Graham Benham receives coveted ERC Starting Grant

Graham Benham, Assistant Professor in Applied and Computational Maths, and Earth Institute Climate Fellow, is among four early-career academics from UCD to receive prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grants to support their research. 

The awardees will each receive over €1.5 million for their respective research projects, which explore the topics of wave technology, long-term pain, criminal governance and infectious livestock disease.

Dr Benham from UCD School of Mathematics and Statistics received the grant for SurFSUP, a project that investigates wave-driven propulsion – the way in which a floating body, such as a water snake, propels itself forward by generating surface waves.

“Wave-driven propulsion has the potential to revolutionise engineering applications,” he explained. “The SurFSUP project will reveal how we can harness waves for propulsion, with the goal of unlocking new technologies for sustainable transport, environmental cleanup and smart farming.”

To date, UCD has secured 39 main ERC grants under the Horizon Europe Programme – approximately 45% of the national ERC total for the programme. 

“Congratulations to the four UCD academics who have received ERC Starting Grants,” said Professor Kate Robson Brown, UCD Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact.

“Their innovative projects promise to make major contributions to their fields and address critical scientific and societal challenges. We look forward to following the progress of these outstanding researchers.”