networks operating in smart radio environments, and answer fundamental questions regarding their achievable communication and sensing performance.

Lead Researcher: Dr Martina Wallace, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD Conway Institute

Liver fibrosis is defined by the accumulation of excess connective tissue that can lead to liver failure, liver cancer and death. Metabolically-dysfunctional-associated liver fibrosis is increasing in the Irish population due to increasing obesity rates and unhealthy lifestyle choices. There are limited treatment options for this form of fibrosis, so this project is focused on discovering and testing new molecular targets to treat the disease. These targets are related to how the cells that cause fibrosis get the energy and building blocks required to proliferate and create the excessive connective tissue that drives fibrosis.

Lead Researcher: Dr Nuala Mai Caffrey, UCD School of Physics

When placed on an atomically flat surface, individual magnetic atoms and small organic molecules can spontaneously self-assemble into highly ordered two-dimensional structures. External stimuli can cause the structure of these 2D networks to rearrange, making them promising for applications in data storage and as quantum spin systems for quantum technologies. We propose to use advanced computational techniques to determine the interactions between these 2D metal-organic networks and other 'traditional' 2D materials, such as graphene, when stacked into heterostructures. We will predict how electric and magnetic polarisation can be used to control the structure and behaviour of such networks.

UCD Awards

Lead Researcher: Professor Geraldine Butler, UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, UCD Conway Institute

Yeasts have many biotechnological uses, from brewing to baking to generating biofuels. The best-known yeast species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is used for baking, wine making, and beer brewing. However, there are more than 1,000 other yeast species that remain to be exploited. This project will identify yeasts from the Irish environment, particularly soil and rotting wood, that have biotechnological applications. We will develop methods that will facilitate genetic manipulation of these species. We will use a mixture of bioprospecting, molecular biology, and genomics.

Lead Researcher: Professor Wenxin Wang, UCD School of Medicine, UCD Conway Institute. Company involved: Branca Bunús Ltd

This project focuses on developing a groundbreaking technology to deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) therapies, particularly targeting a rare skin condition called recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB). Our innovative approach uses specially designed molecules to stabilise mRNA, making the treatment more effective and longer lasting. The research involves creating these molecules, optimising their delivery into cells, and testing their effectiveness. If successful, this technology could not only help treat RDEB but also be adapted for other medical uses. This project holds significant potential to transform the landscape of genetic disorder treatments and beyond, helping address health challenges in Ireland and worldwide.

The 39 funded initiatives span the following 12 research institutions. For a full list of recipients announced, visit (opens in a new window)Research Ireland.