Trinity College Dublin: Trinity researchers and staff honoured in IRC Research Ally awards

Seven Trinity researchers and members of staff were honoured in the inaugural ‘Research Ally’ awards at this year’s Irish Research Council Researcher of the Year awards.

This new national award category celebrates the role of mentors, supervisors, research officers, and support staff across the Irish higher education and research system. The awards are part of a wider series of actions being taken by the IRC to promote equality, inclusion, dignity and respect in Irish higher education.

Writing about the importance of the awards, the Irish Research Council said: “Research allies are committed to supporting researchers across all career levels. They are an encouraging and instructive presence in academia, offering the practical and professional guidance, personal contact and wider networks that are key to academic fulfilment and success. They help to maintain a positive research environment that is free from discrimination, bullying and harassment.”

Trinity awardees in the Research Officer category:

Dr Camilla Kelly, Head of National & International Funding, Research Development Office
Maureen Burgess, Research Programme Officer, Trinity Long Room Hub
Trinity awardees in the Supervisors and Mentors category:

Prof Chris Morash, Seamus Heaney Professor in Irish Writing
Prof Jacintha O’Sullivan, Professor in Translational Oncology
Prof Sylvia M. Draper, Professor of Molecular Materials, Chemistry
Dr Max Garcia Melchor, Ussher Assistant Professor
Dr Bahman Nasseroleslami, Fr Tony Coote Assistant Professor in Neuroelectric Signal Analysis in MND
A total of 72 Irish research allies were nominated by students and staff from across the Irish higher education and research system. According to the IRC mentors and supervisors nominated by students and staff in Trinity were described as: “supportive and encouraging presence in academia, approachable and contactable, inspiring curiosity and providing invaluable instruction and experience; they are passionate about their fields and instil this passion and commitment in their students and postdoctoral fellows; they are generous with their time and are sensitive to the challenges faced by ECRs”.

Nominated Research Officers in Trinity were described as having “a depth of knowledge of the academic funding landscape that is crucial to the success of both PIs and institutions; they play a vital though often unacknowledged role in preparing grant applications and securing funding. They are invaluable sources of expertise and guidance. They are open and accessible to both senior PIs and ECRs alike.”