Posted 17 June 2011
Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Principal Investigator Awards for UCD scientists
UCD scientists have been awarded nine of forty-four Principal Investigator (PI) Awards announced by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI).
“Spanning SFI’s research portfolio, from Life Sciences to ICT to Energy, the PI Programme has been instrumental in helping Ireland to become a formidable, emergent scientific force on the international stage in recent years,” said the Minister for Research and Innovation, Mr Seán Sherlock TD who attended a showcase of the scientific research work on 16 June 2011.
“Traditionally, researchers supported by the PI programme over the past decade have proven to be the essential individual building blocks of the strong scientific edifice that has emerged in Ireland.”
“SFIs PI programme serves as a beacon of excellence to prospective overseas researchers, investors and others wishing to do business with, or in, Ireland. These project awards also help to increase our understanding of critical areas of science, whilst also assisting the Irish economy and society in the process – by generating breakthroughs to hopefully deliver new products, services and sustainable jobs into the future,” he said.
Together the forty-four research projects will receive funding of €44 million through the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation via Science Foundation Ireland’s (SFI) ‘Principal Investigator’ (PI) programme.
The nine UCD recipients of SFI Principal Investigator Awards include:
- Prof. Frederic Dias, UCD School of Mathematical Sciences, University College Dublin: “High-end computational modelling for wave energy systems”
- Prof. Christopher Bean, UCD School of Geological Sciences, University College Dublin: “Towards ocean wave energy-potential quantification from a terrestrially-based seismic observation system (Wave-Obs)”
- Prof. David Coker, UCD School of Physics, University College Dublin: “Excitation Energy Transfer in Light Harvesting Nanostructures: Quantum Coherent Dynamics and Correlated Environmental Fluctuations”
- Dr. Fiona Doohan, UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin: “Characterisation of novel stress tolerance mechanisms in plants and determining their potential for improving plant productivity”
- Prof Patrick Lonergan, UCD School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin: “Understanding Embryonic Mortality: Discovery of Mechanisms Regulating Conceptus Growth and Development in Cattle”
- Dr Gerard Cagney, UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, and UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin: “Physical & genetic interaction map of a critical cell fate determination machine”
- Prof Johan Ericsson, UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin: “Identification of novel mechanisms that regulate the SREBP family of transcription factors, key regulators of lipid metabolism”
- Prof Ulla Knaus, UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin: “ROS Signalling in the Lung – Control Mechanisms and Functional Consequences”
- Prof. Patricia Maguire, UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, and UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin: “Wnt pathway in vascular biology: a novel target in atherothrombosis”
The showcase follows on from the announcement in early May by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation, Mr Richard Bruton TD of a range of measures to support innovation in Ireland.
(Produced by UCD University Relations)
