Fellowships will see researchers work with Government departments and public bodies

University of Galway has secured the highest number of awards nationally under Research Ireland's 2026 Public Service Fellowship programme.

 The 13 researchers will work with government departments and other public sector organisations on projects which seek to address issues of national importance, including rural development; online safety; energy systems; food safety; water quality; healthcare planning and health promotion; and inclusion in schools.

 The Research Ireland programme offers academics a unique opportunity for secondment to Government and across the public sector enabling the exchange of expertise and fostering innovation, whilst giving researchers valuable insight into government decision-making and policy development.

 Research Ireland has confirmed 41 researchers in this year's programme, with a total investment of €3.9 million across 24 organisations.

 The University of Galway researchers and their projects are:

• Dr Aisling Murtagh - Measuring impact across rural development policy, in collaboration with Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht

• Dr Autumn Johnson - Estimating of prevalence rates of certain health conditions through linking primary and secondary data sources, with the Central Statistics Office

• Dr Carmen Kealy - Knowledge translation in health promotion services: addressing the measurement gap, with the Health Service Executive

• Dr Cormac Forkan - Measuring and implementing effective inclusion policies in primary and secondary education, working with the Department of Education and Youth

• Dr Elizabeth Hunter - System Dynamics for Population Cohort: Simulation modelling to support population-based planning for national and regional public health teams in HSE Ireland, with the Health Service Executive

• Professor Eoin Whelan - Supporting the effective implementation of Ireland’s Online Safety Framework, in collaboration with the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport

• Dr Erik de Jong - Informing the development of an Irish One Health data hub, with the Health Service Executive

• Dr Joanne Hurst - Enhancing health equity for underserved communities, with the Health Service Executive

• Dr Kodeeswaran Sankararaj - Investigating the opportunity to future proof households from energy price fluctuations, working with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland

• Dr Marcos Eduardo Cruz Victorio - Electricity Storage Policy Framework Action #8: An economic analysis of market revenue structures for electricity storage systems, in collaboration with the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment

• Dr Nastaran Sharifian - Predicting temporal and geographical risk of food and drinking water non-compliance due to chemical hazards in Ireland, with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland

• Dr Nessa Golden - Review of the supporting conditions used to assign ecological status to Irish water bodies, with the Environmental Protection Agency

• Dr Rahmin Bender-Salazar - Systems thinking approach to food safety issues, in collaboration with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland

 Professor Laoise McNamara, Vice-President for Research and Innovation at University of Galway, said: “This exceptional outcome is a significant achievement for our research community and a strong signal of our commitment to supporting evidence-informed policymaking. These collaborations with Government Departments and Public Sector Bodies will provide important opportunities to strengthen the connections between research, policy and practice. Importantly, they will enable a two-way exchange of knowledge and expertise, creating new opportunities for learning, collaboration and impact.”

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