Early career researchers receive prestigious Research Ireland funding 

30 Oct 2024

Early-stage researchers at University College Cork (UCC) have received over €4.6m in research funding in the 2024 Government of Ireland (GOI) Postdoctoral Fellowship and Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship awards.

The programmes support exceptional early-career researchers to pursue cutting-edge research with world-class potential in any discipline across the sciences, engineering, arts and humanities. The highly competitive programme enables the development of high-level skills and knowledge for current and future challenges across a variety of settings, including industry, the public sector, civil society and academia. 

47 UCC research projects have received awards announced today by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O’Donovan. 

Among the 32 UCC projects funded under the GOI Postgraduate Scholarship programme are: 

• Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport in female GAA athletes and the impact on endocrine function and bone health. 
• Using Artificial Intelligence tools in the development of individualised speech and language therapeutic resources for complex syntax intervention in young children with Developmental Language Disorder. 
• At the Frontline of Climate Activism: Exploring the gender dynamics of contemporary climate activism in Ireland. 
• Rationally designed sulfur-derived antivirals - novel treatments for HIV. 
• Out of Focus- The History and Development of Film Preservation in Ireland. 

Three of the UCC based Government of Ireland postgraduate scholarships are made in collaboration with, and funded by, the following partner agencies: the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. 

Postgraduate Scholarships - College of Science, Engineering and Food Science:

Among the 15 UCC projects funded under the GOI Postdoctoral Fellowship programme are: 

• Decoding the role of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in food reward. 
• Making space for play in Irish schoolyards: Analysing existing compliance with play rights recommendations and developing case study exemplars. 
• Trajectories and Experiences of Reproductive and Maternal Healthcare for migrant and other racialised women and pregnant people in Ireland. 

Postdoctoral Fellowships - College of Science, Engineering and Food Science:

Nationally, the Research Ireland funding is a combined €27.5m and will be allocated to 290 projects across the two programmes. 

Announcing the funding awards, Minister Patrick O’Donovan said: "Following the establishment of Research Ireland earlier this year, I am delighted to announce this very significant investment in top research talent. Ireland has a strong reputation for research and innovation and it is vital that we continue to invest in future research leaders who, together, can play a key role in addressing the many challenges we face and the opportunities open to us. The ability to attract and retain excellent researchers within Ireland is key to the success of our knowledge economy for the long-term, and the Government of Ireland programme supports this aim. I wish the many researchers supported under the 2024 programme every success with their projects." 

Celine FitzGerald, Interim CEO of Research Ireland, said: “Research Ireland is delighted to be making this major investment in new research talent. A diverse range of early-career researchers working across a spectrum of disciplines will benefit from this funding, including awardees funded by the programme’s valued partners. The 290 awardees have demonstrated through rigorous international assessment the quality of their projects and the capacity to contribute new insights and solutions to technological, scientific, environmental, social and cultural challenges." 

Congratulating all UCC awardees, Professor John F. Cryan, UCC Vice President for Research and Innovation said: “I would like to congratulate all postgraduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and their principal investigators on securing these prestigious awards. These awards will support the development of the next generation of innovative researchers in UCC, as they pursue excellence across a range of research disciplines, spanning all ten thematic areas of UCC Futures.”