Six UL researchers funded to help put research at the heart of public service transformation
Six University of Limerick researchers have received funding to help put research at the heart of public service transformation and to help strengthen evidence-informed policy, decision-making and public trust.
The Research Ireland Public Service Fellowship programme offers academic researchers a unique opportunity to be seconded to Government Departments and Public Sector Bodies to work in partnership on issues of national importance.
This enables the exchange of expertise and fosters public sector innovation, whilst giving researchers valuable insight into government decision-making and policy development.
The six UL researchers are among 41 recipients who have been awarded funding totalling €3.9 million, involving 24 host organisations.
The UL awardees are:
- Associate Professor Anna Chatzi, School of Nursing and Midwifery - Developing a shared care model for an integrated approach to healthcare for people in prison in Ireland. This project will define and pilot a shared care model to support high-quality prison healthcare and better coordinate care planning for the transition from custody to the community. Partnering with HSE and Irish Prison Service.
- Associate Professor Rory Costello, Department of Politics and Public Administration - Generation Engage: understanding young people, elections and democracy in Ireland. The project will investigate what influences young people’s participation in elections in Ireland and identify ways to encourage greater engagement in the democratic process. Partnering with The Electoral Commission
- Associate Professor Carmel Hannan, Department of Sociology - The effect of family socio-demographic characteristics on the timing of life-course transitions for young adults born in 1998. Using data from Growing Up in Ireland’s Cohort ’98 this project will examine how family socio-demographic characteristics such as income and parental education are associated with life-course decisions for contemporary 25-year-olds, including leaving school early, going on to third-level education, timing of first job, and timing of sexual initiation and later cohabitation/ marriage. Partnering with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality
- Associate Professor Kyriakos Kourousis, School of Engineering - Standardisation Strategy for Researchers: Analysis and Recommendations for Enhanced Engagement. This project aims to benchmark the engagement of Irish researchers with standardisation and make evidence-based recommendations for increasing and improving this engagement, with a particular focus on Digital Standards and Emerging Technologies. Partnering with the National Standards Authority of Ireland
- Dr Andrew McInerney, School of Medicine - Advancing Automated and AI-Based Systems to Strengthen Emerging Risk Identification in the Food Chain. This project will further modernise and extend the FSAI’s capacity to anticipate and manage emerging risks within the food chain by enhancing the current Emerging Risks Identification and Scanning System (ERISS) Partnering with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland
- Dr Orlaith Rice, School of Law - An evidence gap analysis of research pertaining to the Irish Prison Service. The project will help consolidate knowledge, inform strategic decision-making, prioritise research, and support the identification of Areas of Research Interest. Partnering with the Irish Prison Service
Making the announcement during Public Service Transformation Week (9-13 November), Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Research for Society at Research Ireland, said: “Research Ireland’s Public Service Fellowship programme connects researchers with public sector organisations to turn research expertise into real-world impact. We are pleased to partner with 24 organisations in offering researchers an opportunity to collaborate with public sector leaders.
“This facilitates the exchange and sharing of expertise towards addressing national and global challenges and supports evidence-informed approaches across the public sector. From improving health and wellbeing to enhancing online safely and food security, these awards will harness the power of collaborative research to make a real difference to communities across Ireland.”
The theme of Public Service Transformation Week 2026 is Stronger Together: Delivering the Public Services of the Future, in recognition of the vital contribution that research and academic expertise can make in supporting delivery of Ireland’s public service transformation strategy, Better Public Services.
