€7 million joint investment announced for US-Ireland Research Programme

A joint funding investment of over €7 million was announced through the US-Ireland R&D Partnership Programme. This tripartite research and development (R&D) partnership between the United States of America (USA), Republic of Ireland (RoI) and Northern Ireland (NI) increases collaborations among researchers and industry across the three jurisdictions. 

Four awards have been funded under the programme, spanning 10 higher education institutions and supporting approximately 20 research positions. The projects funded include research on communications networks and healthcare.

Conway Fellow, Professor Niamh Nowlan, UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering is leading a project to examine the effects of maternal exercise on foetal akinesia-impaired bone and joint development with partners in Ulster University (UU) & University of Pennsylvania.

Mechanical forces exerted by foetal movement during development influence skeletal morphogenesis. Fetal akinesia (insufficient movement), caused by low amniotic fluid volume, breech position or impaired muscle development, can cause skeletal disorders such as hip dysplasia, arthrogryposis, and impaired bone development.

The latest findings by the group led by Prof. Nowlan suggest that maternal exercise could serve as a therapeutic intervention. To accomplish this, there is a need to understand when and how maternal exercise rescues akinesia-impaired bone and joint development.

The aims of this project are to determine the cells that respond to timed maternal exercise during akinesia-impaired limb development and to define the underlying signalling mechanisms. This will provide new insights into fetal akinesia and potentially identify maternal exercise as a therapeutic intervention.

Since its launch in 2006, the US-Ireland R&D Partnership has funded 98 partnership projects with a combined government investment of €158 million. This unique funding initiative aims to increase the level of collaborative R&D, generating valuable discoveries and innovations.

The funding agencies involved in today’s announcement are Research Ireland and the Health Research Board (HRB) in RoI, the Department for the Economy (DFE) and the Health & Social Care R&D Division (HSC R&D) in NI, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in USA.

Celine FitzGerald, Interim CEO of Research Ireland, said: “Research Ireland congratulates the US-Ireland R&D Partnership Programme award recipients - their innovative projects in the areas of healthcare and telecommunications will provide mutual benefit to societies and economies across all three jurisdictions. Strong international research partnerships are vital to address the global challenges of our time. Through this significant tri-partite investment, the US-Ireland R&D Partnership continues to support and encourage world-class, impactful and collaborative research projects between our countries.”

“The US-Ireland R&D Partnership Program provides a unique opportunity to advance world-class technological innovations,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “Working together, we are furthering a global ecosystem of innovation — one that not only responds to today’s challenges but anticipates the needs of tomorrow.”

Mark Lee, Director of Higher Education at Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy, said “International research collaborations are key to building a strong research and innovation landscape in Northern Ireland to deliver on the Economy Minister’s vision of a regionally balanced, net zero economy which supports good jobs and higher productivity. The US Ireland R&D Partnership is an important flagship programme bringing world class researchers together across the north and south of Ireland and the US to collaborate on ground-breaking scientific research that delivers benefits for all.”

Mairead O’Driscoll, CEO of the Health Research Board, said: “Collaboration is key when tackling grand challenges in relation to health. The US-Ireland R&D Partnership Programme funds essential research to improve health and advance care for people throughout Ireland, Northern Ireland and the United States.”

For more information about the US-Ireland R&D Partnership Programme, visit the programme webpage.