Depression, domestic violence and digital preservation of regional Irish dialects among funded projects
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, has today announced funding of over €3.5 million for 16 research projects under Research Ireland’s COALESCE (Collaborative Alliances for Societal Challenges) 2025 programme.
COALESCE supports excellent, interdisciplinary research that addresses national and global societal challenges by fostering collaboration between researchers and policymakers, civil society, and enterprise.
Announcing the awards, Minister Lawless said:
Harnessing the power of research is key to tackling the most pressing challenges facing our society. These awards are not just about academic excellence – they are about delivering real, tangible benefits for people and communities. Whether it’s supporting survivors of gender-based violence, driving climate action, or safeguarding our cultural heritage, these projects will make a meaningful difference. This is research with purpose, and I commend all the awardees for their dedication to the public good.
Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, CEO of Research Ireland, commented:
The projects being announced today bring together diverse disciplines, communities, and policy partners to co-create knowledge that matters. We are proud to support projects that amplify underrepresented voices and tackle issues that are often overlooked. These research projects are advancing knowledge, sustainability, justice, and inclusion.
Two of the projects are funded by Cuan: The Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV) Agency, under a newly-launched strategic strand.
Dr Stephanie O’Keeffe, Cuan CEO, stated:
Cuan is delighted to partner with Research Ireland to establish a new research funding strand for COALESCE 2025, dedicated to Domestic Sexual and Gender-Based Violence research. A key objective for Cuan is to strengthen the existing knowledge base and build an evidence-informed response to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, informed by the lived experience of victim-survivors. In this regard, the creation of this important research strand is of great significance to Cuan. Given so many academic disciplines are of relevance to the study of domestic and sexual violence, Research Ireland’s COALESCE funding strand provides a rich opportunity to support action and policy-oriented research, providing much-needed insights for policy makers and practitioners, and improving outcomes for victims and survivors.
Funded projects include:
- Lived Realities: The first Irish study to explore the lived experiences of victim-survivors in sexual offence trials, aiming to inform future legal reforms (Dr Susan Leahy, University of Limerick) – funded by Cuan.
- Faith-Inclusive and Culturally Competent Responses to Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV): Addressing Systemic Barriers for Muslim Women in Ireland (FATIHA) (Prof. Roja Fazaeli, University of Galway) – funded by Cuan.
- Canúint.ie: Developing a digital platform to preserve and share Ireland’s regional Irish dialects through searchable audio archives (Dr Úna Bhreathnach and Prof. Tomás Ward, Dublin City University).
- AI and Dropout: Using AI to identify factors contributing to student dropout in STEM fields, aiming to inform national education policy (Dr Jason Power and Prof. David Tanner, University of Limerick).
- Bridging Landscapes: Co-creating climate resilience strategies with communities in Dingle and Balbriggan through a design justice approach (Dr Fiona Murphy and Prof. Fiona Regan, Dublin City University).
- Minimal Curation: Using energy-efficient digital tools to help communities ethically preserve and manage their own cultural materials (Dr James O’Sullivan, University College Cork, and Dr Susan Rea, Munster Technological University).
- RENOVATE healthcare: Evaluating the effectiveness of different treatments for depression to support affordable care tailored to the Irish health system (Prof. Frank Doyle and Dr Fiona Boland, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences).
The 16 funded projects span the following 10 research institutions: Atlantic Technological University (1), Dublin City University (3), Maynooth University (1), Munster Technological University (1), RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences (1), Trinity College Dublin (1), University College Cork (5), University College Dublin (1), University of Galway (1), and University of Limerick (3).
Photo Caption: Pictured (l-r):Dr Stephanie O’Keeffe, CEO Cuan; Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, CEO Research Ireland; and COALESCE awardee, Prof. Roja Fazaeli, School of Law, University of Galway.
