A host of researchers at University of Limerick have received funding to enhance partnerships with civic society organisations.
The Irish Research Council (IRC) announced funding for 67 New Foundations projects that will reach communities across the country and beyond, focusing on diverse societal challenges and government policy issues.
The New Foundations awards help civic society organisations and Government departments to devise evidence-based strategies and policies.
The announcement represents a total investment of almost €875,000, inclusive of the Department of An Taoiseach Shared Island awards announced late last year, with eight projects at UL among those funded.
Among the new research projects that will be funded with civic society partners are UL’s Professor Anne MacFarlane for the Public and Patient Involvement Ignite Network includes refugees and other migrants in health research.
Developed in partnership with Doras, this project will design more inclusive research strategies for engaging refugees and migrants as meaningful and more active partners in health research.
Director of the Irish Research Council, Dr Louise Callinan, said: “We are delighted to renew and extend our ongoing partnerships with Government departments and agencies who are funding 20 New Foundations projects, in addition to the 43 collaborative projects funded by the IRC with civic society partners, and the 4 funded by a charitable foundation.
“The collaboration between researchers and policymakers represented in these awards aligns with the ambitions of Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy to strengthen evidence-based policymaking and deliver enhanced outcomes for citizens and society.
“While New Foundations awards are relatively modest in value, they play a vital role in supporting and nurturing our research talent, providing an important step on the funding ladder to further awards nationally and internationally.”
43 projects are funded by the IRC to enhance research partnerships with civic society organisations. Through these partnerships with researchers, diverse community organisations will attain new evidence and insights to enhance their services and their impact.
In addition, a further 20 projects are funded by government departments and agencies addressing global development and global citizenship education, north-south reconciliation, our shared island, the National Volunteering Strategy for Ireland, and child protection and welfare policy.
Four awards on climate change and biodiversity are funded by Sunflower Charitable Foundation.
The full list of UL projects that received funding are:
Anne MacFarlane: Public and Patient Involvement Ignite Network includes refugees and other migrants in health research with partner Doras (€11,953.78)
Aoife Neary: BeLonGTo Primary: New Foundations for LGBTQI+ Inclusivity in Primary Schools with partner BelongTo LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland (€12,000.00)
Claire O’Donnell: Partners in Care Project (PICP): Collaboratively exploring supports required for individuals living with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), their families and caregivers with partner PSPA Ireland (€11,917.76)
Daragh Bradshaw: Social, Psychological and Behavioural Implications for Crisis Support Line Volunteers with partner 50808 Text About it (€11,590.85)
Eleanor Giraud: Mapping the manuscript and cultural heritage of the Dominican Order in Ireland with partner Dominican Order in Ireland (€11,998.19)
Susan Leahy: Words Matter: Developing Guidelines for Media Reporting on Sexual Violence in Ireland with partner Sexual Violence Centre Cork (€9,476.37)
Salim Saay: Educational Collaboration between Coláiste Nano Nagle School in Limerick, Ireland, and Irshad Private High School in Kabul, Afghanistan (€10,000.00)
Conor Little: Public Policy Agendas on a Shared Island (€19,907.00)
For more, see here.