The Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and US Chargé d'Affaires to Ireland Mike Clausen have announced the Fulbright Irish Awardees for 2023-2024, with three of the awards being made to RCSI. Recipients were presented with Awards at a ceremony in the US Ambassador’s Residence.

The Fulbright Awards enable outstanding candidates from across the island of Ireland to attend leading US institutions to research, study, teach and collaborate with experts in their fields.

The RCSI Fulbright awardees are:

• Dr Natalie McEvoy, a StAR Research Lecturer in Critical Care Nursing at the Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care and PhD graduate from School of Nursing and Midwifery. As a Fulbright-NUI Scholar, Natalie will travel to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and PENN Nursing to undertake a research study which aims to develop an ICU-specific dashboard that explores the relationship between patient needs and nurse staffing with the goal of optimising patient, nurse, and system outcomes. 
• Dr Michael Daly, an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at RCSI SIM Centre for Simulation Education and Research and non-invasive cardiologist whose interests include multimodality cardiovascular imaging, electrocardiography, and the education of multidisciplinary teams and medical students. He is awarded a Fulbright-TechImpact Scholarship to Stanford University Medical School in California, to develop a narrative-based medicine educational programme using simulation. 
• Dr Lukas O'Brien, a core surgical trainee in plastic and reconstructive surgery at RCSI. As a Fulbright student awardee, he will attend Yale University to pursue a masters in health policy and management.

Global connectivity

Welcoming the announcement, Professor Cathal Kelly, Vice Chancellor of RCSI, said: “RCSI’s outstanding success at the 2023-2024 Fulbright Awards is a testament to the innovative health-focused research and education carried out by our academic staff and outstanding calibre of our trainees. One of RCSI’s key strengths is our international collaboration and we are immensely proud of our global connectivity and reach. I congratulate the recipients on this prestigious achievement and look forward to seeing them serve as ambassadors for RCSI, while building relationships with leading institutions in the United States and beyond to enhance their academic profiles.”

Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and at the Department of Education, Thomas Byrne TD, said: “The warmth of the relationship between Ireland and the United States is underpinned by our shared history and common values. The Fulbright Commission and the Fulbrighters, past and present, are a testament to the best traditions of academic and cultural exchange, and have an outstanding record in representing Ireland. The Government of Ireland is proud to support this programme, which plays an essential role in building transatlantic understanding and fostering extraordinary academic links, through the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.”

A thriving network

US Chargé d'Affaires to Ireland, Mike Clausen said: “The Fulbright Program represents the US government’s preeminent international educational and cultural exchange initiative. It plays a crucial role in sustaining and advancing the unique and close relationship between the United States and Ireland. Fulbright awardees exchange research, knowledge, ideas, and culture and contribute to solving important global problems.”  

Chair of the Fulbright Commission Ireland Board, Professor Diane Negra, said: “I speak for the entire Fulbright Commission Ireland Board in congratulating the 37 Fulbright awardees on receiving their awards. Fulbright is synonymous with high-level research, academic excellence and cross-cultural collaboration and I wish the awardees every success as they travel to the US, join a thriving network of professional alumni, and experience a rich and unique cultural and educational exchange that encompasses a Fulbright Award.”

The next round of applications for Fulbright Irish Awards will open on 28 August 2023. Learn more about the Fulbright programme at RCSI here.