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Funded Projects

83 projects have been awarded funding under the COVID-19 Rapid Response Research and Innovation Funding Call

Diagnostics

  • A rapid test for COVID-19 antibodies Professor John Pius Dalton, NUI Galway
  • A quick and cost-effective test for COVID-19 antibodies for frontline healthcare workers Dr Gareth Brady and Dr William McCormack, Trinity College Dublin
  • New antibody tests for SARS-CoV-2 Professor Sean Doyle, Maynooth University
  • UCD to create a secure, reliable supply of critical reagents for COVID-19 testing Professor Virginie Gautier, Professor Patrick Mallon and Professor Gil Lee, University College Dublin
  • Expanding lab tests for the COVID-19 virus Dr Lee Coffey, Waterford Institute of Technology 
  • COVIDBIOME; Microbiome-based biomarkers of COVID 19 disease outcome Professor Paul O'Toole and Professor Colin Hill, APC Microbiome Ireland SFI Research Centre and University College Cork
  • Identify Diagnostic Biomarkers to Predict and Treat COVID-19 Sepsis Professor Liam O'Mahony, APC Microbiome Ireland SFI Research Centre and University College Cork
  • AptaGold – A rapid saliva-based COVID-19 screening assay Dr Niamh Gilmartin and Dr Steve Meaney, TU Dublin
  • Rapid and adjustable population-scale diagnostics via Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Dr Elaine Kenny, Trinity College Dublin
  • Detection and quantification of neutralising antibodies against COVID-19 infection Professor Patrick Mallon, University College Dublin
  • Next Generation Magnetic Beads for enhanced viral RNA detection and improved COVID19 Testing, Securing Supply, Improving Performance Professor Dermot Brougham, University College Dublin
  • Detection of COVID-19 infection using exhaled breath condensate Professor Bryan Hennessy, RSCI
  • Development of user-friendly scalable manufacturing process for guanidine thiocyanate Dr Peter Davern, University of Limerick
  • A rapid high-throughput CRISPR-Cas13adiagnostic platform for Covid-19 diagnostics Professor Charles Spillane, NUI Galway
  • An Innovative Digital Acoustic Biomarker for COVID19 Professor Derek O'Keeffe, NUI Galway
  • Saliva sampling for the detection and diagnosis of COVID-19 Dr John MacSharry, University College Cork and APC Microbiome Ireland SFI Research Centre
  • Antibody-based testing hub for serological assay validation Dr Paul Leonard, Dublin City University

