Three highly prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships have been awarded to UL
Three University of Limerick researchers have been awarded highly prestigious funding in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowship awards.
The Postdoctoral Fellowship funding programme under MSCA supports researchers’ careers and fosters excellence in research. The awards are the European Union’s flagship programme for doctoral education and postdoctoral training.
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships are hugely important for these early-career researchers in helping support the development of their careers and fostering excellence in research.
These awards are for postdoctoral work in key areas which will address critical challenges our society is facing. The fellowships will provide important support to these emerging researchers, enabling them to develop their track record and transition to become independent research leaders.
The call attracted 17,066 applications Europe-wide representing the highest number ever received for any funding action in the 40-year history of the EU Research and Innovation Framework Programme.
Of these, 1,610 projects were selected for funding, corresponding to a 9.6% success rate. The projects awarded funding in UL are:
Dr Sayantan Bhatachharyya, Department of Physics
Spatially structured chip-based cognition platform for molecular mapping and therapy induced neurocognitive dysfunction modelling in paediatric medulloblastoma.
Survival rates in paediatric medulloblastoma have improved significantly; however, more than half of survivors continue to experience lasting deficits in memory, attention, and executive function due to therapy-induced neurotoxicity. The project (SCOPE) designed by Sayantan is a hybrid organ-on-a-chip platform developed to model how standard treatments such as craniospinal irradiation and chemotherapy disrupt neurodevelopment and cause long-term cognitive impairment in affected children.
Sayantan will be mentored by Associate Professor Nanasaheb Thorat and co-mentored by Associate Professor Amira Mahdi.
Dr Bariş Özel, Department of Biological Sciences
Plant-based meat alternative from brewers’ spent grain (mEAT-BSG).
Brewers’ spent grain (BSG) is a regional byproduct of Ireland which is produced during brewing of beer. In this project, a BSG-based meat alternative will be produced by the combination of BSG fibers, proteins and other suitable carbohydrate sources. A sustainable plant-based meat alternative will be produced through green technologies and valorization of agricultural waste (BSG) contributing to the upcycling of an important byproduct of brewing industry, in accordance with UN sustainable goals. During the project, two secondments will be undertaken at Teagasc Ashtown and Teagasc Moorepark.
Dr Zahid Shafait, Department of Psychology
Examining the role of psychological ownership on mental wellbeing and learning outcomes: assessing the roles of trust in the environment and emotional intelligence.
Zahid will work with Associate Professor Ann-Christin Posten and Associate Professor Pablo De Tezanos-Pinto at the Department of Psychology to focus on the mental wellbeing of service sector employees. A huge proportion of world population i.e., 300 million people, suffers from mental problems, among them many workers, whose mental distress was amplified during the European economic recession as well as during COVID-19. In line with this, the cost associated with mental health problems is predicted to rise to US$16 trillion by 2030, and mental wellbeing is recognized as an urgent global public health priority.
During this fellowship, Dr. Shafait will investigate whether psychological ownership (i.e. a sense of responsibility, self-identity, and belongingness) of service personnel influences their mental wellbeing and whether trust in the environment as well as emotional intelligence contribute to their well-being. Ultimately, the fellowship will also investigate if the wellbeing of service personnel assists them to augment their learning outcomes (i.e. cognitive, self-growth and social outcomes). For instance, employees’ mental wellbeing facilitates social interaction in an increasingly interactive environment in service sector. In addition, employees utilise the emotional content of their experiences to develop greater trust in the environment, building positive social and self-growth outcomes.
