Trinity researchers recognised in latest SFI Frontiers for the Future Programme Awards

Posted on: 31 May 2023

Twelve Trinity projects have received funding this week from Science Foundation Ireland across a range of research disciplines.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, TD, has announced 62 grants valued at €42 million to support research across 13 Higher Education Institutions through Science Foundation Ireland’s Frontiers for the Future Programme.

Speaking on the announcement, Trinity's Provost Dr. Linda Doyle said:

“Congratulations to the researchers who have been successful in this SFI Frontiers for the Future funding call.

“The spread of topics funded is striking, ranging from treating sepsis in preterm infants to exploring quantum science.

“The SFI Frontiers for the Future Programme is distinctive as it supports independent investigators to take highly innovative approaches and conduct high-risk, high-reward research. Supporting this kind of research is critically important for universities as it is often the space where really groundbreaking discoveries, which can have a positive impact on people’s lives, are made."

Minister Harris commented on the programme:

“These awards, supported under the SFI Frontiers for the Future programme, will enable research ideas to contribute new knowledge, solving problems faced by our society, while also providing a continuum of support from early career to established researchers, thus growing and retaining top talent in Ireland.

The SFI Frontiers for the Future programme takes important steps to address gender imbalance and to provide support and opportunity for emerging investigators who are returning to their research after a period of leave.”

Professor Philip Nolan, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland, said:

“I am delighted that we are funding 62 new research grants through the SFI Frontiers for the Future programme. A key action of SFI’s strategy is to deliver 140 investigator grants every year to support excellent research and to attract top talent. The Frontiers for the Future programme is the primary mechanism to achieve this goal. It is vital that we invest in excellent and innovative research in Ireland. I would like to thank the Children’s Health Foundation and Geological Survey Ireland for collaborating on this programme with SFI, allowing us to fund projects which will have a significant impact in key areas.”

197 research positions will be supported, including 68 postdoctoral positions, 87 PhD students and 37 Research Assistants and other positions. A number of the projects have been funded in collaboration with the Children’s Health Foundation (CHF) and Geological Survey Ireland (GSI).

The SFI Frontiers for the Future programme comprises two funding streams:

Projects – 49 high-risk, high-reward research projects will receive €27 million in funding, which will facilitate highly innovative and novel approaches to research.
Awards – 13 larger scale awards will receive €15 million in funding for innovative, collaborative and excellent research programmes.

The SFI Frontiers for Future Awards at Trinity College are:

Mathias Senge (Chemistry)

Research programme: Re-engineering Porphyrins – From Shape to Function (PORPHYSHAPE)

Yurii Gun'ko (Chemistry)

Research programme: Chiral 2D nanostructure

The SFI Frontiers for Future Projects at Trinity College are:

Jason Wyse (School of Computer Science and Statistics)

Project title: 3E-X: Emerging, Enriching and Educating to prepare for the next disease X

Frank Wellmer (Genetics and Microbiology)

Project title: The formation of flowers – what determines the specificities of the floral homeotic transcription factors?

Aidan McDonald (Chemistry)

Project title: High-Valent Metal-Halide Complexes for Strong C–H Bond Activation and Halogenation

Eleanor Molloy (Trinity Institute of Neurosciences – TCIN, School of Medicine)

Project title: PLATYPus project: Preterm infant immunomoduLAtion to Treat sepsis and brain injurY Prevention

Louise Bradley (Physics)

Project title: Emission control with dielectric metasurfaces

Michael Coey (Physics)

Project title: Ferrimagnetic switching with topolgical manganese perovskites (FISTMAP)

Mikel Egana (Physiology)

Project title: Cerebrovascular dynamic responses subsequent to high-intensity interval vs moderate-intensity continuous training in men and women with type 2 diabetes

Patrick Walshe (Clinical Medicine)

Project title: Identifying the mechanism of action of a novel therapeutic target during the earliest phases of IBD onset in childhood

Paul Eastham (Physics)

Project title: Heat transfer and dissipation in quantum devices: exploiting strong-coupling to structured baths for enhanced performance

Sinead Ryan (Pure & Applied Mathematics)

Project title: The computing frontier for quantum field theories

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Orla Sweeney | Public Affairs and Communications | orla.sweeney@tcd.ie | +353 1 896 3983