Maynooth University has been awarded €1 million under the Science Foundation Ireland-Irish Aid Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Challenge, on the recommendation of a panel of global health experts.
Prof Sean Doyle, Department of Biology and Dr Nicola Mountford, School of Business and ALL Institute, with partner team lead, Dr Peter Waiswa in Makerere University in Uganda, won the first SDG Challenge focusing on SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, with a new approach to identifying sepsis in newborn babies. The team was supported by the Irish Neonatal Health Alliance as its societal impact champion.
Sepsis causes 17 neonatal deaths per day in Uganda and existing tests can be difficult to use on babies and may not provide results quickly enough. The project, Neosepsis, is developing a new low-resource sepsis test that can be conducted using a small drop of blood from a heel prick.
The SDG Challenge Programme is a partnership between SFI and Irish Aid (Department of Foreign Affairs), whose purpose is to support transformative, sustainable solutions to contribute to addressing development challenges in Irish Aid’s partner countries.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, and Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Sean Fleming TD, announced the winning project.
Minister Harris said: “Significant progress has been made in tackling and reducing child mortality in the past two decades, and the Neosepsis project will contribute in areas where improvements are still urgently needed.
“The team has made rapid progress since being selected for funding only 18 months ago. This progress demonstrates that working together, we can effectively tackle the Sustainable Development Goals and make a real difference on a global scale.”
Minister Fleming said: “The winning project is an exciting collaboration between experts in Ireland and Uganda that will have a real-world impact. The project has the potential to transform sepsis testing. Seventeen children die of sepsis each day in Uganda alone.
“I congratulate the researchers on winning the Science Foundation Ireland-Irish Aid Sustainable Development Goals Challenge and hope the additional funding provided will help with this vital research.”
“This was a true team effort from Maynooth to Uganda,” said Prof Doyle. “In addition to our research teams, and the hundreds of families involved in initial trials, we also thank Accuplex Diagnostics Limited in Maynooth who contributed their expertise and test device prototypes.”
The Neosepsis team is adapting an existing technology for the detection of serum amyloid A (SAA), which is a proven biomarker of infection. They will use the additional funding to move towards regulatory approval in Uganda, manufacturing of the tests and further evaluation studies.
ALL Institute: Assisting Living & Learning
ToggleMaynooth University team triumphs in SFI-Irish Aid SDG Challenge
News
Appointment to the Irish National Research Ethics Committee for Clinical Trials
This committee reviews ethics applications related to Clinical Trials of Investigational Medicinal Products in Ireland.
Date: Friday, 03 May 2024
‘Lived Fiction’ Goes on Stage: Reflecting on a Major Milestone for the DANCING Project and the Collaboration with Stopgap
A contemporary dance piece ‘Lived Fiction’ premiered at Dublin’s Lir Academy Theatre in collaboration with Project Arts Centre (PAC). The piece was commissioned by DANCING, a European Research Council (ERC) funded academic research project based at Maynooth University.
Date: Wednesday, 01 May 2024
What Role is There for Artificial Intelligence in the Assessment of Neurodiversity?
One of the helpful learnings from the Covid-19 pandemic for the National Clinical Programme for People with Disability (NCPPD, in Ireland) was that neurodiversity assessments could be undertaken remotely by clinicians through digital platforms.
Date: Wednesday, 10 April 2024
The ERC funded PatentsInHumans Project – Year One Project Report And Reflections!
PatentsInHumans Project has passed the one-year point having commenced in November 2022!
Date: Wednesday, 10 April 2024
Equality in a Digital Future? Ensuring Access to Assistive Technology in Third-Level Education
Check out our blog discussing the above?
Date: Friday, 22 March 2024
Creating an Accessible Survey
Our DANCING project share some of their experience in developing an accessible survey which was designed to be completed by audience members who attended a DANCING event.
Date: Friday, 08 March 2024
'PROMOTE' app aims to keep women in research
The PROMOTE team is co-led by Maynooth University's Dr Katriona O'Sullivan and Dr Marian Crowley-Henry and calls on all academics to #buildthenetwork for women researchers with a world-first app.
Date: Friday, 08 March 2024
Professor Delia Ferri presents to UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The opening session heard several speakers including permanent representatives of other UN agencies and Special Rapporteurs as well as representatives of organisations of persons with disabilities.
Date: Thursday, 07 March 2024
Getting Older Today and Tomorrow: How Should Technology Transform Access to Care and Support Services?
So, what should tomorrow’s systems for rights-based support services look like and how can digital technologies support a positive shift?
Date: Friday, 01 March 2024
MU Design Innovation’s Trevor Vaugh returns to the small screen on RTE’s Big Life Fix
Big Life Fix Returns To RTE One - Wednesday 28th February at 9.35pm - Over the course of a year the show follows the progress of Irish designers, engineers, computer programmers and technology experts. Using the same principles we teach on our BSc Product Design & Innovation and MSc Design Innovation programmes
Date: Friday, 23 February 2024