Four Cork people awarded prestigious Fulbright scholarships

Four Cork people have been named among 19 Fulbright scholarship Irish awardees for 2026-2027, announced by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Embassy of the United States of America in Dublin.

The Fulbright programme selects candidates across disciplines ranging from health, technology, science and business to the arts, heritage and the Irish language.

From August 2026 to August 2027, academics, professionals, artists, students and Irish speakers will attend leading US institutions to research, study, teach and collaborate with experts in their fields.

Prof Fiona Kiely MD, a consultant in palliative medicine at Marymount University Hospital and Hospice, and Cork University Hospital, and clinical professor (hon) at University College Cork will work with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to create a Tele-palliative care development framework, exploring how empathy, trust, and human connection can be preserved in technology-mediated care.

Dr Elsa Harte MD, a specialised foundation doctor in neurocritical care at Cambridge University Hospitals, will undertake a masters in translational research and applied medicine at Stanford University.

Fashion and society

Ríon Ní Dhonnabháin from the Lough in Cork will study at the New School in New York on their fashion and society masters degree programme, sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as Fulbright-Centennial awardee.

James McAuliffe, an Irish, business studies and economics secondary school teacher and a graduate of the professional master of education in UCC, will prioritise the promotion of the Irish language and culture at Indiana University-Bloomington.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, the minister for health, Dr Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, said: “Fulbright awardees exemplify the best of academic traditions and cultural exchange.

“The contribution of Fulbright scholars to public health and medical research has been significant, fostering innovation and collaboration for the benefit of communities on both sides of the Atlantic.

“I am particularly pleased to see health and medical research strongly represented among this year’s awardees.”