Four UCD projects funded under programme to strengthen Ireland-Wales research ties
3 June 2025
Four projects from UCD have received funding under the Research Alliance Award initiative, a collaborative funding programme designed to boost Ireland’s research ties with Wales.
Launched in December 2024 by the Wales Innovation Network (WIN) and Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland, the Research Alliance Award provides seed funding to researchers in both countries to develop joint proposals for Horizon Europe and other European funding programmes.
The four UCD projects are among eight chosen to receive just under €600,000 in total funding announced by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, and Wales’ Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans MS.
Research across a diverse range of disciplines will be supported by the investment, from therapies for neurodegenerative diseases to AI-driven medical solutions.
The funded UCD projects are:
- (opens in a new window)Professor Breandán Kennedy, UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science
- Co-Lead: Ben Mead Cardiff University
- Project: EMPOWER : Empowering An Ocular Research Alliance in Wales and the Republic of Ireland.
- (opens in a new window)Dr Deepu John, UCD School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
- Co-Lead: Nhat (Nick) Pham, Cardiff University
- Project: NEURAL: Next-gen Edge AI for Universal Real-time Seizure Alert.
- (opens in a new window)Professor Madeleine Lowery, UCD School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
- Co-Lead: Cheney Drew, Cardiff University
- Project: Novel speech biomarkers for monitoring disease progression in early-stage Huntington’s disease.
- (opens in a new window)Professor Wenxin Wang, UCD School of Medicine
- Co-Lead: Ben Newland, Cardiff University
- Project: Immunomodulatory and multifunctional cryogel microcarriers for local therapeutic delivery in the brain.
Funding was awarded to researchers from four Welsh universities (Cardiff University, Swansea University, Aberystwyth University and Bangor University) and four Irish universities (UCD, University of Limerick, University College Cork and DCU).
“The Research Alliance Award highlights the strong ties between Ireland and Wales and the immense potential of our academic communities working together,” said Minister Lawless.
“By investing in these innovative projects, we are paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries and solutions that will benefit both our countries and the wider European community. We look forward to seeing how these collaborations develop into larger-scale initiatives that deliver real-world impact.”
“We want to create a dynamic future for ourselves, championing innovation and new technologies to support a greener Wales, with better health, better jobs and prosperity for all,” added Minister Evans.
“The Research Alliance Award funding is a fantastic opportunity for academic organisations in Wales and Ireland to forge new partnerships in a bid to tackle complex challenges with government support – per the ambitions of the Ireland-Wales Shared Statement and Joint Action Plan 2021 to 2025.”
By: Rebecca Hastings, Digital Journalist, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
