Nine ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ researchers have been awarded funding to support community-engaged research across Ireland.
The recipients have secured funding totalling €121,362 under the Research Ireland New Foundations programme.
New Foundations supports researchers from all disciplines to undertake research, networking, dissemination and capacity-building activities in partnership with community, voluntary, cultural and public bodies.
The programme is designed to support meaningful collaborations between academia and communities, and to generate knowledge that responds to real-world needs and societal challenges.
Nationally, 63 projects have been funded with a total research investment of €754,352.
The successful UL projects are:
- General Dental Practitioners’ Role in Oral Cancer Screening, Early Referral to Cancer Services, and Post-Treatment Management in Ireland: A Bid to Develop Referral Guidelines.
Principal Investigator Assistant Professor Vikram Niranjan, School of Medicine (partner: Breakthrough Cancer Research)
- Rhythms of Relief: movement as a pathway to pain resilience
Principal Investigator Dr Órfhlaith Nà Bhriain, Irish World Academy of Music and Dance (partner: Arthritis Ireland)
- Adolescents accessing information about persistent back pain – who, what, when, where, how, and why? Principal Investigator Professor Kieran O'Sullivan, School of Allied Health (partner Chronic Pain Ireland)
- Working Inclusively to Support Education in Pain Research (WISE-Pain)
Principal Investigator Professor Karen McCreesh, School of Allied Health (partner: Chronic Pain Ireland)
- Designing an Impact Measurement Framework for Green Social Enterprises in Renewable Materials, Green Transition and Climate Action
Principal Investigator Assistant Professor Immanuel Darkwa, School of History and Geography
- Childhood Development Initiative: Extended Family Impact
Principal Investigator Associate Professor Daragh Bradshaw, Department of Psychology (partner: Childhood Development Initiative)
- Road Safety Reimagined - Empowering the Community
Principal Investigator Associate Professor Christina O'Connor, Department of Management and Marketing
- SEED: Supporting Equity and Educational Design. Growing Awareness of Accessibility in Digital Classrooms in Ireland's Primary Schools
Principal Investigator Associate Professor Ann Marcus-Quinn, School of English, Irish and Communication
- Access to healthcare, stigma, and help-seeking
Principal Investigator Associate Professor Aisling O'Donnell, Department of Psychology (partner: Leanbh Mo ChroÃ)
Welcoming the announcement, Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, CEO of Research Ireland, said: “The New Foundations programme enables researchers to work in close partnership with communities and public bodies to address a range of complex societal challenges. These awards support early-stage collaborative research, generating knowledge and evidence to inform national policy and deliver meaningful impact for people and communities across Ireland and beyond. I would like to congratulate all the awardees, and I look forward to seeing where their projects lead.â€