Cork-based researchers recognised at Irish Research Council’s Researcher of the Year awards

A number of researchers with Cork connections have received recognition for their work at this year’s Irish Research Council’s Researcher of the Year awards.

The researchers were recognised across a range of categories including the Researcher of the Year category, which recognises a current or former Council awardee, who is working in research in an academic institution and who has made an exceptional contribution to research in their field.

Due to the extremely high standard of entries this year, the independent judging panel chose to give two commendations in this category, one of which was received by Assistant Professor and Royal Society University Research Fellow at the School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, John Goold, from Macroom.

Researchers from University College Cork (UCC) were presented with two of the four Medals of Excellence handed out at this year’s Researchers of the Year awards.

Shane Somers was awarded the Jane Grimson Medal of Excellence for being the top-ranked postgraduate researcher in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) category and Dr Edward Molloy was awarded the Maurice J Bric Medal of Excellence for being the top-ranked postdoctoral researcher in the arts, humanities and social sciences category.

Director of the Irish Research Council, Peter Brown said: “We launched our five-year strategic plan this year and supporting excellent ideas and talent across all disciplines is at the heart of the Council’s mandate. Having a vibrant research community, and fostering public support for research is vital, as we continue to see the positive impact it has on society, the environment, and the economy.

“We are very proud of John, Edward and Shane, and I look forward to seeing what comes next for them all,” he said.

The winners of this year’s awards were announced online, via the IRC’s social media channels and full details can be found at: http://research.ie/.