Over €1m funding for UCD project to enhance materials research capacity in Ireland
14 April 2026
Project lead Professor Serena Cussen
A UCD project that will give Irish researchers access to advanced tools for studying materials has been awarded €1,361,069 in funding through Research Ireland’s Infrastructure Programme.
‘NanoStruct-X: Democratising advanced materials characterisation with lab-based synchtrotron-style tools’ will increase Ireland’s capacity to closely analyse complex materials and help drive new discoveries in areas such as materials science, energy and manufacturing.
The project is led by (opens in a new window)Professor Serena Cussen from the UCD School of Chemistry, who will work with co-investigators (opens in a new window)Dr Veronica Sofianos (UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering) and (opens in a new window)Dr Justin Henthorn (UCD School of Chemistry).
Developing next-generation technologies in energy, healthcare and manufacturing requires detailed understanding of how atoms are arranged in advanced materials.
Traditional techniques often don’t work when materials are structured at an extremely small scale, which is common in important modern substances, including some medicines.
Currently, researchers in Ireland rely on competitive, limited access to international synchrotron facilities to study these materials. NanoStruct-X aims to solve this problem by providing similar tools in local labs, making high-quality analysis much more accessible.
With these tools, Irish researchers will be able to study materials under varying conditions such as changes in temperature, pressure, or surrounding gases to see how their atomic structure changes.
The investment marks a major step toward world-leading capability in materials research.
“I’m really excited about what this will enable for Irish researchers. There are strong research communities here in areas like energy, catalysis and pharmaceuticals, but until now access to these kinds of advanced measurements has been largely overseas,” said Professor Cussen.
“Having this capability in Ireland means we can uncover how materials behave at the most fundamental level, whether that’s designing better batteries, developing sustainable catalysts, understanding pharmaceuticals or even preserving cultural heritage, and translate that knowledge much more quickly into real-world impact.”
“NanoStruct-X will enable us to characterise complex nanomaterials without needing synchrotron facilities, accelerating structure-property insights,” added Dr Sofianos.
“This will support sustainable green hydrogen production and long-term renewable energy storage, speeding pathways to commercialisation.”
A total of €17 million has been invested to support nine key infrastructure projects through the Research Ireland Infrastructure Programme.
The funding will enable the installation of state-of-the-art equipment and facilities across the country, strengthening Ireland’s research capacity in strategically important areas and ensuring that Irish researchers can access the specialised equipment needed to compete on the global stage.
By: Rebecca Hastings, Digital Journalist, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
