Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, announced a €2.5 million investment to fund 28 fellowships through the Research Ireland Industry Research, Development, and Innovation Fellowship (IRDIF) Programme, on Monday 3rd February 2025.
The funding will enable researchers to undertake placements in 22 companies, working on projects across diverse fields including AI for computational safety, sustainable materials for solar panels, cell-sorting system for addressing male infertility, and developing multi-modal drug compounds for ulcerative colitis.
Congratulations to UCD School of Medicine’s Dr Jing Lyu and Rijian Song on their fellowships:
Researcher: Dr Jing Lyu
Title: Development of A New Knot Polymeric Gene
Industry Partner: Branca Bunús Ltd.
Researcher: Rijian Song
Title: Development of Tough Injectable Hydrogel System for Cartilage Repair
Industry Partner: Bláfar Ltd.
Minister Lawless said: “Research Ireland’s Industry Research Development and Innovation Fellowship Programme is an excellent example of how the best of academic research and industry expertise can be brought together to tackle challenges and deliver impactful solutions. The initiative strengthens our national research ecosystem and highlights the importance of partnerships in fostering innovation that drives societal and economic growth. I look forward to the significant contributions these fellowships will bring.”
The industry partners collaborating on the programme will collectively contribute co-funding of over €1.7 million. Researchers will bring valuable academic insights and research experience to their respective industry partners, while developing their industry and business knowledge during their placement.
Celine Fitzgerald, Interim CEO of Research Ireland, added: “We are delighted to facilitate these new partnerships between academia and industry. The Research Ireland IRDIF Programme offers researchers unique opportunities to address industry-focused challenges, ensuring that the knowledge exchange drives research excellence and enhances the competitive advantage of the companies involved.”
Examples of the projects funded include:
The fellowships range in duration from 12 to 24 months. Awardees represent the following eight higher education institutions: University College Cork, University of Galway, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick, University College Dublin, Technological University Dublin, Dublin City University, and Tyndall National Institute.
The industry collaborators for the programme this year include 21 companies based in Ireland and one company from Toronto, Canada. Among the participating industries are: