2025 News Archive

New ISSDA Dataverse to make Social Science Data easier to find and use

The Irish Social Science Data Archive (ISSDA) based at UCD Library has launched ISSDA Dataverse, a modern platform that significantly enhances how users access, discover and work with archived social science data.

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Prof Helen Roche appointed to the Board of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland

Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, has appointed Prof Roche to the Board of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland until 6 October 2028.

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2025 UCD Conway Festival gold medal for research on a new gene mutation in eye disease named after blind Irish poet

Dr Tess McCann is a member of Prof Breandán Kennedy's research team at UCD Conway Institute.

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€28M programme unites universities, charities and industry to deliver next generation cancer care

Minister James Lawless launches Precision Oncology Ireland (POI), Phase 2, which represents double the investment, scale and ambition for POI, Ireland's largest cancer research programme.

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EU 'people data' project to help Ukrainian refugees integrate in Ireland

New EU Social Innovation+ pilot project to explore practical approaches to refugee integration using ethical ‘people data’ platform. The project brings together local communities, employers and Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection, to inform local and national policy.

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Research shows that 10% natural habitat is insufficient for pollinator recovery

Bees, bumblebees, and butterflies need much more space for pollinator recovery than is currently stipulated in EU directives.

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Dipti Pandya re-elected as EARMA Chair

The European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA) Chair begins her second term this month. The EARMA community is composed of 400+ institutional members from 47 countries.

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UCD and Met Éireann launch new centre for AI for weather and climate services, Innovation and research

The AIMSIR centre, established by a partnership between UCD and the National Meteorological Service, will strengthen Ireland’s preparedness for changing weather and climate

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AI2Peat wins National Challenge Fund prize under Future Digital Challenge

Minister Lawless has announced over €2.5M in prize funding for the first National Challenge Fund prize winners.

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Astronomers discover cosmic explosion unlike any other ever seen before

Mysterious repeating gamma-ray bursts were spotted outside our own galaxy using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), co-led by Dr Antonio Martin-Carrillo, Ad Astra fellow and Assistant Professor in UCD School of Physics.

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Study explores children's experiences of transition from primary to post-primary schooling

The ninth report from the Children’s School Lives study showcases experiences directly from children and significant adults in their lives about their journey from sixth class to the first months of Year 1 in post-primary education.

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High flier taking UCD towards the stars

Prof Kate Robson Brown, VP for Research, Innovation and impact is on a mission to help Ireland gain a place among the leading space science nations and for UCD, the nation’s top space university, to drive that ambition. Interview with Sean Duke.

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COALESCE funded research will explore the evolution of society and tackle current societal challenges

Following the allocation of €4.7M Research Ireland funding this year, a total of 19 projects are underway, with six of the projects from UCD.

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Four UCD researchers receive ERC Starting Grants for groundbreaking research projects

The UCD academics will explore research topics including musculoskeletal pain, fluid dynamics, criminal organisations and the evolution of livestock health.

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Ireland’s first satellite EIRSAT-1 completes its mission

Ireland’s first satellite, built and launched by UCD students and faculty, has completed its two-year mission orbiting the Earth. The trailblazing project has made Ireland a space-faring nation.

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Evolution: Two small steps for human bipedalism

The upper part of the human pelvis, known as the ilium, underwent two major structural innovations during evolution that enabled humans to walk on two legs, a Nature paper reveals.

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EIRSAT-1 novel control payload successfully demonstrates advanced satellite pointing in space

Breakthrough Wave-Based Control platform designed by team at UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering a leap forward for CubeSat missions.

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New Research highlights the Importance of the Patient Voice in Perinatal Loss Care

UCD researchers collaborate with parents from pregnancy loss support groups to develop an innovative new programme for medical students.

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Prof Joanna Brück elected International Fellow of the British Academy

Election to an International Fellowship is the highest honour that the Academy confers on non-UK residents in recognition of scholarly distinction.

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Minister Lawless announces 72 Sustainable Laboratory Certifications

13 UCD labs have been awarded certifications for iImplementing best-in-class, sustainable research practices.

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UCD takes its place in Europe’s largest scientific organisation

The university has been a long-time driver of Irish membership of CERN, UCD’s particle physics research group are leaders in the Irish community of scientists already active at CERN and collaborated on the Higgs boson discovery.

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UCD C-Space leads European novel satellite swarm mission to observe gamma-ray bursts

UCD’s Centre for Space Research is leading the COMCUBE-S project, backed by the European Space Agency, to develop new capabilities for observing gamma-ray bursts

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Minister Lawless announces €23M in funding for early-career researchers

Research Ireland Pathway programme will support five promising UCD researchers to drive impactful discoveries.

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UCD experts awarded ERC Advanced Grants for cutting-edge research

UCD researchers Assoc Prof Barry Wardell and Prof Kylie Jarrett to receive a total of €5 million for projects exploring gravitational waves and livelihoods generated by digital platforms.