Biomedical studies

*indicates joint proposal with Northern Ireland researchers
  • Finding the signals to quickly identify patients at risk of severe disease in COVID-19 Dr Ignacio Martin-Loeches, Trinity College Dublin
  • Tracking the genetics of the COVID-19 virus in Ireland Professor Paul Cotter, Teagasc
  • Blocking SARS-CoVid2 infection by inhibiting the TMPRSS2 protease Dr Isabel Rozas, Trinity College Dublin
  • Covid-19 coagulopathy and thrombosis: Novel prognostic and therapeutic opportunities: The COCOON study Dr Barry Kevane, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, UCD Conway SPHERE Research Group and University College Dublin
  • Analysing blood-brain barrier integrity to inform on protection from CoVID-19 associated encephalopathy Dr Colin Doherty, Trinity College Dublin and FutureNeuro, the SFI Research Centre for Chronic and Rare Neurological Diseases
  • ACE-2 primed human MSCs-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) to treat critically ill Covid-19 patients Professor Paul Cahill, Dublin City University
  • Immune genes, protective immunity and improved vaccine design Dr Clair Gardiner, Trinity College Dublin
  • Engineered Inhalable Antiviral-Composites for Pulmonary Delivery with Optimal Therapeutic Outcomes Dr Ahmad B Albadarin, University of Limerick
  • COVREs: Understanding the Host-Virus Response in Patients with Mild versus Serious Disease Ross McManus, Trinity College Dublin*
  • Accelerating COVID-19 antiviral treatments with novel strategies targeting the virus-host interface Virginie Gautier, University College Dublin
  • Markers of adipose tissue and systemic inflammation in obese and non-obese patients with COVID-19 Eoin Feeney, University College Dublin*
  • InflaTMP: Design of a novel combination anti-inflammatory and anti-viral biotherapeutic for COVID-19 targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome and TMPRSS2 Kingston Mills, Trinity College Dublin*
  • Biological profiling in COVID-19 infection to characterise optimal therapeutic approaches Paddy Mallon, University College Dublin*
  • DISECT: Deep Immunophenotyping combined with Spatial profiling and integrated RNA sequencing to Explain the Complex Tissue pathophysiology of COVID-19 Paul Murray, University of Limerick
  • A new approach for the prevention of SARS-Coronavirus-2 transmission and associated inflammation during COVID-19 Margaret McGee, University College Dublin
  • New Approaches to Understanding Blood Vessel Dysfunction in COVID-19 Patients Roger Preston, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland*
  • Technology Assisted Solutions for the Recognition of Objective Physiological Indicators of post-COVID-19 Fatigue (TROPIC Study) Roman Romero-Ortuno, Trinity College Dublin
  • Investigation of the mechanisms of COVID-19 associated neurological disease Nicola Fletcher, University College Dublin
  • DIRECTS: Detecting Innate protection against SARS-CoV2 Cliona O'Farrelly, Trinity College Dublin
  • Antibody effector functions and COVID-19 immune response Michelle Kilcoyne, National University of Ireland, Galway
  • Multifunctional peptides targeting SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection Denis Shields, University College Dublin
  • DELAY-COVID: Dysregulated innatE immunity in Liver disease Amplifies the severitY of COVID-19 Mark Robinson, National University of Ireland, Maynooth*
  • VIRCOA-TILDA: Viral and Immune Risk factors for COVID-19 in Older Adults in the TILDA study Nollaig Bourke, Trinity College Dublin

Infection prevention & control and Frontline healthcare

*indicates joint proposal with Northern Ireland researchers
  • Equipment to make it easier and safer for patients with COVID-19 to breathe Professor Martin O’Halloran and Professor John Laffey, NUI Galway
  • Rapid Advanced Production Responses to Frozen Supply Chains in Hospitals Professor Leonard O’Sullivan, University of Limerick and CONFIRM SFI Research Centre for Smart Manufacturing
  • 3D printing PPE for healthcare settings Professor Denis Dowling and Professor Dermot Brabazon, I-Form SFI Research Centre for Advanced Manufacturing
  • Safe PPE -tools for improved HCW safety Dr Gerard Lacey, Trinity College Dublin
  • Airborne environmental indicators of airborne COVID-19 in hospitals Professor Stephen Daniels, Dublin City University
  • Preventing Healthcare Staff Facial Pressure Ulcers in a Covid-19 ICU Professor Zena Moore, RCSI and Skin Wounds and Trauma (SWaT) Research Centre
  • Manufacture of novel COVID-19 Laryngoscopes for airway intubation Professor James FX Jones, University College Dublin
  • National Roadmap for Facial PPE Sterilization Professor Donal O'Shea, RCSI
  • Development of Plastic Packaging and Film Resistant to Covid-19 Professor Michael Gilchrist, University College Dublin
  • RObots to Protect Against COVID (ROPAC) Dr Conor McGinn, Trinity College Dublin
  • MASK: Making Aerosol Safety Known! Dr Niall Smith, Cork Institute of Technology
  • Applying Surface Engineering to PPEs in the Fight against Covid-19 Dr Emmanuel J Ekoi, University College Dublin
  • Measurement inspired laser fabrication of aerosol filter materials Dr Gerard O’Connor, NUI Galway
  • Novel airborne surveillance of SARS-CoV2 in healthcare and airport environments Professor Michael Prentice, University College Cork
  • Antiviral fabrics for masks and gowns (Anti-Fab) Tofail Syed, University of Limerick
  • COVID-19 and the environment:  Plasma-enabled fogging for safe and effective surface decontamination Hilary Humphreys, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland*
  • Residential long term care and COVID-19: the role of the built environment in balancing infection control and quality of life Desmond O'Neill, Trinity College Dublin
  • ARK Virus: Active Risk Knowledge platform for mindful governance of PPE for Virus infection control and prevention Rob Brennan, Dublin City University
  • Understanding and Preventing COVID-19 Outbreaks in Meat Processing Plants - Prepared for the Future (UPCOM) Grace Mulcahy, University College Dublin

