AHSS Grant

UCD Health Affairs AHSS Grant Application Form 2023-2024

UCD Health Affairs AHSS Grant Information Booklet for Applicants 2023-2024

The UCD Health Affairs Academic Health Science System(AHSS)Grant 2023-2024 is currently open for applications (application deadline: 5pm on Friday, 15th March 2024).

Please note that while the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh, Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan and Regional Hospital Mullingar have recently moved from the Ireland East Hospital Group in advance of the establishment of the new health regions, for the purposes of this grant all four hospitals are still eligible to apply.

UCD Health Affairs is part of the UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences (CHAS) and works with the five CHAS schools to enhance collaboration and provide a formal channel for cooperation between the primary academic partner UCD, the 12 Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG) affiliated hospitals and their related community health & science organisations. An integrated approach to healthcare, with strong collaboration across the various hospitals, University and community healthcare organisations will drive the development of an Academic Health Science System (AHSS). Patients have better outcomes when managed in an AHSS because integrating teaching, training, research and innovation with clinical services enhances recruitment and retention of excellent staff, hence ensuring the provision of high-quality evidence-based care.

The UCD Health Affairs AHSS Grant aims to enhance the collaboration between IEHG, its affiliated community healthcare organisations, and UCD CHAS. We aim to raise awareness of UCD Health Affairs and to foster synergies between UCD CHAS, UCD Health Affairs, IEHG and its affiliated community areas.

This grant is to support health and science-related research or educational/innovation projects that clearly will enhance the concept of an AHSS and that will align with key College/School research and/or education strategic objectives. This is annual call for this grant.

The UCD Health Affairs AHSS Grant is open to researchers from all five Schools within UCD CHAS and across the 12 IEHG hospitals and affiliated community healthcare organisations, including:

• Academic staff (principal investigators)
• Postdoctoral researcher staff
• Clinical staff
• medical staff (consultants, GPs, research fellows, NCHDs)
• nursing staff
• health and social care professionals

UCD Health Affairs will provide the funding.

• There will be one call for Academic Year 2023-2024 and it will fund at least four successful awardees up to €25,000 maximum for each project.
• The grant can be used over the duration of the proposed project, i.e. 1, 2 or 3 years.
• Successful applicants are welcome to apply again in subsequent years.

Key Dates

Please note each applicant should submit a one-two page biosketch as an appendix to their Application Form. The Information Booklet for Applicants and Application Forms are available to download above.

For further information, please contact Kasia Gaughan ((opens in a new window)(opens in a new window)kasia.gaughan@ucd.ie), Project Manager at UCD Health Affairs.

UCD Health Affairs AHSS Grant 2023/2024 awarded to Four Projects Across UCD CHAS and associated Healthcare Partners

The UCD Health Affairs Academic Health Science System Grant is designed to strengthen the partnership between UCD healthcare affiliates and the UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences. This cycle, we were thrilled to review 22 outstanding submissions, ultimately awarding the AHSS Grant to four exceptional projects. We extend our warmest congratulations to both the project leads and their teams within UCD CHAS and our healthcare partners for their successful projects.

UCD Health Affairs Health Affairs Academic Health Science System 2023/2024 Awardees:

BACKTRACK Ireland Technology enabled primary care pathways for back pain.

This project is an innovative health-related collaborative research project between SPHPSS, School of Medicine, UCD Insight Centre for Data Analytics, and IEHG affiliated community health organisation (CHO) areas and aims to co-design and pilot a technology enabled care pathway for LBP patients in primary care.

Project Lead:

Associate Professor Cliona O’Sullivan, UCD School of Public Health Physiotherapy and Sports Science

Project Team:

Professor Brian Caulfield, UCD Insight Centre for Data Analytics and UCD School of Public Health Physiotherapy and Sports Science

Dr Joe Gallagher, UCD School of Medicine, Department of General Practice

Grainne Duffin, Physiotherapist Manager for Wicklow, HSE Community Healthcare East, (CH06) Wicklow

Eileen Kelly, Physiotherapist Manager for Dublin South, HSE Community Healthcare East, (CH06)

Deirdre Murphy, Physiotherapist Manager for Dublin Southeast, HSE Community Healthcare East, (CH06)

Shane Keogh, Physiotherapist, Bray Primary Care Centre, HSE Community Healthcare East, (CH06)

