Researchers at University College Cork are set to unveil a sustainable development index for rural and urban areas at a conference today.

University College Cork (UCC) researchers will lead a €4 million European-wide project aimed at sourcing new mineral deposits to assist the European Union’s (EU) climate objectives and targets in the mining of materials within the EU and will partner in three other cutting-edge projects to receive funding under the HORIZON Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks programme.

• Rethink Ireland and Cork City Council funding awarded to five projects to transform Cork’s green and digital future.
• Led by UCC PhD student Giorgia Anile, The Toy Library offers a free way for families to donate and find toys.
• The Toy Library recognised for commitment to sustainability, community building and circular economy.

• UCC and RTÉ co-production documents major milestone in global communications and the birth of modern telecommunications.
• Two remote communities made history when the world’s first transatlantic cable was laid between Valentia Island in Kerry and Heart’s Content in Newfoundland.
• 99% of all internet and mobile communications are powered by undersea cable.

A newly announced strategic partnership between the School of Pharmacy at University College Cork (UCC) and the Pharmacy Department at St Patrick’s Mental Health Services (SPMHS) based in Dublin will see the two organisations come together over the coming five years to advance research and clinical training in mental health pharmacy. 

Professor Joe Kerry from the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences at University College Cork (UCC) will lead a new agri-food research project aimed at improving the shelf-life of dairy products using sustainable packaging solutions. The ‘Dairy-Zap’ project has received funding of €829,237 from the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) ‘Thematic Research Call’.

• New UCC study shows how playing Dungeons and Dragons can support players’ mental health.
• Escapism, creative expression and social support were identified among the key aspects uniquely linked to the immersive and imaginative nature of D&D gameplay.
• These findings highlight the transformative potential of D&D in therapeutic settings.

Investigating the link between the microbiome and the development of stress-social circuits, the development of novel self-powered eco-friendly supercapacitors, and new approaches to the development of potential anti-viral drugs are amongst the University College Cork (UCC) projects to receive a combined €2.9 million funding under the SFI-IRC Pathway Programme awards announced today by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O’Donovan TD.

The operation of the in-camera rule in Ireland is to be examined by a new independent research project undertaken by legal and social experts in University College Cork (UCC) and Trinity College Dublin (TCD).

As part of our Innovation in Action in UCC series, we have been speaking to the Quercus Innovation and Entrepreneurship scholars about their experience of entrepreneurship as a third level student and the supports available for budding student entrepreneurs in UCC. The Quercus Talented Students’ Programme supports and promotes excellence in academia, sport, creative and performing arts, active citizenship, and innovation/entrepreneurship. The Quercus programme awards up to three scholarships each year to students registered on an undergraduate/level 8 programme, who demonstrate an exceptional level of excellence in the innovation and/or entrepreneurial space.