Meet the Team

Office of the Vice President for Research, Innovation & Impact
Prof Kate Robson Brown
Vice President for Research, Innovation & Impact (VPRII)

Professor Kate Robson Brown is Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact at University College Dublin.

T: 01 716 4031
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Dipti Pandya
Director of Research

Dipti leads the team in UCD Research and supports the development and implementation of the Research Strategy, working with the VPRII and Research, Innovation and Impact Group (RIIG) of the University.

T: 01 716 4023
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Xuefang Alterman
General Manager

Xuefang supports UCD Research-led projects and internal funding calls. She manages HR operations, financial management and facility operations at UCD Research.

T: 01 716 4051
E: Email Xuefang

Karen O'Shaughnessy
PA to the Vice President for Research, Innovation & Impact (VPRII)

Karen provides support to the Vice President for Research, Innovation & Impact and the Director of Research. The PA to VPRII also provides secretariat support for UCD Research committees including the University Management Team sub group, the Research and Innovation Impact Group (RIIG).

T: 01 716 4031
E: Email Office of VPRII

Caitríona O'Leary
Senior Executive Assistant

Caitríona looks after UCD Research led events and conferences. She works closely with the General Manager on UCD Research projects, providing key administrative support.

T: 01 716 4009
E: Email Aileen

Peter Scott
Research and Innovation Strategy

Peter works with leaders across the university to advance the implementation of the 'Shaping the Future' strategy and achieve UCD's strategic objectives in research and innovation.

T: 01 716 4052
E: Email Peter

David Bennett
Policy Engagement Project Manager

David is responsible for designing and implementing initiatives that connect UCD's researchers with national and international policymakers.

T: 01 716 4030
E: Email David

Jill Boyle
Senior Research Policy and Governance Specialist

Jill is responsible for developing UCD’s portfolio of research policies, and  establishing and operating the necessary governance schemes for major research programmes.

T: 01 716 4015
E: Email Jill

Allison Flanagan
Research Policy Officer

Allison supports UCD researchers in complying with UCD's Export Control policy.

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Dr Colleen Thomas
Research Culture Project Manager

Colleen manages the implementation of the UCD Research Culture Initiative and is responsible for coordinating its programme of activities, events and communications.

T: 01 716 4062
E: Email Colleen

Jan Stokes
Research Ethics Officer

Jan provides advice and information on Research Ethics, manages the UCD research ethics approvals system and co-ordinates the Office of Research Ethics.

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Paula Maher
Research Ethics Senior Executive Assistant

Paula processes submissions for ethics review, manages the UCD research ethics approvals system and co-ordinates the work of the Research Ethics Committees.

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SASWATI GHOSH
AIREN Project Manager

Saswati supports the All-Island Research Excellence Network (AIREN) to scale its activities, broaden institutional membership and collaborate with other all-island and national networks.

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Grant Registration Team

The grant registration team assist UCD researchers to register their awards within the University’s systems. They also offer advice and guidance on how best to register the account in accordance with the terms of the award.

Contact this team if you wish to register a successful funding award.

Maciek Szydlowski
CONTRACTS & MOBILISATION MANAGER

Maciek leads the Grant Registration & Mobilisation and Contracts & Finance Teams and manages mobilisation service transformation initiatives.

T: 01 716 4016
E: Email Maciek

Rafaela Branco
Research Officer

Rafaela supports the set up and initial mobilisation of large and strategic grants, including SFI Research Centres, SFI Strategic Partnership Programmes, and EI Technology Centres and Innovation Hubs.

T: 01 716 4010
E: Email Rafaela

Bernard Höschele Modic
RESEARCH OFFICER

Bernard supports the set up and mobilisation of grants funding health sciences, medical, and clinical studies.

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Gosia Pelikan
RESEARCH ADMINISTRATOR

Gosia is responsible for the College of Arts and Humanities, College of Business, College of Engineering and Architecture.

 

T: 01 716 4036
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Lisa O'Mahony
RESEARCH ADMINISTRATOR

Lisa is responsible for Schools of Medicine; Public Health, Physiotherapy, and Sports Sciences; Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems.

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Maiia Skrypnyk
Research Administrator

Maiia is responsible for Schools of Agriculture & Food Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, and the College of Social Sciences & Law.

