Health Research Institute (HRI), University of Limerick

The Health Research Institute was established in 2014 to align researchers from different disciplines and partner organisations  around common research goals with a focus on health across the lifespan and healthy ageing.

Our Strategy (2023-2028)- Research delivering for Health

Our vision is to become a leading research institute for health and wellbeing research, aligning with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 3: ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages.

Governance and Management

The HRI is committed to operating at the highest standards of governance. 

To this end, our organisational structure includes the:

  • HRI Executive Committee which concentrates on governance and strategy and acts as the decision-making body of the Institute
     
  • HRI Management Team which ensures that the the strategy is implemented effectively

The Executive Committee is in the process of establishing an External Advisory Board (at time of writing)


Operations

Responsibility for the day-to-day functioning of the unit, lies with the Operations Teams, based on the UL campus and in the HRI Clinical Research Support Unit (CRSU), Clinical Education and Research Centre on the grounds of University Hospital, Limerick.

Clinical Research Support Unit (CRSU)

The CRSU was established in 2014. It houses a highly skilled clinical research team and provides clinical research facilities including fully equipped clinical rooms, researcher hot desking space and meeting/board rooms for research related meetings and events.

Our Expertise includes:

  • Priority Research Areas: Ageing; Cancer; Physical Activity for Health; Food, Diet and Nutrition
  • Underpinning Areas of Excellence: Implementation Science; Participatory Health Research; Digital Technologies and Advanced Data Analytics
  • Biostatistics
  • Health informatics
  • Data analytics
  • Health economics
  • Good Clinical Practice
  • Trials Methodology
  • Critical Appraisal Skills Training

Building Strong Networks

We foster a robust network of researchers within the university and with external partners. Our aim is to attract top researchers, collaborate with industry, and involve patients and communities in our research. By focusing on person-centred, technology-driven healthcare, we strive to improve health outcomes and wellbeing.

Enabling Researchers

We enable access to interdisciplinary research expertise across various departments, building a critical mass of researchers both locally and internationally. We aim to facilitate connections with research leaders, clinical and industry partners, NGOs, charity and advocacy partners and patient communities.

Our Objectives

Our objectives support the development of health research at the University of Limerick and with our partners and collaborators. We are committed to the importance of individual and collaborative research to advance person-centred, technology-enabled and integrated healthcare.

The activities of the HRI are supported by expertise in biostatistics, health informatics and health economics, and facilitated by the Clinical Research Support Unit (CRSU). Our goal is to provide a rich collaborative environment that fosters discovery and innovation in health science that will lead to better health, improved care and a healthier society.

The HRI acts as an enabler for researchers by allowing access to interdisciplinary research expertise across a range of departments which will develop a critical mass of researchers - interdepartmental, inter-institutional and international. 

The HRI aims to allow easier access to research leaders with significant track records as well as industry partners, patient cohorts and communities.

The HRI’s objectives will support the scope and capacity of research within UL and with its partners. These objectives not only emphasis the importance of individual research, but of establishing a collaborative research network at the heart of our Health research community.  We will pursue to advance person-centred, technology enabled, integrated healthcare and treatment.