70 new postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers funded via the Government of Ireland

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, today announced €36.3 million in funding for 341 research projects through the Research Ireland Government of Ireland postgraduate and postdoctoral programmes.

Announcing the awards, Minister Lawless said: “This significant investment of €36.3 million in our early career researchers reinforces the Government’s commitment to the future of Ireland’s research and innovation system. The Government of Ireland programme is a central measure in supporting the system’s continued development and in strengthening Ireland’s international competitiveness. Early career researchers are the lifeblood of that system. These awards, which span a wide range of subject areas, represent an investment in the country’s future capacity to innovate, driving both social and economic benefits. Without new ideas and new ways of thinking, we cannot hope to build or sustain Ireland as a knowledge economy. My congratulations to all the awardees. I look forward to seeing the impact of your work - on society, on your careers, and in further enhancing Ireland’s reputation as an innovation economy.”

The Government of Ireland programme will support 244 postgraduate scholars and 97 postdoctoral fellows across 16 higher education institutions and research-performing organisations.

Welcoming the announcement, UCD Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact Prof Kate Robson Brown said: "This significant investment in postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers reflects our shared commitment with Government to developing the next generation of research talent. By supporting these emerging scholars at critical stages of their careers, we are not only advancing knowledge and innovation today but also building the skills, expertise and leadership that will shape our future."

Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, CEO of Research Ireland, said: “At the heart of these programmes are the researchers themselves - individuals whose creativity and determination are shaping new ideas and advancing knowledge across all disciplines. This year’s awardees have demonstrated exceptional potential, bringing forward ambitious ideas and fresh perspectives that will enrich Ireland’s research community. Research Ireland is proud to support their development and to provide an environment in which their talent can thrive. Theirs is the curiosity, skill and dedication that will shape the breakthroughs of tomorrow. We are excited to see where their endeavours lead.”

Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme awardees at UCD include:

• Dr Benjamin Crais, UCD School of English, Drama and Film: 'What is Newest in What is Oldest': The Agrarian Question in 20th-Century Political Cinema
• Dr Bulat Rakhimzianov, UCD School of History: Tatar Historians and the State: Cooperation, Conflict and Reconciliation in Putin’s Russia, 2000 - 2022
• Dr Charithri Yapa, UCD School of Computer Science: PRISM-Guard: Poisoning-Resistant Distributed Machine Learning Algorithms for Smart Grids against Generative AI Attacks
• Dr Thomas Legrand, UCD School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering: Impact of neuroplasticity following a stroke on the cortical integration of proprioceptive information
• Dr Paul Geyer, UCD School of Information and Communication Studies: The Social Media Subscription Model: A Cautionary Frontier for Ireland’s Tech Industry

Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme awardees at UCD include:

• Abigail Murfitt: Development of a Dashboard and Patient Extractor Tool to Enhance Antipsychotic Medication Monitoring in Primary Care
• Ada Ruohonen: Assessing the World Bank’s Gender Indicators - One Step Forward, Two Steps Back?
• Brian Spring: The impact of exercise on health and quality of life in women experiencing symptoms of menopause: a mixed methods approach
• Hooriah Lodi: Atomistic Study of Photoprotective and Energy Relaxation Pathways in Photosystem II
• Md. Abdul Awal Islam: Seasonal to Decadal Flood Forecasting in Ireland Using a Hybrid Approach

Thirteen of this year’s postgraduate awardees are co-funded by partner agencies - the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Met Éireann; and Irish Aid/Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including the following project at UCD:

• Sofiya Volvakova, supported by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, will compare how schools in the UK and Ireland use punitive measures, examining which children are most affected and how these practices shape their experience of education.

The full institutional spread of awardees was as follows:

• Atlantic Technological University (4 PG),
• Dublin City University (27 PG, 5 PD),
• Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (1 PD),
• Mary Immaculate College (4 PG, 1 PD),
• Maynooth University (16 PG, 2 PD),
• Munster Technological University (1 PD),
• RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences (7 PG, 3 PD),
• South East Technological University (6 PG),
• Teagasc (1 PD),
• Technological University Dublin (4 PG),
• Technological University of the Shannon (1 PG),
• Trinity College Dublin (44 PG, 32 PD),
• University College Cork (26 PG, 13 PD),
• University College Dublin (45 PG, 25 PD),
• University of Galway (36 PG, 8 PD),
• University of Limerick (24 PG, 5 PD).