Multi-marker risk assessment of kidney sensitivity to injury to personalize prevention of acute kidney injury –Chemotherapy (SPAREKID-Cancer Chemotherapy)

The project is a collaboration between UCD School of Medicine and the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital oncology department and haematology department. This collaboration strengthens the project's ability to achieve its clinical and research translational goals, not only within Ireland but also on a global scale. By leveraging this international expertise, the project positions Ireland at the forefront of medical care for this patient population, and provides staff, trainees, and patients in the AHSS to participate in cutting edge research

Project Lead:

Professor Patrick Murray – UCD School of Medicine / Mater Misericordiae University Hospital

Project Team:

Dr. Anne Fortune- - UCD School of Medicine / Mater Misericordiae University Hospital

Dr. Michael Strader - - UCD School of Medicine

Evaluation and Co-design of Nursing Capabilities Framework for the Acute Virtual Ward Implementation.

This project is a joint proposal between the UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems (UCD SNMHS), Nursing and Midwifery, IEHG and the Department of Nursing St Vincent’s University Hospital.  By enhancing collaboration in research, the project will provide a developmental platform for nurse-led research within the group. Facilitating the nursing workforce to take a leading role in this project and providing the opportunity for research to inform implementation support for health system reform where nurses will be pivotal to its success.

Project Lead:

Dr Freda Browne - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems

Project Team:

Dr Carmel Davies - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems

Dr Deirdre O Donnell - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems

Assoc Professor Mary Ryder - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems

Dr Andrew Darley – UCD SNUCD, UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems. MHS

Dr John Gilmore - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems

Dr Jonathan Drennan - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems

Ann Flynn – Director of Nursing SVUH

Paul Gallagher – Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery IEHG

Joan Killeen – Directorate Nurse Manager, Emergency Medicine SVUH

Marianne Walsh – Assistant Director of Nursing SVUH

Kellie Kearney – Advance Nurse Practitioner SVUH

Anne Jones – Nurse Lead for Quality and Patient Safety Improvement IEHG, 

Caríosa Murray - Nursing and MidwiferyInformation Officer and eHealth Director of Nursing MidwiferyIEHG

Dr Sahar Hammound- UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, UCD IRIS

Dr Dimuthu Rathnayake - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems UCD IRIS

Obesity Stigma Education for All (OSE4ALL): co-design of an inter-professional e-Learning resource to support destigmatisation of obesity among healthcare professionals

This project assembles a multidisciplinary team of academics, clinicians, and patient representatives, who represent both hospital and community settings, all of whom have been involved in project design and are members of the project steering group for the duration of the research. The e-learning resource will be piloted in UCD (HCP students) and in both the hospital (SVUH) and

community setting (CHO6). Project aligns with CHAS’s Strategic Objectives of undertaking quality, impactful and innovative research and will generate and share new knowledge that will inform curricula, clinical education and training across collaborating CHAS Schools  and  allow to engage with clinicians, academics and patients nationally.

Project Leads:

Dr Grainne O’Donoghue - UCD School of Public Health Physiotherapy and Sports Science

Dr Jean O’Connell- St Columcille’s Hospital and SVUH

AHSS Grant 2022/2023 Awarded to Four Projects Across UCD CHAS and Associated Healthcare Partners

The UCD Health Affairs AHSS Grant aims to enhance the collaboration between IEHG, its affiliated community healthcare organisations, and UCD CHAS. We aim to raise awareness of UCD Health Affairs and to foster synergies between UCD CHAS, UCD Health Affairs, IEHG, and its affiliated community areas.

This year we received 28 excellent applications and the AHSS Grant was awarded to four projects. A huge congratulations to the project leads and project teams across UCD CHAS and healthcare partners on their successful projects.

AHSS Grant 2022/2023 Awardees:

Renal Functional Reserve Assessment in Obesity led by Prof Neil Docherty.

Health and Wellbeing of the Health Workforce Across Maternity Settings (MatWell) led by Prof Jonathan Drennan.

telTaz Digital Mental Health Assessment Tool for Children: a Usability Study led by Prof Aisling Mulligan

Quantifying Circulating Tumour DNA in Uveal Melanoma Patients; Improving Care led by Dr. Patrick Murtagh