The SFI Public Service Fellowship programme offers academic researchers a unique opportunity to be seconded to Government Departments, agencies and the Library & Research Service of the Oireachtas, to work on specific collaborative research projects. The aim is to foster innovation within the Public Sector by supporting the development and implementation of data-driven and evidence-based approaches.

In October 2020, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, TD, announced 12 research awards through this programme. Six of these researchers were seconded to the Houses of the Oireachtas Library & Research Service.

The following researchers have completed their placements as researcher in residence with the Oireachtas Library & Research Service, and have published Spotlights on their research:

Dr Boris Galkin, a research fellow at Connect SFI Research Centre for Future Networks & Communications, studied the economic, social and ethical implications of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones).

Read this Spotlight on drone technology and its impact on Irish society

Dr Rónán Kennedy, NUI Galway, studied the economic, social and ethical implications of lawtech in the Irish legal services market.

Read this spotlight on algorithms, big data and AI in the Irish legal services market

Dr Tim Jacquemard, SFI Research Centre FutureNeuro, investigated eHealth technology and its social and ethical implications.

Read this spotlight on social and ethical values in Irish Policy on eHealth