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Research Contracts & Finance

The Contracts and Finance Team provides specialised financial support to the research community at the grant registration and mobilisation stages of the Research Project LIfecycle. Its primary role is to ensure that all research awards are fully risk-assessed from a financial perspective prior to acceptance. The team is also responsible for the financial review of all research-related agreements to ensure compliance with funding agency and legislative (e.g. VAT, Tax, State Aid etc) requirements and UCD’s internal policies.

Sarah Behan
Contracts & Finance Officer

Sarah provides specialised financial support and advice to the Colleges of Health and Agricultural Sciences, Business, and Arts and Humanities.

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Paula Murphy
Contracts & Finance Officer

Paula provides specialised financial support and advice to the Colleges of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, and Social Sciences and Law.

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Carol Moore
Research Finance Administrator

Carol provides specialised financial support regarding internally funded, state-funded, and international studentship awards.  Carol is also responsible for the financial review of cost extensions.

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Research Programmes Team (Proposal Support & EU Research Office)

The role of the Research Programmes team is to support researchers in applying for research funding, identify the research funding pipeline and ensure that all UCD’s research submissions are highly enhanced, competitive and effective in securing funding.

Contact this team if you wish to develop or submit a funding application at UCD.

Máire Coyle
Talent Research Programmes Manager

Máire provides specialised knowledge and support for advanced research funding programmes, with a particular focus on ERC, SFI Research Professorship and President of Ireland Future Research Leaders programmes.

T: 01 716 4014
E: Email Máire

Dr Margherita Castronovo
TALENT Research Projects Officer

Margherita provides specialised support for advanced PI-led research funding programmes, with a particular focus on the ERC in Physical Science and Engineering and on the Royal Society University Research Fellowship.

T: 01 716 4006
E: Email Margherita

Chantal Keijzer
Research Projects Officer

Chantal provides specialised support for advanced research funding programmes, with a particular focus on the ERC Life Sciences.

T: 01 716 4011
E: Email Chantal

Patricia Gaffney
Accountant, Pre-Award Team

Patricia offers specialist support in the preparation of proposals for national and international programs, by preparing budget templates, reviewing and approving the budget and accompanying justifications prior to the submission of the proposal.

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National and International Pre-Award Programmes Team (Proposal Support Team)
Claire Kavanagh
Proposal Support Team Lead

Claire leads the team supporting proposal submissions for national and international programmes. The Proposal Support Team is the first point of contact for UCD researchers applying for research funding. The team provides a wide range of supports for the research project funding lifecycle including provision of research funding information, management of the funding call calendar, online help packs, proposal feedback, compliance check and review to final submission and full endorsement by UCD Research.   

T: 01 716 4056
E: Email Claire

Dr David Durnin
Senior Research Officer

David is the Senior Research Officer overseeing the design and leading on the roll-out of pre-award research development programmes. David manages designs and submission for national and international programmes including Research Ireland, Wellcome Trust, SEAI and GSI, Enterprise Ireland and HEA calls.  

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Dr Meadhbh O'Halloran
Pre-Award Research Officer

Meadhbh designs and provides support for preparation and submission of  funding applications to national (including Research Ireland, EI, HRB, EPA, SEAI), EU MSCA PF and international funding agencies, charities and foundations.

T: 01 716 4018
E: Email Meadhbh

Ann Mooney
Research Administrator

Ann works on Postgraduate and Postdoctoral IRC (Research Ireland) calls, including the Government of Ireland calls, the Enterprise Partnership calls and Employment Based calls. She provides support for Ukrainian supplemental calls under Research Ireland and the HRB. Ann also manages the UCD Research Bulletin which is issued on a fortnightly basis. 

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EU Research Office
Aine Moore
EU Research Office Manager

Aine leads the EU Research Office who provide specialist support to researchers applying for EU funding.

T: 01 7164022
E: Email Aine

LIANA DRUMMOND
EU RESEARCH PROGRAMME OFFICER

Liana focuses on the implementation of the UCD Horizon Europe strategy and provides advice for Horizon Europe applications in the areas of Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5), and Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6).

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Tina McHugh
EU RESEARCH OFFICER

Tina provides specialised proposal support for Horizon Europe in the areas of Health (Cluster 1), Mission Cancer, EU4Health, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie collaborative calls (Doctoral Networks, Staff Exchange and COFUND), and COST Actions.

