MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY MAYNOOTH MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND INNOVATION R ESEARCH AND REPORT 2020 I NNOVATION NNOVATION R EPORT 2020 EPORT CONTENTS INTRODUCTION FROM THE PRESIDENT AND VICE 2 PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION RESEARCH SNAPSHOt – INFOGRAPHIC 5 RESEARCH AND INNOVATION AT MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY 6 AWARDS AND PRIZES 13 FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS 23 FACULTY OF ARTS, CELTIC STUDIES AND PHILOSOPHY 24 FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 42 FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES 56 RESEARCH INSTITUTES AND CENTRES 85 APPENDIX 101 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 102 MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND INNOVATION REPORT 2020 1 INTRODUCTION IT IS A PLEASANT TASK, EVEN IN DIFFICULT TIMES, TO INTRODUCE THE 2020 ANNUAL REPORT ON RESEARCH AND INNOVATION AT MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY. THE REPORT SERVES TO HIGHLIGHT THE UNIVERSIty’s NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS AND POINTS OF PRIDE IN RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP ACROSS ITS RANGE OF DISCIPLINES, AND IN ITS INTERDISCIPLINARY WORK, OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO. 2 MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND INNOVATION REPORT 2020 Professor Philip Nolan, Professor Ray O’Neill, President Vice‑President for Research and Innovation As the world endures the covid-19 pandemic and seeks to limit its This report presents an annual snapshot of high quality research, effects, there has surely been a reinforcement of the importance of scholarship and innovation achievements across the three Faculties deep and multi-faceted expertise to address urgent global issues. of the University, and in our major interdisciplinary research These include responses to pandemics (and preparation for future institutes and centres. Maynooth’s research makes a strong pandemics), societal inequality, or climate change. Universities have contribution to Ireland, and to the international community of a unique role to play in this regard, and university research must be knowledge, and it is critical to the excellent education we offer to to the fore. our students. It is a sustaining and ongoing source of pride for the University. It is through our research activities that deep expertise and understanding is developed, and keeps developing. It is through participation in significant national and international networks, and through wide and open scrutiny, that we ensure the questions we address, and the answers we formulate, are grounded, important and relevant. And, of the very greatest importance, it is through Philip Nolan, Ray O’Neill, Vice-President research participation that we ensure a considered understanding President for Research and Innovation of the hard-won knowledge and methods that are of greatest value in the education of our students. With the covid-19 crisis the importance is sharply accentuated of the importance of university graduates who are capable, well-informed, thinking citizens. This is what we strive for at Maynooth. Maynooth was formally established as an autonomous, public university in 1997, but the institution traces its origins to the foundation of the Royal College of St. Patrick in 1795; from these deep scholarly roots has grown a dynamic research university which in 2019 was placed in the global top 350 universities in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. While rankings of this type may be of questionable value, this particular ranking is based largely on verifiable measures of quality of research and scholarly activity, and it places Maynooth squarely in the top 3% of universities worldwide. MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND INNOVATION REPORT 2020 3 PURPOSE Maynooth University is a public research university dedicated to people, ideas and culture, a scholarly community working together to inquire and discover, to teach and learn, to create, conserve, disseminate and apply knowledge, and engage with the challenges that face modern society; through all these things in combination, we are central to innovation, economic growth, social development and cultural vibrancy, and are essential to a free, open, equal, democratic and sustainable society. VISION Maynooth University will further advance its international standing as a leading research university, with a vibrant postgraduate community, a distinctive undergraduate provision, a comprehensive and ethical approach to internationalisation, and extensive engagement with external partners; we will be recognised for our commitment to the public and civic mission of the University, as a national leader in equality and diversity, an excellent place to learn and work, an inclusive community where students and staff can flourish, and as making a distinctive contribution to the national system of higher education and the public good. 4 MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND