Maynooth University awarded research grants as part of €53 million funded SFI Frontiers for the Future Programme

Two Maynooth University researchers, Dr Arman Farhang and Dr Brian Hennelly, of Maynooth University, are to receive funding as part of the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Frontiers for the Future Programme.

The Maynooth University researchers based at the Department of Electronic Engineering and the Hamilton Institute are developing new data transmission and receiving technologies to improve links for applications such as vehicles in future wireless networks, contributing towards a safer, smarter, and highly connected society.

Maynooth University is among 71 recipients of grants to support frontiers research across 12 Higher Education Institutions through Science Foundation Ireland, announced today by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, TD.

The research project of Dr Bryan Hennelly is titled, ‘Label-Free Flow Cytometry using Broadband Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy’, and Dr Arman Farhang’s project is titled, ‘New Waveforms for Next Generation Wireless Networks (NEW WAVE)’.

Commenting on the overall programme, Minister Harris said: “Congratulations to all the researchers who have received funding today as part of the SFI Frontiers for the Future Programme. I am delighted to support this programme which funds individual-led research, with an emphasis on areas of high-risk, high-reward, which will help us build a better future for Ireland through discovery, innovation, and impact.”

“I am pleased to see the successful outcome of the new gender initiative that sees 45% of the research grants announced today led by female researchers. The funding will support researchers who are already carrying out excellent work in Ireland, as well as those in the early stages of their research careers who hold incredible potential.  It is through investment like this that Ireland will become an innovation leader and provide solutions and opportunities for our society and economy.”

Professor Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland said: “This was a highly competitive process and I’m delighted that we are able to fund 71 new research grants through the SFI Frontiers for the Future programme. These are highly skilled, talented, and dedicated researchers and it is crucial that we invest in their excellent ideas and research, to maintain and build on Ireland’s global standing in research, innovation, and discovery.  I would like to thank the Higher Education Institutions for their support in delivering this new programme.”

The 71 research grants will support areas such as spinal cord injury, novel materials, climate change, biodiversity in food production and waste, smart manufacturing, social connectivity, computer graphics, horse breeding, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and information security.

The research will be undertaken in the following Higher Education Institutions – Dublin City University (DCU); Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT); Maynooth University; the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG); RCSI, University of Medicine and Health Sciences; Teagasc; Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin); Trinity College Dublin (TCD); Tyndall National Institute (TNI); University College Cork (UCC); University College Dublin (UCD) and University of Limerick (UL).