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The industry partners collaborating on the programme will collectively co-fund more than €1.7m.
Research Ireland has announced 28 ‘industry-focused’ fellowships, funded through an investment of €2.5m. Through the programme, fellows from across eight higher educational institutions in Ireland will work with 22 sci-tech companies, utilising their academic insights while developing industry and business knowledge.
The Industry Research, Development, and Innovation Fellowships (IRDIF) Programme fellowships will range between 12 to 24 months, allowing the chosen researchers to work with the companies on diverse STEM-related projects.
Some of the funded projects include developing smarter AI systems that can quickly and accurately detect harmful content, in collaboration with Workday; developing a cell-sorting system to efficiently sort human primary testicular cells for addressing male infertility, with BD Research Centre Ireland; and climate risk intelligence tools for critical infrastructure assets, in collaboration with Climate Matters.
The industry partners collaborating on the programme – of which 21 are based in Ireland and one based in Canada – will collectively co-fund more than €1.7m, said Research Ireland, while the fellowship awardees arise from 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.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless, TD, who announced the fellowships 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.”
“We are delighted to facilitate these new partnerships between academia and industry,” said Celine Fitzgerald, the interim CEO of Research Ireland.
“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.”
Last month, scientists at the University of Galway and the Cúram Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices developed a way to bioprint tissue cells that can change shape, improving the structure and functionality of bioprinted organs.
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