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Research Ireland and Embassy of France in Ireland announce 15 new Ulysses awards

H.E. Céline Place, the French Ambassador to Ireland, with Research Ireland CEO, Dr Diarmuid O'Brien
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Research collaborations span science, technology, culture and public policy

Research Ireland, alongside the Embassy of France in Ireland, has today announced 15 new research partnerships under the Ulysses programme, supporting collaboration between researchers based in Ireland and France. 

Funded and administered by Research Ireland in Ireland, in collaboration with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, the Embassy of France in Ireland and Campus France, Ulysses enables researchers to develop new international partnerships through reciprocal research visits over a 24-month period.  

By supporting mobility at an early stage, the programme helps teams to test ideas, share methods, and build the relationships needed for successful, long-term collaborations. 

Announcing the awards, Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, CEO of Research Ireland, commented:

 “Ulysses plays an important role in strengthening research relationships between Ireland and France by giving researchers the necessary support to work together. These partnerships help to drive the exchange of ideas across disciplines and build lasting connections that endure beyond individual awards, supporting collaboration at a European level. Research Ireland welcomes the support of the Irish and French strategic funding partners in the programme.”

Welcoming the announcement, H.E. Céline Place, the French Ambassador to Ireland, added:

 “France and Ireland’s relationship as neighbouring countries and close European partners is deep, durable and dynamic. Research and innovation are key components of the new joint strategic framework linking France and Ireland. Now in its 29th year, Ulysses continues to bind our research communities together across a broad range of disciplines and issues of mutual societal importance. Energy transition, artificial intelligence or global health represent common challenges for France, Ireland and the European Union that need further research collaboration. I am delighted to see this impactful programme, including partnerships with the private sector, continue to flourish.”

Five of this year’s awards are supported by strategic funding partners in both Ireland and France to support research on shared national and European priorities in sustainability and energy. EirGrid is partnering with Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTE-France) to support two research projects aligned with renewable energy systems and smart grids, while the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and ADEME, the French Environment and Energy Management Agency, are partnering to support three projects focused on sustainable energy and environmental challenges. 

Some highlights of supported projects include: 

  • Experimental underwater robotics for marine renewable energy systems;
  • Developing an evidence-based framework for assessment accommodations in higher education to support the full inclusion of autistic students in universities and colleges;
  • Investigating persistent organic matter behaviour in dry and wet anaerobic digestion;
  • Multimodal capture of human behaviour for modelling multisensory collaborative virtual reality applications. 

Kerrie Sheehan, Head of Research, Innovation and Electricity at SEAI, said: 

“As a proud cofunder of Ulysses 2026, SEAI is committed to strengthening our French-Irish partnership with ADEME to advance clean, secure and sustainable energy. By bringing researchers from both nations together, we aim to spark the crossborder innovation needed to accelerate our transition to a greener future. We have seen that these seed-level grants ignite trusted partnerships and bold ideas that ultimately drive breakthroughs in sustainable energy.”

John Ging, Head of Interconnection at EirGrid, commented:

“EirGrid is proud to reaffirm our commitment to advancing research and innovation across a broad range of academic disciplines, recognising that the future of our energy systems depends as much on collaboration between people as it does on technological progress. We are proud to continue our longstanding partnership with RTE, the French Transmission System Operator, to cofund pioneering, crossborder research through the Ulysses programme. This sustained cooperation not only supports excellence within Irish and French universities, but also strengthens the vital FrancoIrish relationship through helping our countries work together to shape a resilient, interconnected and sustainable power system for generations to come.”

Established in 1997, Ulysses has supported over 700 researchers, helping to build lasting research links between Irish and French institutions. While these awards are focused, the goal of Ulysses is to support collaborations that can grow into larger bilateral and European initiatives. 

This year’s Ireland-based awardees are based in nine institutions nationwide: Dublin City University (3), Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (1), RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences (2), Technological University of the Shannon (1), Trinity College Dublin (2), Tyndall National Institute (1*), University College Cork (2*), University College Dublin (2), University of Limerick (2). 

*One awardee affiliated with both Tyndall National Institute and University College Cork. 

 

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