Research Ireland

26/05/2026

Why do summers feel longer when we are kids? Dr Ruth Freeman joined Drivetime on RTÉ Radio 1 to discuss this.

"A lot of it comes down to how we make memories, and particularly when it comes to things being novel and new. When we're young, life is packed full of brand new experiences,"

"The brain pays really special attention to those new experiences because they're really important for learning. When we look back at our childhood, we have a really dense collection of really meaningful memories, and that gives us a sense that the time was longer."

Listen now:

https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22615766/

25/05/2026

The festival programme is now LIVE! Explore the magic of Cork Carnival of Science at Fitzgerald Park this June 6th & 7th!

The programme has everything you need to plan your visit, including festival map, timings for shows, workshops and demonstrations!

Some of our headlining shows include Science2Life with The Science of Hogwarts, Mark the Science Guy presenting Science is my Super Hero and Bumble Movement Arts with Bee-ology, along with many more!
📆 June 6 & 7
📍 Fitzgerald Park
🔗 https://www.corkcity.ie/en/cork-carnival-of-science/

Research Ireland Irish Examiner Cork's 96FM Pure Cork Cork City Council

25/05/2026

A new study led by Prof James O'Donnell at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) will investigate how a person’s blood group can influence bleeding, clotting and transfusion outcomes.

The new €2 million Strategic Partnership Programme award is co-funded by Research Ireland and the Irish Blood Transfusion Service.

Although blood groups are known to play an important role in bleeding and clotting, the reasons for these effects are poorly understood. People with blood type O, in particular, are known to have higher risk of excessive bleeding. This programme will investigate these links by analysing blood samples and health data from Irish blood donors.

You can read more about the study at:

https://www.researchireland.ie/news/irish-blood-transfusion-service/

19/05/2026

💙💛 Huge congratulations to our UCD Researchers, who have just secured more than €8 million in funding under the Research Ireland Frontiers for the Future programme, the highest amount awarded to any institution in this funding round.

Well done to Professor Adam Byrne, Dr Chuanjie Loh, Dr Rory Johnson, Associate Professor Andrew Mitchell, Dr Christopher Shannon, Professor Desmond Tobin, Dr Joseph Byrne and Associate Professor Morgan Fraser.

Supporting ambitious projects spanning antimicrobial resistance, cancer research, quantum technologies and astrophysics, the funding forms part of a national €20 million investment in high-risk, high-reward research initiatives across Ireland.

Of the eight UCD-led projects to receive investment, three will be funded through the Award stream of the programme and five through the Project stream.

Among these is ‘GlycoMetalGuard’, a project led by Dr Joseph Byrne of the UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, which is developing innovative antimicrobial coatings and therapies to prevent hospital-acquired infections associated with medical devices such as catheters and endotracheal tubes.

The research aims to tackle antimicrobial resistance by targeting harmful bacteria with novel sugar-based metal compounds, supporting safer healthcare environments and improved patient outcomes.

Other funded UCD research includes projects exploring new treatments for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), melanoma biology, quantum simulators, and the life cycles of massive stars.

The Frontiers for the Future Programme supports independent investigators pursuing innovative research over a four- to five-year period across a broad range of disciplines.

The UCD projects awarded funding:

🫁 ‘Defining the role for itaconate and its isomers in lung fibrosis’ | Professor Adam Byrne | €1,089,422

💡‘LIGHT4CARB: Leveraging Visible Light Photocatalysis for Stereoselective Access to Unexplored Carbohydrate Chemical Space’ | Dr Chuanjie Loh | €1,880,731

🧬 RIBOncology: Harnessing cancer genomics for (non-coding) RNA biology and therapeutics’ | Dr Rory Johnson | €1,298,618

⚛️ ‘Nanoelectronic Quantum Simulators’ | Associate Professor Andrew Mitchell | €789,259

🫀 ‘Targeting the Activin Type II Receptor to treat metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis’ | Dr Christopher Shannon | €803,490

🌞 ‘Leveraging the melanoma-protected human hair follicle for insights into the control of pigment cell proliferation and apoptosis relevant to cutaneous melanoma’ | Professor Desmond Tobin | €770,213

🩺 ‘GlycoMetalGuard: Glycoconjugate metal complexes as targeted bacterial therapeutics and protective coatings suitable for medical devices’ | Dr Joseph Byrne | €791,010

🌚 ‘How Massive Stars Die’ | Associate Professor Morgan Fraser | €686,296

07/05/2026

Welcome to Professor Konstantinos Salonitis, the new Director of I-Form, the Research Ireland Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, hosted by University College Dublin

I-Form names Professor Konstantinos Salonitis as new Director 🚀

Professor Konstantinos Salonitis is the new Director of I-Form, the Research Ireland Centre for Advanced Manufacturing hosted by University College Dublin. An established figure in sustainable manufacturing, he will oversee the centre’s mission to shape the future of Irish manufacturing through high-impact research and digital technologies. He succeeds outgoing director Professor Denis Dowling.

"I am deeply honoured to take on the role of Director of the I-Form Research Centre at such an exciting time for advanced manufacturing in Ireland,” said Professor Salonitis. “I-Form has built a remarkable reputation for bridging cutting-edge research with real-world industrial impact, and I look forward to building on that strong foundation. Together with our talented team and partners, we will continue to position Ireland at the forefront of global manufacturing research.”

Funded by Research Ireland, I-Form brings together a nationwide pool of expertise in materials science, engineering, data analytics and AI to enhance processing efficiency and sustainability.

Professor Salonitis, who recently joined the UCD School of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, brings extensive experience from Cranfield University, where he secured over €11.5 million in research funding and led its Sustainable Manufacturing Systems Centre. Author of two books, his portfolio includes more than 30 industry-funded projects and 350 papers in international journals.

Professor Kate Robson Brown (UCD) said he “brings an exceptional depth of experience in sustainable manufacturing and a proven track record of leadership that will be invaluable in driving forward I-Form's ambitions."

Research Ireland

30/04/2026

Teams of second level students from across Ireland gathered for the ESERO Ireland CanSat National Final in Emo Court, Co. Laois today.

The students took on the ultimate challenge: designing, building, and launching a fully functioning mini‑satellite that fits inside a drinks can.

Packed with power, sensors, and communications technology, each CanSat was launched by rocket, collecting real‑time data on its descent and transmitting it back to a ground station for analysis.

Well done to everyone involved - we hope you had a blast! 🚀

30/04/2026

We are pleased to announce that the Research Ireland Discover Programme is now open for applications.

This programme supports organisations to develop and deliver education and public engagement projects that aim to broaden participation and engagement of the public with research and innovation.

The programme will run in collaboration with the Department of Education and Youth.

The deadline for applications is 11th June 2026 at 13:00 (Irish local time).

For further details on eligibility, funding, and how to apply, please visit:

https://www.researchireland.ie/funding/discover/

27/04/2026

23/04/2026

Calling all second level teachers! ESERO Ireland and Humanarium are partnering to present a special edition of Science Bites: Hearts in Space, aimed at second-level students.

What happens to astronauts’ hearts in space, and how can studying this help improve healthcare for everyone here on Earth?

Join Dr Lisa McNamee for an afternoon talk about what happens at the interface of cardiovascular health and space medicine.

This online event will take place on Wednesday, 29th April from 1.00pm to 1.45pm.

Register now: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/esero-ireland-x-humanarium-rcsi-science-bites-hearts-in-space-tickets-1987616463347?aff=oddtdtcreator