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Researchers share discoveries with the public through Soapbox Science

On Saturday 14 June 1-4pm, twelve female speakers will share their research in the streets of Dublin City Centre as part of Soapbox Science 2025.

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UCD teams progress to next phase of the Research Ireland- Defence Innovation Challenge programme

The three UCD teams will receive Seed Phase funding to further develop and validate their concepts across a range of mission-critical areas.

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Africa, Ireland and UCD: Working together to address global sustainability challenges

UCD Earth Institute and UCD’s Office of Global Engagement hosted the university’s first conference on collaborative research with African partners, since the launch of UCD’s Africa Engagement Strategy in 2023.

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Four Research Alliance Awards for UCD to boost Ireland-Wales research collaboration

Ministers James Lawless TD and Wales’ Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans MS, have announced funding totalling €584,378.

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Are blood thinners doing enough to prevent stroke in high-risk patients?

Research published in JAMA Neurology explores the residual risk of recurrent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation and suggests new treatments are urgently required.

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'Children's School Lives' report on impact of Migration and Ethnicity

Longitudinal study 'Children’s School Lives' has published the third report from its Equalities series, exploring the theme of Migration and Ethnicity to look at the impact of the increasing migrant, ethnic and linguistic diversity in Irish Primary Schools.

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UCD and UC Davis deepen partnership to tackle global challenges

UCD and the University of California, Davis, sign an agreement of cooperation to develop research collaboration across the themes of Sustainable Food Systems, One Health, and Artificial Intelligence and Data Science.

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New Foundations awards to tackle national and global issues

Four UCD awardees among 59 announced by Research Ireland under its New Foundations programme, supporting researchers in developing collaborative projects with community organisations and government departments.

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Ultra-processed foods and drinks linked to biomarkers of chronic low-grade inflammation

Research led by Dr Sean Millar and Assistant Prof Catherine Phillips, UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, is published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

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Transatlantic collaboration drives innovation in Cystic Fibrosis Care and Cost Research

Research collaboration demonstrates how process mapping and variance analysis can inform value-based healthcare decisions in outpatient CF care for children in Ireland and the US.

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Prof Susi Geiger appointed as ERC Ambassador

The European Research Council (ERC) and the Association of ERC Grantees (AERG) have launched the new 'Ambassadors for the ERC' network to promote investment in frontier research.

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Professor Kate Robson Brown Joins the Board of Trustees at the UK’s Natural History Museum

UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, has appointed Prof Robson Brown, UCD VP for Research, Innovation and Impact, to the Board of Trustees of the UK’s Natural History Museum.

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New exhibition from artist-led collaboration between UCD researchers and women in minority communities

‘Cut from the Same Cloth' is the culmination of a project curated by artist, Lorna Donlon in partnership with women in minority communities across Ireland and biomedical researchers from UCD.

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MAGIC-I study to revolutionise childhood cancer care in Ireland

MAGIC-I stands for ‘Molecular and Genomic Interrogation of Childhood Cancer - Ireland’, a five-year project harnessing the power of genetics, genomics and big data to radically improve cancer diagnostics, treatment and patient outcomes.

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Prestigious Royal Society Fellowship for UCD Researcher

Dr Anthony Redmond, UCD School of Medicine, will lead the project, ‘Immunity in the Fast Lane: Reconstructing the Evolution of the Animal Immune System and Prospecting for Novel Antimicrobials’.

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Minister James Lawless launches significant new political science book

Book billed a 'reappraisal of the constitutional realities in Britain and Ireland at a time of seismic change,' key output of the Constitutional Futures after Brexit (CFaB) research project, led by UCD academic and journalist Dr Paul Gillespie.

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Research Ireland Discover Programme funding for 7 UCD projects inspiring STEM public engagement

Seven UCD projects to drive innovation in STEM education and public engagement, contributing to Ireland’s industry, enterprise, and societal progress. 

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Minister Lawless announces €17.7M research infrastructure investment

Three UCD projects are among those funded. The awards will contribute to the advancement of high-quality and high-impact research activities across Ireland. 

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UCD researchers on 5 of the finalist teams awarded under the National Challenge Fund

Total of €65 million announced for 10 research teams addressing Sustainable Communities and Future Food Systems Challenges.

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€7M joint investment announced for US-Ireland Research Programme

Prof Niamh Nowlan to lead project that will provide new insights into fetal akinesia, in partnership with Ulster University and University of Pennsylvania.

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Research Ireland St Patrick’s Day Medals awarded to leading experts in philosophy and healthcare

Richard Kearney holds the Seelig Chair of Philosophy at Boston College and has served as a Visiting Professor at UCD; Michael Dowling, President and CEO of Northwell Health, holds an honorary doctorate from UCD.

