Maynooth University researchers are set to receive €1 million to support two projects under the SFI-IRC Pathway programme.
The researchers will receive these grants for their work on advances in wave energy, and on the early development of ancient Irish inscription culture or epigraphy.
The projects are funded through the SFI-IRC Pathway programme, a collaborative initiative between Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and the Irish Research Council (IRC) to support early-career research across all disciplines and to encourage interdisciplinary approaches.
The grants will enable the fellows to conduct independent research for a four-year period and provide funding for the supervision of postgraduate student.
Announcing an investment of €24 million across 43 research projects, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris, TD, said:
“I am particularly pleased to see we are researching the area of vaping and the impact it is having on the next generation of smokers. I believe the impact is significant and I am really looking forward to hearing the outcome of that work. There is also invaluable research into student mental health and wellbeing across the island of Ireland.
“By supporting this activity, we are cultivating generational talent within Ireland’s research and innovation ecosystem that is focusing on key challenges and opportunities and on the issues facing this generation such as climate and technology.”
The Maynooth University SFI-IRC Pathways Fellows are:
- Dr Andrei Ermakov (mentor Prof John Ringwood), Department of Electronic Engineering, received €535,699 for his research on Maximising the power capture from cyclorotor wave energy converters.Cyclorotor-based wave energy devices are a promising type of wave energy device. This project provides a new control strategy that can significantly improve the performance of cyclorotor-based wave energy devices, reducing costs, maximising energy produced and extending the device’s lifespan. The project will develop this technology, focusing on demonstrating its commercial viability as a competitive part of the renewables mix, strengthening Irish leadership in wave energy.
- Dr Nora White (mentor Prof David Stifter), Department of Early Irish, received €523,437 for her research on EMISoS: Early Medieval Irish Scripts on Stone - the origins and early development of Irish epigraphic culture.This project aims to address the neglect of early Irish inscriptions on stone, and occasionally other materials such as metal and bone, as a rich source of information on early medieval Ireland.
The SFI-IRC Pathway programme enables talented post-doctoral researchers to develop their track record and establish themselves as independent investigators, with the support of their research body. It provides a mechanism for Irish Higher Education Institutions to retain excellent early career researchers from all disciplines and support their development towards becoming research leaders of the future.