Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD have awarded €1.3m to seven collaborative research projects led by RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) under the North-South Research Programme.

The projects were among 62 successful applications for research collaborations between academics and institutions in Ireland and in Northern Ireland which have been awarded a total of €37.3 million under the first funding call for the programme.

The North-South Research Programme is a collaborative scheme funded through the Government’s Shared Island Fund. It is being administered by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

The RCSI and QUB-led projects were funded under Strand I: Bilateral researcher-researcher projects. The research spans fields including obesity, cancer, epilepsy, medical education, respiratory research and regenerative medicine:

• DEFLATE: The Dramatic Effects of FKBPL on Adiposity via Gene Therapy, with RCSI lead Dr Stephanie Annett, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences 
• NeuVac: mRNA based vaccine for children with neuroblastoma, with RCSI lead Dr Olga Piskareva, Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine 
• PROMARIC: The role of proteases in microbiome diversity and antibiotic resistance in COPD; a new risk factor with a potential novel therapy, with RCSI lead Professor Gerry McElvaney, Department of Medicine 
• PROPER – Professionalism in Partnership for Education Research Study: a novel online workshop-based learning approach to knowledge acquisition and behavioural development in medical professionalism for medical students with mixed-methods and thematic analysis, with RCSI lead: Professor Denis Harkin, Department of Medical Professionalism
• RadCOL: Development and validation of a CT-based radiomics signature for early detection of colorectal cancer liver metastasis and post-treatment disease recurrence, with RCSI lead Professor Annette Byrne, Department of Physiology and Medical Physics 
• SeeDeepER: StereoEEG depth electrode sourced RNA and epigenetic landscape of epileptiform activity in the human brain with RCSI lead, Professor David Henshall, SFI FutureNeuro Centre and Department of Physiology and Medical Physics 
• WoundActiv: Bioactive scaffolds functionalised for the delivery of genetic cargoes for the healing of complex wounds with RCSI lead Professor Fergal O’Brien, Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine 

RCSI is also a partner in a successful project under Strand III: Partnerships of scale, led by University College Dublin and QUB: 

• AICRIstart: Foundation Stone for the All-Island Cancer Research Institute (AICRI): Building Critical Mass in Precision Cancer Medicine, in collaboration with Professor Leonie Young, Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre and Professor Jochen Prehn, Department of Physiology and Medical Physics

Announcing the awards, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, said: “I’m delighted to see such substantial funding being awarded to researchers and Higher Education institutions from the North South Research Programme.

“These awards will support the Government’s Shared Island vision by bringing researchers from all corners of the island together to work on pioneering projects over the next four years, and is not only strengthening existing relationships, but is fostering new research partnerships. I’m particularly impressed by the high level of interest and the calibre of the proposals, and I am confident that these cross-border collaborations will further strengthen the island’s reputation for innovation and research excellence.” 

Professor Fergal O’Brien, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, said: “Collaboration to share knowledge and expertise is central to our strategy for driving impactful research and innovation at RCSI. I welcome the funding from the North-South Research Programme which will further build on our research partnerships with Queen’s University and I look forward to the outcomes of these important projects to improve human health.”

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, said: “Research, science and innovation are invaluable tools in helping us understand the challenges facing us and identify solutions to them. Today, we are announcing 62 new research projects developed by researchers across the island on our shared challenges. This will deepen relationships between North South and help create and build new ones. I want to thank An Taoiseach for his support and the funding secured through the Shared Island Fund.” 

Higher Education Authority CEO, Dr Alan Wall, said: “The North-South Research Programme provides an opportunity for researchers work to combine knowledge, expertise and skills, to work collaboratively to address global, national and regional challenges and to deepen the relationships between researchers and the impact of their research on how we share this island.”