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Maryia Rohava
EU Research Officer

Maryia provides specialised proposal support for Horizon Europe in the areas of Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society (Cluster 2), Civil Security for Society (Cluster 3), Digital, Industry and Space (Cluster 4), Widening Participation and ERA calls, and the EIC Pathfinder calls.

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Research Partners Team

The Research Partners team advise and support academic leaders in the development of medium to long-term plans across UCD’s major research themes. Specifically, the team works on developing strategic elements of major funding proposals and they complement the work of the Research Programmes team.

Dr Colm McMahon
Senior Manager - Research Partners

Colm leads the Research Partners team, which provides strategic support for UCD's major research themes. Colm is also the first point of contact for major proposals that are outside of these major research themes.

T: 01 716 4028
E: Email Colm

Kevin Murphy
Research Partner, Transforming Through Digital Technology

The ICT partner works with senior academics to identify, develop and implement strategic initiatives and major proposals under the 'Transforming Through Digital Technology' theme.

T: 01 716 4019
E: Email Kevin

Dr Loraine Smith
Research Partner, Building a Healthy World

Loraine works with senior academics to identify, develop and implement strategic initiatives and major proposals under the 'Building a Healthy World' theme.

T: 01 716 4061
E: Email Loraine

Justin Synnott
Research Partner, Empowering Humanity

Justin works with senior academics to identify, develop and implement strategic initiatives and major proposals under the 'Empowering Humanity' theme.

T: 01 716 8324
E: Email Justin

Sinéad McGinley
Research Partner, Creating a Sustainable Global Society

Sinéad works with senior academics to identify, develop and implement strategic and major proposals under the 'Creating a Sustainable Global Society' theme.

Lisa MacNicholas
Seed Project Manager

Lisa works with large research programmes across UCD to develop a Project Management Community of Practice.

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Knowledge Transfer Team

The Knowledge Transfer team work with the UCD research community to identify, protect and commercialise the intellectual property arising from UCD research programmes.

Dr Ciaran O’Beirne
Manager, Knowledge Transfer

Ciaran leads the knowledge transfer team responsible for identifying, protecting and commercialising intellectual property (IP) either through licensing and/or new venture creation, negotiating IP terms in agreements and supporting research proposals.

T: 01 716 3713
E: Email Ciaran

Dr Stephen Donoghue
Case Manager, Knowledge Transfer

Stephen is responsible for managing the identification, protection and commercialisation of University College Dublin research outputs within the environment area.

T: 01 716 3720
E: Email Stephen

Dr Hugh Hayden
Case Manager, Knowledge Transfer

Hugh is responsible for the identification, protection and commercialisation of UCD research outputs within the physical sciences research areas.

T: 01 716 3725
E: Email Hugh

Dr Tony Donnelly
Case Manager, Knowledge Transfer

Tony is a Case Manager for Technology Transfer and is responsible for managing the identification, protection and commercialisation of UCD research outputs within the ICT research area.

T: 01 716 3727
E: Email Tony

Dr Stacey Kelly
Case Manager, Knowledge Transfer

Stacey is responsible for the identification, protection and commercialisation of UCD research outputs within the agriculture, food and veterinary research areas.

T: 01 716 3705
E: Email Stacey

Dr Ena Walsh
Case Manager, Knowledge Transfer

Ena is responsible for the identification, protection and commercialisation of UCD research outputs within the life and medical sciences research area

T: 01 716 3706
E: Email Ena

Dr Emma Dorris
Engaged Research Manager

Emma is responsible for developing and implementing a range of activities to support and embed Engaged Research and Public and Patient Involvement in research.

T: 01 716 4048
E: Email Emma

John Wrigley
Administrative Assistant, Knowledge Transfer

John provides administrative support to the knowledge transfer team and assists in the financial management of NovaUCD.

T: 01 716 3721
E: Email John

Innovation Operations & Facilities
Helen McGrath
Operations Manager

Helen has responsibility for managing the incubator at NovaUCD, the centre at NexusUCD, and the financial management at UCD Innovation.

