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A number of ��ɫ��Ƶ research projects, including the first ever Irish study into the lived experiences of victim-survivors in sexual offence trials, have received funding from Research Ireland, it has been announced.

Three UL projects worth almost €700,000 have been funded under Research Ireland’s COALESCE (Collaborative Alliances for Societal Challenges) 2025 programme.

Professor Susan Leahy will be Principal Investigator on the Lived Realities: Victim-Survivors’ Experiences of Irish Sexual Offence Trials project which will seek the views of victim-survivors about their lived experiences of the trial process to identify best practice, the results of which will aim to inform future legal reforms. 

The project is funded by Cuan, the Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV) Agency.

Artificial Intelligence and Dropout: A national model leveraging big data in tertiary STEM will have Associate Professor Jason Power, School of Education as lead researcher and Professor David Tanner, School of Engineering as co-lead.

This project will utilise advanced AI modelling techniques to investigate what factors have been linked to dropout from STEM programs in Ireland. A combination of AI modelling and a large dataset spanning more than 110,000 individuals and seven years provides a unique opportunity to equip policy makers with an evidence base that will support our national effort to reduce STEM dropout.

The study will develop a unique instrument to examine dropout at an institutional level to account for variances in existing systems and socio-economic factors.

Evaluation of Comprehensive Alcohol Warning Measures in Ireland is led by Associate Professor Jenny Roth, Department of Psychology with Associate Professor Kevin Burke, Department of Mathematics and Statistics as co-lead.

Their project will investigate how effective health warnings for alcohol are at reducing harmful drinking and raising awareness about alcohol-related risks and how these warnings influence people's drinking habits and attitudes toward alcohol.

They will also investigate how specific groups, like pregnant women, respond to the warnings, what personal or demographic factors might affect these responses, and identify groups in society that differ in their alcohol-related attitudes and behaviours.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, announced the total funding of over €3.5 million for a total of 16 research projects nationally.

Announcing the awards, Minister Lawless said: “Harnessing the power of research is key to tackling the most pressing challenges facing our society. These awards are not just about academic excellence – they are about delivering real, tangible benefits for people and communities. Whether it’s supporting survivors of gender-based violence, driving climate action, or safeguarding our cultural heritage, these projects will make a meaningful difference. This is research with purpose, and I commend all the awardees for their dedication to the public good.”

Dr Diarmuid O'Brien, CEO of Research Ireland, commented: “The projects being announced today bring together diverse disciplines, communities, and policy partners to co-create knowledge that matters. We are proud to support projects that amplify underrepresented voices and tackle issues that are often overlooked. These research projects are advancing knowledge, sustainability, justice, and inclusion.”

Two of the projects are funded by Cuan: The Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV) Agency, under a newly-launched strategic strand. 

Dr. Stephanie O’Keeffe, Cuan CEO, stated: “Cuan is delighted to partner with Research Ireland to establish a new research funding strand for COALESCE 2025, dedicated to Domestic Sexual and Gender-Based Violence research. A key objective for Cuan is to strengthen the existing knowledge base and build an evidence-informed response to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, informed by the lived experience of victim-survivors. 

“In this regard, the creation of this important research strand is of great significance to Cuan. Given so many academic disciplines are of relevance to the study of domestic and sexual violence, Research Ireland’s COALESCE funding strand provides a rich opportunity to support action and policy-oriented research, providing much-needed insights for policy makers and practitioners, and improving outcomes for victims and survivors.”

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