Research Centres, Institutes and Projects
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Research Themes
Research Themes:
UCC is a globally-oriented, research-led university that focuses on the challenges and opportunities that are shaping the future of our nation and the wider world. We prioritise research in areas that are recognised as significant at the highest international levels, thus creating real impact and uptake in the community beyond the institution.
Recognising that the foremost global challenges require interdisciplinary solutions, we target areas of major opportunity where UCC has the expertise, the infrastructure and the network to lead internationally. Interdisciplinary thematic areas in which UCC has excellence, scale and network to deliver significant impact include the following priorities, which are subject to regular review and the addition of new themes based on excellence and opportunity.
a. Chronic and Infectious Diseases
b. Creative & Engaged Citizenship
c. Financial & Business Services
d. Human Health, Activity & Social Wellbeing across the Lifespan
e. Food & Health
f. Future & Emerging Technologies
g. Gender, Equality & Diversity
h. Culture, Rights, Identities & Society
i. Sustainability & Climate Action
j. Innovation in Teaching & Learning
Institutes & Centres
University College Cork (UCC) is an internationally competitive, research-led University that plays a key role in the development of Ireland’s knowledge-based economy. The University research strategy is focused on creating major centres of excellence for world-class research and is closely aligned with key relevant Government and European Commission policies.
Success in the implementation of this strategy is evidenced by the large number of successful Centres, Institutes and Units that engage in research activity in UCC.
A full list of all UCC Centres, Institutes and Units is provided below, arranged by affiliated College as per the University Policy on the Governance of Research Institutes, Centres and Units (https://www.ucc.ie/en/research/support/policies/#research-institutes-centres-and-units-ricu). Please follow the links for more information.
Science, Engineering & Food Science
| Institutes & Centres | Director/Head |
|---|---|
| Analytical and Biological Chemistry Research Facility | Professor Anita Maguire |
| Cancer Biology at UCC | Professor Rosemary O'Connor |
| Centre for Research into Atmospheric Chemistry | Professor John Wenger |
| Cork Centre for Vitamin D and Nutrition Research | Professor Kevin Cashman Professor Mairead Kiely |
| Dairy Processing Technology Centre | Dr Seamus O’Mahony (UCC PI) |
| ERI - Environmental Research Institute | Professor Sarah Culloty |
| Food Industry Training Unit | Mary McCarthy-Buckley (Manager) |
| Food Institute | Jim Corbett |
| Insight — Centre for Data Analytics | Professor Barry O'Sullivan |
| Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Technology Centre | Dr Abina Crean (UCC PI) |
Medicine & Health
| Institutes & Centres | Director/Head |
|---|---|
| APC Microbiome Ireland | Professor Paul Ross |
| ASSERT for Health Centre | Professor Barry O’Reilly |
| BioSciences Imaging Centre | Professor John Cryan Dr André Toulouse |
| Centre for Gerontology and Rehabilitation | Professor William Molloy |
| Centre for Research in Vascular Biology | Professor Noel Caplice |
| Cork Breast Research Group | Professor Mark Corrigan |
| Cork NeuroScience Centre | Professor Cora O’Neill |
| HRB Centre for Health & Diet Research | Professor Ivan Perry |
| HRB Clinical Research Facility at UCC | Professor Joe Eustace |
| Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research (INFANT) | Professor Geraldine Boylan |
| National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre | Professor Richard Greene |
| Oral Health Services Research Centre | Professor Mairéad Harding |
| Parkinson's Disease Research Cluster | Dr Sean O’ Sullivan |
Business & Law
| Institutes & Centres | Director/Head |
|---|---|
| Centre for Children's Rights and Family Law | Professor Ursula Kilkelly |
| Centre for Co-operative Studies | Professor Thia Hennessy |
| Centre for Criminal Justice and Human Rights | Dr Fiona Donson |
| Centre for Investment Research | Professor Mark Hutchinson Dr Niall O’ Sullivan |
| Centre for Law and the Environment | Professor Owen McIntyre Dr Aine Ryall |
| Centre for Policy Studies | Dr Noel Woods |
| Centre for Resilience & Business Continuity | Dr Karen Neville |
| Centre for Sports Economics & Law (CSEL) | Dr Robert Butler |
| Centre for Sustainable Livelihoods | Dr Joe Bogue |
| Competitiveness Institute | Prof Thomas C Lawton |
| Financial Services Innovation Centre | Dr JB McCarthy |
| Health Information Systems Research Centre | Dr Ciara Fitzgerald Dr Ciara Heavin Dr Simon Woodworth |
| Human Resources Research Centre | Dr Ronan Carbery Professor Anthony McDonnell |
| Spatial and Regional Economic Research Centre | Professor Justin Doran Dr Frank Crowley |
| The Keynes Centre | Dr Connell Fanning |
Arts, Celtic Studies & Social Sciences
| Institutes & Centres | Director/Head |
|---|---|
| CELT - Electronic Corpus of Irish Literature & History | Dr Hiram Morgan |
| Centre for Advanced Studies in Languages & Cultures | Dr Patrick Crowley Professor Nuala Finnegan Dr Daragh O’Connell |
| Centre for Local & Regional Governance | Dr Aodh Quinlivan |
| Centre for Mexican Studies | Professor Nuala Finnegan |
| Centre for Neo-Latin Studies | Dr Jason Harris |
| Centre for Planning Education and Research | Mr Brendan O'Sullivan |
| Centre for the Study of the Moral Foundations of Economy and Society | Dr Kieran Keohane Professor Arpad Szakolczai |
| Cork Folklore Project | Dr Tomás MacConmara Dr Clíona O'Carroll |
| Institute for Social Science in the 21st Century | Dr Claire Edwards Dr Caitriona Ni Laoire |
| Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Performance and Theatre Practices | Professor Manfred Schewe |
| Irish Centre for Galician Studies | Dr Martín Veiga |
| Irish Institute for Chinese Studies | Dr Kiri Paromore |
| Irish Institute for Japanese Studies | Dr Kiri Paromore |
| Irish Institute for Korean Studies | Dr Kevin N. Cawley |
| Irish National Institute for Historical Research | Dr Damian Bracken Dr Hiram Morgan |
| LOCUS – Irish Placenames and Title Names | Dr Kevin Murray |
| MEWSC — Marginalised and Endangered World-Views Study Centre | Dr Lidia Guzy Dr James Kapalo |
| Multitext Project | Dr Hiram Morgan |
Environmental Research Institute (ERI)
| Institutes & Centres | Director/Head |
|---|---|
| Environmental Research Institute - ERI | Professor Sarah Culloty |
| Aquaculture & Fisheries Development Centre - AFDC | Professor Sarah Culloty |
| Centre for Research into Atmospheric Chemistry CRAC | Professor John Wenger |
| Centre for Law and the Environment at UCC - CLE | Professor Owen McIntyre, Dr. Aine Ryall |
| Cleaner Production Promotion Unit - CPPU | Dr. Niall Dunphy |
| UN Environment GEMS/Water Capacity Development Centre - UNEP GEMS | Dr. Timothy O’Sullivan |
| MaREI Centre - MaREI | Professor Jerry Murphy, Professor Brian O’Gallachoir |
Tyndall National Institute
| Institutes & Centres | Director/Head |
|---|---|
| Tyndall National Institute | Professor William Scanlan (CEO) |
| International Energy Research Centre | Professor Tony Day |
| Irish Photonic Integration Centre (I-PIC) | Professor Paul Townsend |
| Microelectronic Circuits Centre Ireland | Donnacha O'Riordan |