Intel and the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (IRCSET) will co-fund six PhD students to research independent living solutions for older people. The total funding totals €432,000 over three years.
The funding decision is part of Intel’s commitment to the Technology Research for Independent Living (TRIL) centre, which it established in conjunction with IDA Ireland with a three-year investment of US$30m.
The six PhD-level researchers operate in the fields of: computer science, computing, information technologies and bioinformatics; sensor design for biomedical applications; electronic engineering; biomechanical engineering; applied mathematics; and industrial design.
The work of the TRIL centre is geared towards helping people “age in place” from wherever they choose to live, and is becoming more and more relevant as the percentage of elderly people in Europe grows. It is estimated that by 2050, one third of Europe’s population will be over the age of 65.
The research co-funding will be administered by IRCSET through its Enterprise Partnership Scheme. Applicants will be chosen from qualifying candidates in an open competition under IRCSET’s postgraduate research scholarship programme.
Martin Hynes, executive director, IRCSET, commented: “We are delighted to collaborate with Intel to support their admirable commitment to the TRIL centre. The challenges posed by the ageing population must be addressed through research of this kind. The contribution of these six PhD scholars is likely to have significant impact across a number of areas of relevance to older people in their daily lives.”
By Niall Byrne
