Three Maynooth University researchers have received awards under the Irish Research Council (IRC) ‘Enterprise Partnership Scheme and Employment-Based Postgraduate Programme’. The projects bring together researchers with an enterprise or employer to collaborate on a research project of mutual interest.
The MU projects address a range of challenges including ovarian cancer, immigrant experiences and youth work, in partnership with leading Irish civil society organisations.
These projects support research, networking and collaboration enabling researchers to develop new, advanced knowledge and skills, linked with their partners’ needs.
Enterprise Partnership Scheme Postgraduate Scholar: Ellen Treacy received €112,000 for Identifying Novel Druggable Targets in High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer, in partnership with Breakthrough Cancer Research
Enterprise Partnership Scheme Postdoctoral Scholars: Dr Meishan Zhang received €105,604 for Interpreting Justice: An Exploration of Chinese Immigrants’ Experiences in the Immigration System in Ireland, in partnership with Crosscare
Employment-Based Postgraduate Programme Scholars: Saoirse Reynolds Conlon received €28,000 for Fostering young people's creativity through youth work: a mixed method study, in partnership National Youth Council of Ireland
Announcing the latest IRC enterprise programmes’ awards, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, said: “I am delighted to announce the latest projects to be selected for funding under the Irish Research Council’s Enterprise Partnership Scheme and Employment-Based Postgraduate Programme. These co-funded programmes train early-career researchers for the diversity of employment opportunities in industry, the public sector and the non-government sectors. For enterprise and employment partners, the schemes provide a low-risk, flexible route to research talent and innovation in an area closely aligned with their strategic interests.
“It’s exciting to see the broad experience and benefits that these partnerships will give to researchers and their enterprise-employer partners. These collaborative projects will allow researchers to gain valuable experience in the early stages of their careers, while employers and enterprises will benefit from having fresh perspectives, expertise, new ideas and knowledge.”