The funded projects are investigating a number of topics, from technological supports for health conditions to climate misinformation.
36 early-career researchers based at institutions across Ireland have received €23m in Research Ireland funding, according to an announcement by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless, TD, today (25 June).
The funding, which is being administered through Research Ireland’s Pathway programme, will support the researchers over a four-year period, along with additional support for a postgraduate student who will be primarily supervised by the awardee.
Co-funders of the programme include the Environmental Protection Agency, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and Met Éireann, with a total contribution of €1.7m.
“The projects receiving funding span a broad range of disciplines, ensuring a broad impact on scientific discovery and societal progress,” said Lawless. “By aligning with Ireland’s national research priorities, these projects will help drive advancements in key sectors such as healthcare, environmental sustainability, history and education.”
The 36 research projects are hosted across 11 Irish institutions. University College Cork and University of Galway are hosting six projects each, while both Dublin City University and University College Dublin are hosting five.
Trinity College Dublin is hosting four projects, while RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and Tyndall National Institute are hosting three each. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies is hosting two, while Maynooth University, Technological University Dublin, and University of Limerick are each hosting one research project.
Among the research topics being investigated through the projects are investigations of climate misinformation in Ireland, a look into microplastics that release from daily-use plastic products, and a non-invasive optical assessment of bone quality, just to name a few.
Dr Camille Nadal, assistant professor at UCD and principal investigator of the Tech4Endo project – which is investigating technological solutions for supporting people living with endometriosis – told SiliconRepublic.com that receiving the funding was both an honour and a responsibility.
“I’m proud to lead a project that takes a radically inclusive and feminist approach to tackling one of the most overlooked health issues of our time,” she said. “Endometriosis affects one in 10 women and people assigned female at birth, yet it continues to be underdiagnosed, misunderstood and underfunded.
“This project is about listening to people who are too often unheard in both healthcare and tech. That includes women, but also trans men, non-binary individuals and others in the LGBTQ+ community – groups often excluded from mainstream endometriosis research and technology design.”
Trinity’s Dr Marco Rosario Capodiferro was awarded funding for his project ArchEvo, which is exploring the evolution of archaic introgression through the analysis of Eurasian and American ancient genomes.
“We aim to analyse the DNA of ancient individuals who lived thousands of years ago, up to more recent times, across Eurasia and the Americas. By doing so, we can trace how these archaic genetic regions have evolved, and explore how they may have helped humans adapt to past environmental pressures,” he explained. “This research could even provide clues about how our species might respond to future challenges, such as climate change or emerging diseases.
“The Research Ireland Pathway grant will allow me to build my research path – bringing together my two core passions in population genetics: the study of archaic humans and the genetic history of indigenous groups in the Americas.
“Through this approach, I aim to contribute to a more complete and inclusive understanding of human evolution – one that recognises populations often marginalised or underrepresented in genetic research.”
This year marked an increase in the number of Pathway awardees compared to last year. In 2024, 25 research projects received €14.6m in funding, while a similar funding award in November of 2023 saw 43 research projects receive €24m in funding.
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