INNOVATION REPORT 2020 RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS UNIVERSITY TALENT DEVELOPMENT RANKINGS 2018/19 300-351 115 NEW POSTGRADUATE Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2018 RESEARCH STUDENTS TH 88 PhD and 15 Professional Doctoral students 50 IN THE WORLD 20 Research Masters Times Higher Education Young University Ranking 2018 86 RESEARCH GRADUATES 70 PhD and 2 Professional Doctoral students 15 Research Masters 66 POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS PUBLICATIONS INNOVATION & & IMPACT 2018 IMPACT 2018 34 5 60 Books published Publications New collaborations highly cited in with Industry field including 1 542 hot paper: 2018 Publications 33 Web of Science Number of client companies listed in Scopus supported in the incubator 15.1% 52.7% Of 2018 publications Publications 7 in top 10% of cited Licence Agreements with international publications collaborators worldwide (field weighted) 7 4.7% Patents filed Publications with industry collaborators RESEARCH 12 GRANTS AWARDED Number of invention 102 disclosures recorded Book chapters 2018/19 175 1.71 Research grants Scopus field weighted citation impact 2014–18 €21,350,595 Total Value of research grants awarded MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND INNOVATION REPORT 2020 5 RESEARCH AND INNOVATION AT MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY 6 MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND INNOVATION REPORT 2020 RESEARCH AND INNOVATION AT MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY In 2020, as the world endures the covid-19 pandemic and seeks to SHAPES will undertake research aimed at helping Europe’s ageing limit its effects, there has been a reinforcement of the importance population to live actively and independently at home in their of deep and multi-faceted expertise required to address urgent communities with the support of assisted living technology. global issues such as responses to covid-19, societal inequality, or climate change. Universities have a unique role to play in this It will foster the large-scale deployment of integrated digital regard, and our research programmes must be the vanguard. Four solutions which will bring greater independence and improved events in 2019 at Maynooth were particularly notable in building the quality of life to citizens while demonstrating significant efficiency University’s interdisciplinary research capacity. gains in health and care delivery across Europe. In October 2019 Maynooth University officially launched the Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, with Professor Paul Moynagh as founding director. The institute, which is located on the Maynooth north campus, takes a uniquely integrated approach to address some of the major health problems of today, including obesity and antimicrobial resistance, as well as researching many chronic inflammatory diseases like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. The primary objective of the institute is to study key determinants of human health from childhood to adulthood, through to old age, SHAPES, the European Commission funded health research project, was and researchers at the institute will explore how environmental, launched in November 2019. psychological, behavioural and biological factors affect health. ALL Institute members from Maynooth involved in the project are: The new institute initially comprises 34 research groups featuring Mac MacLachlan, Michael Cooke, Melanie Labor, Deirdre Desmond, over 100 researchers from disciplines such as Biology, Chemistry, Rebecca McGuire (Psychology), Delia Ferri (Law), Rudi Villing Psychology, and Computer Science as well researchers from (Engineering), Jamie Saris and David Prendergast (Anthropology). other Maynooth University departments. While most of the groups will focus on the biology of diseases and treatment, researchers Citizens in a rapidly ageing European population are at greater will also examine the various factors across the life course that risk of cognitive impairment, frailty and multiple chronic health determine health. A key objective of the institute is to carry out conditions with considerable negative consequences for their collaborative research with Irish-based industries. independence, quality of life and for the sustainability of health and care systems. SHAPES recognises that a technology platform The institute is named after Kathleen Lonsdale who was born in 1903 for smart and healthy ageing (SHA) has to work in different ways in Newbridge in Co. Kildare. Lonsdale was a pioneer in using X-rays for different people. Older individuals will be attracted to and use to study crystals, a technique that can be used across disciplines the SHAPES Platform (the Platform) because it makes life easier to discover novel drug targets. As a female scientist in the field of for them, prevents difficulties, or helps to manage them; be they chemistry and physics, she was ahead of her time and having made psychological, social, medical, or otherwise. seminal findings in these areas at the start of her career,