T: 01 716 3711
E: Email Helen

Santiago Astorga
Facilities Manager

Santiago supports the client companies based at NovaUCD and NexusUCD and he is responsible for the management of the physical facilities of both of these centres.

T: 01 716 3717
E: Email Santiago

Research Analytics & Impact Team

The Research Analytics and Impact team helps to promote the research reputation of the university, embed a culture of research impact throughout the university, and inform research strategy and performance through advanced analytics. 

Liam Cleere
Senior Manager – Research Analytics & Impact

Liam leads the Research Analytics and Impact team.

T: 01 716 4058
E: Email Liam

Caroline Byrne
Communications Manager, Research

Caroline develops strategy and delivers a wide range of communications and activities to support research, and to engage internal and external stakeholders.  

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Emma Loughney
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, RESEARCH

Emma supports the delivery of strategic communications initiatives to profile research in University College Dublin, to a range of national and international audiences.

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Dr Dimitrios-Stavros Kapetanakis
Research Systems Manager

Dimitrios is responsible for maintaining and further developing the university's research systems to enable the streamlining of research support processes.

T: 01 716 4048
E: Email Dimitrios-Stavros

Dr Michael Whelan
Research Systems Analyst

Michael is responsible for supporting research information systems, and developing analytics and reporting on research activity.

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Pauline Carney
Impact Officer

Pauline develops resources and programmes to support the planning, capture and communication of research impact across all disciplines.  

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Industry, New Ventures Engagement & Communications
Simon Factor
Senior Manager, New Ventures

Simon is responsible for the development and funding of new knowledge intensive ventures.

T: 01 716 3728
E: Email Simon

Caroline Gill
Innovation Education Manager

Caroline is responsible for providing and supporting a variety of innovation related education programmes and initiatives across the University which also includes outreach to second-level education.

T: 01 716 3715
E: Email Caroline

Micéal Whelan
Communications Manager, Innovation

Micéal is responsible for communicating UCD’s innovation objectives, activities and achievements to internal and external stakeholders using a variety of communication channels.

T: 01 716 3712
E: Email Micéal

Michelle Doyle
Research and Innovation Engagement Manager

Michelle is responsible for the development and delivery of strategic engagement initiatives across multiple stakeholder groups.

T: 01 716 3716
E: Email Michelle

ConsultUCD
Elizabeth Nolan
Head of Consultancy Services, ConsultUCD

Elizabeth is responsible for developing a professional and commercial managed consultancy service to facilitate access and support engagement between business, industry and UCD. This includes facilitating and supporting UCD academics and professional staff to engage in consultancy with external clients.

T: 01 716 3714
E: Email Elizabeth

Marian O'Dea
Consultancy Services Executive

Marian works with academics and external clients, and supports the development of professional consultancy services at UCD.

T: 01 716 3707
E: Email Marian

Call-specific contacts

For any queries, please contact us by email at proposalsupport@ucd.ie

 

Team

Funding Agency

Calls

Proposal Support Team

 Department of Agriculture, Food & Marine (DAFM)

All calls

Proposal Support Team

Enterprise Ireland (EI)

Feasibility Fund

Commercialisation Fund

Career Fit

DTIF

Proposal Support Team

 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

 All calls

 Proposal Support Team

 Health Research Board (HRB)

 All calls

 Proposal Support Team

 Irish Research Council (IRC)

 All calls

Proposal Support Team

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)

EPSRC Partnership

NSF China Partnership

Spokes and Strategic Partnerships

Future Innovator Prize

EU Research Office

 Enterprise Ireland (EI)

Financial support for Horizon Europe Collaborators

EU Research Office 

European Commission

Horizon Europe

Non- Framework Programmes

Proposal Support Team

Any other agency

Any other calls

 

For any queries, please contact us by email at proposalsupport@ucd.ie

 

 

European Research Council (ERC) and SFI Recruitment

Social Sciences & Humanities / Synergy: Contact Máire Coyle 

Physical Sciences & Engineering / Life Sciences:

Contact Margherita Castronovo 

Enterprise Ireland (EI)

Financial Support for ERC Applicants

Horizon Europe/European Research Council (ERC)

Starting Grants

Consolidator Grants

Advanced Grants

Synergy Grants

Proof of Concept

Contact Máire Coyle 

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)

Research Professorships