International Women’s Day 2021

This International Women’s Day the Irish Research Council is looking back at the success of the women it supported throughout 2020.

Emma Dunne, Government of Ireland Postgrad  from UCD

IRC Video Competition Winner – Apollo Story

Emma’s winning video submission succinctly and creatively outlined her research which centers on the prevention of hypothermia in newborn preterm babies. This is achieved by identifying specific time points after delivery where babies are at increased risk of heat loss. The hope is that the results of this research can be readily applied in all economic settings, with the aim of improving outcomes for infants born prematurely across the world.

Sarah Larragy, Government of Ireland Postgrad  from MU

Featured on 10 things to Know About….

Sarah’s research into bumblebees led to her publishing an updated “Guidelines for users of imported bumblebee colonies” in conjunction with the National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC) and the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM). She also featured on last season’s 10 Things to Know About episode on biodiversity.

Cheryl L’Hirondelle, Enterprise Partnership Scheme Postgrad from UCD

Winner of the Canadian Governor General Award

The prestigious Canadian Governor General’s Award for Artistic Achievement in Media Arts was this year granted to recent IRC Enterprise Partnership Scheme Postgraduate Dr Cheryl L’Hirondelle. Honoured in recognition of her exceptional career both as a musician and scholar and her remarkable contribution to the media arts. Her research focused on the relationship between Indigenous and other land-based languages and cultural forms of communication.

Dr Kathryn Schoenrock, Government of Ireland Postdoc from NUI, Galway 

IRC Early Career Researcher of the Year

NUI Galway based postdoctoral fellow Dr. Kathryn Schoenrock’s research focus is kelp forest ecology. Kelp forests are known to be a habitat for thousands of marine species and recently, they have been highlighted as an important blue carbon repository capable of sequestering the increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Dr. Schoenrock led an intensive kelp forest monitoring effort over the past three years – the first effort of its kind.

Dr Jane Suiter, Citizen’s Assembly Project Awardee from DCU

IRC Researcher of the Year

Last year’s IRC Researcher  of the Year Dr Jane Suiter was commended for her research on the public sphere and the information environment in referendums and elections. Dr Suiter’s research includes analysing populist messaging and the political communication characteristics and systems that support or hinder it, as well as the impacts of citizen’s participation and deliberation and the role of citizens in renewing democracy.

Prof Orla Muldoon, IRC Council member based at UL

ERC Advanced Grant awardee

Last year Prof Muldoon was one of four Irish recipients of a prestigious Advanced ERC Grant. Her project, A Social Identity Model of Trauma and Identity Change: A Novel Theory of Post-Traumatic Stress, Resilience and Growth, offers a sea change in thinking about trauma. Prof Muldoon alongside Prof Turlough Downes also became the newest members appointed to the IRC Council.