In the News..

Four researchers at University of Galway have secured funding under a special European programme to support their work while boosting career opportunities. The prestigious award is made by the European Commission’s Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions MSCA-Doctoral Network programme as part of Horizon Europe 2020. The successful University of Galway applicants are: Dr William Ronan, a researcher in Biomedical Engineering at University of Galway’s College of Science and Engineering and a Principal Investigator at CÚRAM - the Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices hosted by the University. He leads the research project - Advanced Nickel-Titanium Alloys for Medical Device Applications. Dr Mihai Lomora, a researcher in Bio(material) Chemistry at the University’s School of Biological and Chemical Sciences in the College of Science and Engineering and a Funded Investigator at CÚRAM - the Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices, will lead the research project. Her research project is - Tiny Machines Working to Elucidate Mechanisms of Cerebrovascular Pathologies. Dr Eimear Morrisey, a researcher in Evidence Based Healthcare at the University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. She will lead the research project - Advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Clinical Trials. Dr Muireann O’Cinneide, a researcher in English, Media and Creative Arts at the University’s College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies. She will partner on the research project - Decadence for Doctoral Studies.   Professor Lokesh Joshi, Interim Vice-President for Research and Innovation, University of Galway, said: “Congratulations to our successful researchers who can go on to learn from counterparts in the MSCA-Doctoral network programme. The diverse research areas of our funded applicants offer an incredible opportunity to respond to societal needs in their chosen research fields.” The MSCA-Doctoral Network programme involves researchers in international partnerships of organisations from different sectors which are responding to well-identified needs in various research and innovation areas. The network has academic and non-academic members and provides researchers with training to make them more creative, entrepreneurial and innovative and helps to boost their employability in the long-term. Ends

Two University of Galway students took home top awards at the GradIreland Undergraduate of the Year Awards 2025. The awards recognise and celebrate Ireland’s most outstanding undergraduate students. This year, 16 University of Galway students were shortlisted for the finals. Second year Electronic and Computer Engineering student Sarah Jane Hughes from Redgap, Co Louth was presented with the Innovation Undergraduate of the Year Award, sponsored by Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard. A Stanford University Innovation Fellow and finalist for the Siemens Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Award, Sarah Jane Hughes developed AscertPro, an app revolutionising construction site inspections. Recognised with University of Galway’s IdeasLab President’s Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Sarah Jane is a dynamic leader committed to solving real-world challenges through innovation, collaboration, and sustainable solutions. Passionate about leveraging technology for impact, she has experience in engineering, consulting, and digital marketing and as part of the award she will have the opportunity to earn a Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Digital Marketing Institute. Anna Connors, a fourth year Energy Systems Engineering student, received the Renewable Energy Undergraduate of the Year Award, sponsored by Bord Na Móna, earning a place on the Graduate Programme within renewable energy, personal and professional development. Originally from Ballinalee, Co. Longford, Anna completed an academic work placement at engineering consultancy company Buro Happold in Leeds, UK. In addition to her studies, Anna is passionate about sustainability, the environment and finding carbon neutral energy solutions for the current climate crisis. Marie Laffey, Head of the Career Development Centre at the University, said: “University of Galway is committed to fostering a culture of innovation and sustainability within our university community, and it’s fantastic to see our students leading the way. The prestigious GradIreland Undergraduate of the Year awards are a benchmark of excellence and are highly valued by employers. We are delighted to celebrate Sarah Jane’s and Anna’s success and look forward to seeing the positive difference they will make in their future careers.” Ends

University of Galway is celebrating a standout performance at the 2025 National Student Media Awards with students securing three major awards. The winners were led by first-year Bachelor of Arts Journalism student Vladyslav Piatin-Ponomarenko who secured Film Documentary of the Year for his personal and emotional short documentary, Imagine War – 75 Days of Survival in Mariupol, which documents his escape from Mariupol at the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Students secured two other awards: Emma Van Oosterhout, a fourth-year BA Global Media student, was named “Collaborative Journalist of the Year”, and Áine Ní Shíocháin, a BA Cumarsáid student, received an award for excellence in Irish-language journalism. Tom Felle, Associate Professor of Journalism at University of Galway, said: “We are immensely proud of our students' achievements and these awards are a testament to their talent, resilience, and dedication. I would also like to acknowledge my colleagues across the Journalism and Media team for their hard work and support of our students throughout the year.” University of Galway students were shortlisted for eight awards in total, including a nomination for its hyperlocal news site, Galway Pulse, in the “News Site of the Year” category. Ends