UCC is an internationally competitive research-intensive university where the excellence and impact of our research outputs is a priority and plays a key role in developing Ireland’s knowledge-based economy. Whilst also informing learning and teaching within the university, strategic development of research is focused on the creation and development of world-leading clusters of researchers, building on the research strengths of the university and in alignment with key strategies of the Irish Government. The quality and range of research activities carried out at UCC can be evidenced by the level of publications output, recognised citation metrics for significance and impact, as well as the internationally recognised expertise of research staff.
UCC’s research activity has seen a consistent rise over the last ten years in terms of the number of its research outputs with 2,922 research articles published by UCC researchers in 2024. The performance of these outputs, as measured through journal publisher’s field-weighted citation impact scores, demonstrates the significance of UCC research publications internationally.
UCC Futures Programme
The UCC Futures Programme is a recent cross-institutional and ambitious research programme that enables "a dynamic enhancement of research, support of innovation and translation of research to tangible solutions to address emerging societal needs and global challenges, to secure a better future for all.” The necessary expertise and people will be recruited through a cluster hiring approach. The graphic below illustrates the ten indicative areas identified:
Research Centres of Excellence
UCC is an international university with research excellence, discovery, innovation and impact at its core. The university's focus is on the challenges and opportunities that are shaping the future of our nation and the wider world. Research is prioritised in areas that are recognised as significant at the highest international levels, thus creating real impact and uptake beyond the institution. UCC has established an ecosystem of centres of excellence and scale in the areas where UCC has demonstrated expertise and leads internationally. The success of this approach is demonstrated in the number of centres based in and led by UCC, funded through large national and international funding programmes as well as industry investment and collaboration. Listed below are some of these major centres.
UCC Research
Aistriú Taighde
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Office of Vice President for Research & Innovation, 4th Floor, Block E, Food Science Building University College Cork, T12 K8AF