Remote patient monitoring

  • Remote blood-pressure monitoring in pregnancy in the COVID-19 pandemic Professor Frédéric Adam and Dr Fergus McCarthy, University College Cork
  • Home monitoring of respiration in COVID-19 patients using smartphone technology Professor Madeleine Lowery, University College Dublin and patientMpower
  • Expanding Care Capacity through Remote Monitoring of COVID-19 patients Professor Eilish McAuliffe, University College Dublin

Epidemiology, modelling and data platforms

*indicates joint proposal with Northern Ireland researchers
  • Putting COVID-19 infections on the map in Ireland Dr Paul Hynds, TU Dublin
  • Modelling Ireland’s medium-term future in the COVID-19 pandemic Professor Andrew Parnell, Maynooth University
  • A data platform for emergency services and managing COVID-19 Professor Tim McCarthy, Maynooth University
  • SARS-CoV-2 in sewage and bodies of water Professor Wim G. Meijer, University College Dublin
  • The Health and Economic Impacts of Covid-19 Control Measures Dr James Sweeney, University of Limerick
  • Early detection of secondary waves of Covid‐19 infection Professor Carl Scarrott, NUI Galway
  • Quantifying the Effects of Public Health Interventions in Ireland Dr Alberto Alvarez-Iglesias, NUI Galway and HRB Clinical Research Facility
  • RCES: Rapid Cues Exploratory Search Using Taxonomies For COVID-19 Dr Muhammad Atif Qureshi and Dr Nicole Baker, TU Dublin, Trinity College Dublin and ADAPT, SFI Research Centre for Digital Media Technology 
  • Covid-19 community wide surveillance via wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) Dr Niall O’Leary, University College Cork
  • Tracking  COVID19 and identifying patients at high risk of contracting COVID19 using GP data Dr Darach Ó Ciardha, Trinity College Dublin
  • COMBAT: (COVID-19 Modelling through agent-Based Techniques) Professor Gregory O'Hare, University College Dublin
  • COVID-19 outbreaks in workplace settings: understanding and preventing  super spreading events Carla Perrotta, University College Dublin
  • An integrated system for all-island SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance and reporting Wim Meijer, University College Dublin*

Contact Tracing

  • COVIGILANT Evidence to inform Ireland’s digital contact-tracing strategy Dr Jim Buckley, University of Limerick

Essential Services and Societal Impacts

*indicates joint proposal with Northern Ireland researchers
  • Investigating Psychological and Social Effects of Covid-19: A Call for Action Dr Hossein Javidnia, ADAPT SFI Research Centre for Digital Media Technology and Trinity College Dublin
  • PRIVATT - Assessing Irish Attitudes to Privacy in Times of COVID19 Dr Irina Tal, Lero Irish Software SFI Research Centre and Dublin City University
  • DreamSpace: Bringing STEAMEducation to homes across Ireland Dr Kevin Marshall, Microsoft Ireland and Maynooth University
  • The COVID-19 Irish Citizens’ Online Forum Dr Jane Suiter, Dublin City University and ADAPT SFI Research Centre for Digital Media Technology
  • Social distancing detection in airport surveillance networks Kevin McGuinness, Dublin City University
  • RoomReader - supporting teachers in interactions with students for online classes in third level Naomi Harte, Trinity College Dublin
  • Food Shield: Resilience, growth and digitisation of Food and Feed Supply Systems Fiona Doohan, University College Dublin*

 

Rapid Response Funding Call

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