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UCD celebrates first ASPHER Core Curriculum for Public Health on Health Science Week

UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science has played a leading role in developing a Core Curriculum for Public Health with the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER).

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Researchers find some slush ice drinks pose risk to younger children

New research shows glycerol in ‘slushies’ can make children sick - instances of children getting sick after consuming slush ice drinks prompted an investigation and changes to health guidelines.

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CeADAR and Google announce partnership to help Irish businesses unlock AI’s potential

CeADAR, Ireland’s European Digital Hub for AI hosted at UCD, and Google signed the agreement at a meeting with the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD.

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€2.2M in research funding for six teams to advance UN Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger

The SDG Challenge is run in partnership with Irish Aid. Four of the projects will be co-led by UCD.

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Ten research projects funded to develop new technologies in the Defence Forces

Research Ireland – Defence Innovation Challenge 2024 investment designed to deliver a range of benefits for the Defence Forces and wider society.

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Sarah A. Gleeson announced as Research Ireland Professor and Director of iCRAG

With €4.5 million funding from Research Ireland, her focus is to advance systems models and exploration tools in the search for new mineral deposits in Ireland and globally.

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World Rare Disease Day: Advancing Research Through Collaboration and Public Involvement

28 February 2025 marks World Rare Disease Day, a moment to reflect on the vital role of research in improving the lives of people living with rare diseases.

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Scotland and Ireland unlocking Space for shared goals

Scottish and Irish space-related researchers and companies assembled to explore the joint ambition of ‘Growing the Space Economy Together’, the second annual Scotland-Ireland space research and innovation conference.

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UCD and University of Strathclyde sign MoU on space-related research and innovation

Universities to foster potential collaboration in research for space related activities in areas of interest including: net-zero transition; rural, coastal, and island communities; life science, space, and microbiology.

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Frontiers for the Future funding for high-risk, high-reward research

Two UCD research projects have been funded under the Awards stream of the Research Ireland Frontiers for the Future Programme. 

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EPA funds new research to address climate and environmental challenges

Three innovative, policy-relevant UCD projects to address key knowledge gaps and support the development of vital research capacity.

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UCD welcomes Ireland’s progress on joining CERN

UCD has the only experimental particle physics group in the country and has been working on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN for over 20 years.

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iCRAG@10 conference showcases a decade of research and impact

Geoscience researchers gather in UCD to mark 10 years of the iCRAG Research Ireland Centre for Applied Geosciences.

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Ulysses scheme funds 14 Ireland- and France-based research collaborations

A total of €94,000 in funding will support the projects, with UCD researchers collaborating on three.

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Professor Anne Fuchs awarded 2025 RIA Gold Medal in the Humanities

Director of UCD Humanities Institute, Professor Anne Fuchs receives prestigious Royal Irish Academy prize for seminal work in German humanities scholarship.

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UCD Breaking Boundaries begins with talent investment

Ambitious plans to lead in AI, One Health and more kicks off with Ad Astra Fellowship international recruitment drive for 50 strategic hires from the best of early career talent in Ireland and overseas.

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New Accelerating Research to Commercialisation (ARC) Hub for Therapeutics Awarded €31.6M

UCD to co-lead the new Research Ireland ARC Hub for Therapeutics

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Evolving Safety and Privacy for 6G Networks

New EU-funded global consortium ENSURE 6G brings together 15 industry and academic partners to tackle growing challenges of security and privacy in Beyond 5G (B5G) and 6G networks.

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Minister Lawless announces €2.5M for Research Ireland industry-focused fellowships

Five post-doctoral researchers from UCD will partner with companies to tackle Industry-focused challenges and deliver impactful solutions.

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UCD and NU showcase five collaborations in health tech and DIY music resilience

Trans-Atlantic collaborators from University College Dublin and Northeastern University, Boston, gained seed funding for highly innovative, interdisciplinary research to drive advances in health and cultural industries

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EIRSAT-1 wins UCD Research Impact Competition for transforming national space landscape

The EIRSAT-1 project takes first prize for impact among 11 finalists, with the Engaged Research prize going to Prof Patricia Fitzpatrick for her work supporting cancer patients to quit smoking.

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Researcher of the Year 2024 (IRC legacy) Awards

Jane Grimson Medal of Excellence awarded to the highest ranked STEM candidate in the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship programme, Savannah Devine at UCD School of Earth Sciences

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Newly discovered gene mutation in eye disease named after blind Irish poet

Researchers at UCD led by Professor Breandan Kennedy have discovered that a mutation in a gene called emc1 causes major vision problems in zebrafish.

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Digitally transforming European healthcare education

UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science announces partnership in EU project to address critical gaps in digital competencies within healthcare, led by University of Oulu, Finland.

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Major EU project to investigate societal benefits and risks of Artificial Intelligence

New €3M EU research project led by UCD Centre for Digital Policy to enhance AI capabilities and EU regulatory frameworks.

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