2008 Press Releases
Minister Martin Announces Four Research Awards under SFI's Maths Initiative
06.05.2008
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin TD yesterday (May 5th 2008) announced Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) funding totalling almost €3million for four new research projects.
06.05.2008
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin TD yesterday (May 5th 2008) announced Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) funding totalling almost €3million for four new research projects.
The award-winning projects, based at University College Cork (UCC), Dublin City University (DCU), National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) and University of Limerick (UL), will be funded as part of SFI's Mathematics Initiative, which aims to facilitate closer links between Ireland's mathematicians and researchers in industry, science, engineering, finance, education and other sectors.
Making the announcement, Minister Martin said: "SFI's Mathematics Initiative is a key driver in encouraging and supporting engagement and collaboration between mathematicians and those employed across a range of other disciplines. Such collaboration is essential in ensuring a flourishing environment between the worlds of academia and industry."
"This initiative provides ongoing opportunities for innovative research to make a direct impact on enterprise, engineering, education and beyond. I commend those involved in these projects for their dedication and commitment in this regard," the Minister added.
Director General of SFI, Professor Frank Gannon said "The four research projects to successfully secure funding under this latest Mathematics Initiative have each illustrated vision, purpose and foresight in how Mathematics is applied to a variety of research areas. While diverse in their subject matter, the projects have, as a common theme, the enhancement of Ireland's reputation across all fields of mathematics."
Science Foundation Ireland received a total of fourteen applications from seven Higher Education Institutions and all applications were assessed by a panel of international expert reviewers.
Successful Projects
The 'Statistical Methods in Biomedical Imaging' project headed by Professor Finbarr O Sullivan at UCC, will receive €990,818 over four years. The proposal focuses on the development of new Statistical Theory and Methods stimulated by the emerging new role for quantitative diagnostic imaging in medical research. A unique element of the project is a study to develop, implement and test perfusion scanning with CT and MRI scanners available in Ireland. This would significantly advance options for management of Stroke and Alzheimer's disease in the Irish Health care system. This has associated commercial opportunities. The work will also develop essential mathematical expertise required to realise a role for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) in clinical research in Ireland.
The Edgeworth Centre for Financial Mathematics, led by Dr John Appleby at DCU, will receive €995,260 over four years. This interdisciplinary project in Financial Mathematics brings together teams of researchers in mathematics and finance with practitioners from financial institutions. Recent years have seen the growing use of sophisticated mathematical techniques in the operations of financial institutions. Researchers from UCC, DCU and UL will develop strong links with IFSC companies, from which they have already attracted collaborators. This research centre will show the relevance of mathematics to real-world problems and it will raise the profile of mathematics among school leavers and the wider public.
The De Brun Centre for Computational Algebra, based at NUIG and led by Dr Graham Ellis, will receive a grant of €500,000 over four years. Algebraic computation is playing an increasingly widespread role in applied mathematics, statistics, engineering and science. Recent examples of this phenomenon are the emergence of bioinformatics as a cognate discipline of biology, and the use of algebraic topology in image analysis. Three teams of researchers at NUIG will examine inter-related areas of computational algebra, focussing on innovative projects with direct relevance to applied mathematics and engineering.
The Bio-Statistics & Informatics (BIO-SI) project at UL, led by Professor Gilbert MacKenzie, will receive €500,000 as part of SFI's Maths Initiative. This joint research programme involves collaborative work with medical and bio-scientists. Its aim is to develop new methods and models to address substantive research questions, and to provide a major focus for statistical science in Ireland. The Departments of Mathematics & Statistics (Limerick) and Mathematics (Galway) will co-operate in the areas of Bio-statistics & Bio-informatics. The Limerick group will comprise the new Centre of Biostatistics while the Galway wing will comprise the Statistics Group, led by Professor John Hinde.
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Making the announcement, Minister Martin said: "SFI's Mathematics Initiative is a key driver in encouraging and supporting engagement and collaboration between mathematicians and those employed across a range of other disciplines. Such collaboration is essential in ensuring a flourishing environment between the worlds of academia and industry."
"This initiative provides ongoing opportunities for innovative research to make a direct impact on enterprise, engineering, education and beyond. I commend those involved in these projects for their dedication and commitment in this regard," the Minister added.
Director General of SFI, Professor Frank Gannon said "The four research projects to successfully secure funding under this latest Mathematics Initiative have each illustrated vision, purpose and foresight in how Mathematics is applied to a variety of research areas. While diverse in their subject matter, the projects have, as a common theme, the enhancement of Ireland's reputation across all fields of mathematics."
Science Foundation Ireland received a total of fourteen applications from seven Higher Education Institutions and all applications were assessed by a panel of international expert reviewers.
Successful Projects
The 'Statistical Methods in Biomedical Imaging' project headed by Professor Finbarr O Sullivan at UCC, will receive €990,818 over four years. The proposal focuses on the development of new Statistical Theory and Methods stimulated by the emerging new role for quantitative diagnostic imaging in medical research. A unique element of the project is a study to develop, implement and test perfusion scanning with CT and MRI scanners available in Ireland. This would significantly advance options for management of Stroke and Alzheimer's disease in the Irish Health care system. This has associated commercial opportunities. The work will also develop essential mathematical expertise required to realise a role for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) in clinical research in Ireland.
The Edgeworth Centre for Financial Mathematics, led by Dr John Appleby at DCU, will receive €995,260 over four years. This interdisciplinary project in Financial Mathematics brings together teams of researchers in mathematics and finance with practitioners from financial institutions. Recent years have seen the growing use of sophisticated mathematical techniques in the operations of financial institutions. Researchers from UCC, DCU and UL will develop strong links with IFSC companies, from which they have already attracted collaborators. This research centre will show the relevance of mathematics to real-world problems and it will raise the profile of mathematics among school leavers and the wider public.
The De Brun Centre for Computational Algebra, based at NUIG and led by Dr Graham Ellis, will receive a grant of €500,000 over four years. Algebraic computation is playing an increasingly widespread role in applied mathematics, statistics, engineering and science. Recent examples of this phenomenon are the emergence of bioinformatics as a cognate discipline of biology, and the use of algebraic topology in image analysis. Three teams of researchers at NUIG will examine inter-related areas of computational algebra, focussing on innovative projects with direct relevance to applied mathematics and engineering.
The Bio-Statistics & Informatics (BIO-SI) project at UL, led by Professor Gilbert MacKenzie, will receive €500,000 as part of SFI's Maths Initiative. This joint research programme involves collaborative work with medical and bio-scientists. Its aim is to develop new methods and models to address substantive research questions, and to provide a major focus for statistical science in Ireland. The Departments of Mathematics & Statistics (Limerick) and Mathematics (Galway) will co-operate in the areas of Bio-statistics & Bio-informatics. The Limerick group will comprise the new Centre of Biostatistics while the Galway wing will comprise the Statistics Group, led by Professor John Hinde.
717MMcS