Enhancements to end-of-life care for terminal cancer patients, innovative wash-off bandages for patients with rare skin conditions, analysis of inequalities in access to social housing and the development of new monitoring technologies for milk powder manufacturing processes: these are just a few of the projects that have been supported in recent years by the Industry RD&I Fellowship Programme and the Enterprise Fellowship Scheme run by Science Foundation Ireland and Irish Research Council respectively.
Now that the two organisations have been amalgamated to become Research Ireland – a new agency of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science – it has been decided to run the programmes one last time, with a closing date of July 15th, before their consolidation into a single scheme in 2026.
The RD&I Fellowship Programme supports academic researchers at faculty, postdoctoral and late-stage PhD level who wish to spend time based in industry worldwide. Fellowships can be between one and 24 months in duration and can be taken on a full or part-time basis.
The Enterprise Fellowship Scheme supports suitably qualified postdoctoral fellows or late-stage PhD students pursuing, or intending to pursue, full-time research for a period of 12 or 24 months based in an eligible research body while partnering with enterprise.
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“We are committed to supporting the development of the research talent and skills needed to meet the demand from the public and private sectors,” says Research Ireland director of research for the economy, Siobhan Roche.
“This includes ensuring that we have a range of funding opportunities for researchers to progress into further research and non-research roles,” Dr Roche says. “It is very important to provide opportunities for academic researchers, particularly those at an earlier stage of their careers, to broaden their career pathways so that they can realise their full potential while also providing opportunities for a wide array of organisations to benefit from the cutting-edge research taking place in higher education institutions.”
‘The knowledge that I acquired in this project has given me new products and process insights which I will apply in my future career’
The two fellowship programmes enable researchers to connect with beneficiaries and potential users of their research, including companies of all sizes as well as charities and other non-governmental organisations. State agencies and public bodies can participate in the Enterprise Fellowship programme.
The aim is to promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise between the academic and enterprise partners. “The two programmes play an important role in bridging the gap between academic research and practical application in the private and public sectors, helping to translate the research into new products and services,” says Roche.
For researchers, the benefits include exposure to industry practices such as product development, project management and commercialisation strategies. “They gain real-world insights that can help shape their research through engagement with potential end users,” Roche notes. “The programmes also create opportunities for researchers to transition into enterprise roles or bring valuable insights back to academia, enriching both sectors.”
Ming Zhao was awarded a fellowship in 2021 to spend time at Lakeland Dairies Group, where she worked on the development and validation of process analytical technologies for in-line and on-line application in the dairy industry.
Her academic mentor drew her attention to the fellowship. “The attraction was the opportunities to acquire new technical competencies and make valuable industry connections that benefit my career development,” she said at the time. “I also wanted to gain exposure to a new network of collaborators including key dairy industry stakeholders along the dairy supply chain.”
The benefits of the fellowship were wide-ranging, Dr Zhao said. “I was already using machine learning models and other deep learning methods combined with spectroscopy and hyperspectral imaging in previous projects and publications,” she said.
“This fellowship gave me an opportunity to sharpen these skills and apply them to an industrially relevant area with real-world applications. The R&D team of Lakeland Dairies was incredibly supportive of my onboarding and allowed me to co-operate with other teams for this ongoing project.
‘Reach out to your network from college, some of them could have at least five years’ worth of experience in industry by then’
“I also received valuable training in processing and quality control teams on dairy technology and analysis. I got more familiar with the whole powder manufacturing process, from raw material to final product. The knowledge that I acquired in this project has given me new products and process insights which I will apply in my future career as a processing engineer and researcher.”
There were also significant benefits for the industry partner, according to Chere Duffy, innovation manager at Lakeland Dairies Food Ingredients: “Specifically, this project will have a direct impact on enhancing the in-line quality control of dairy processing, with strong potential to reduce energy consumption, reduce fouling and produce more consistent dairy powder products with in-line monitoring of the quality properties.”
James Murray, a former postdoctoral researcher at Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), was awarded a fellowship in 2022 to spend time at DePuy Synthes in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork and the Johnson & Johnson 3D Printing Centre of Excellence in Jacksonville, Florida, to work on the recovery of additively manufactured polyetheretherketone for reuse in orthopaedic implants.
He advises applicants for the fellowship to be strategic about the companies they engage with and to choose them wisely. “Reach out to your network from college, some of them could have at least five years’ worth of experience in industry by then,” Dr Murray says. “Take full advantage of all opportunities for training and travel. I undertook an intense 12-week Data Science Programme with MIT online. I also completed training with J&J on a number of their products and surgical processes. While in Florida, I built up my network of contacts at J&J. These are people I can work with again or ask for advice regarding my own work. I would say the application itself was also a learning experience for me. I hadn’t written my own proposal before, but you learn how to be organised with planning and working budgets and timelines. TUS and were very supportive throughout the process so don’t be afraid to ask for help.”
For more information, visit researchireland.ie
