The Health Research Board has announced research fellowships worth €3 million. The 25 fellowships will support young researchers in a range of health disciplines.
Projects include a study of genetic links between depression and migraine, how well the primary healthcare system serves refugees and asylum-seekers, how caffeine increases the toxic effects of ecstasy and what change takes place in the cell to cause age-related deterioration.
The fellowships presented yesterday in Dublin will help fund young researchers who, in some cases, are pursuing Master's degrees and PhDs. They fall into four distinct groups.
Ten are medical doctors seeking specialised training in biomedical research relevant to clinical practice. There are two nurses, one working towards an MSc, the other towards a PhD where funding was given for research into healthcare links to nursing and midwifery. Five more fellowships were awarded to people studying the provision of healthcare in the Republic. These projects will look at how to measure healthcare needs and examine how effectively they are used.
The fourth category is for biomedical scientists working in areas relevant to health. There were eight awards under this heading. These post-doctoral awards are for those already holding PhDs or MD degrees who are seeking to develop their research careers.
These awards demonstrated a commitment by the board to open up career opportunities in health research, said its chief executive officer, Dr Ruth Barrington. Dr John Atkins, the recently appointed director of biotechnology research at Science Foundation Ireland, presented them.
Fellowships are granted following an open competition, international peer review and interview, according to the board. They will enable recipients to conduct research on a full-time basis for between two and three years.
