UCD Health Affairs Academic Health Science System (AHSS) Grant
Established in 2021, the UCD Health Affairs Academic Health Science System (AHSS) Grant aims to foster collaboration between the UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences (CHAS), its clinical partners, affiliated community healthcare organisations, and the HSE Dublin and South East region.
By promoting an integrated approach to healthcare, UCD Health Affairs seeks to develop an Academic Health Science System (AHSS) that facilitates collaboration among hospitals, universities, and community healthcare organisations.
Research demonstrates that patients achieve better outcomes within an AHSS due to the seamless integration of teaching, training, research, and innovation with clinical services. This integrated approach enhances the recruitment and retention of high-quality staff and ensures the delivery of evidence-based care.
The grant is designed to support health and science-related research or educational/innovation projects that advance the AHSS concept and align with the key strategic objectives of the College and Schools. Applications are invited annually.
Grant Details
- Funding: UCD Health Affairs
- Awards: At least four projects will be funded, with a maximum of €30,000 per project.
- Project Duration: Grants can be used over 1, 2, or 3 years, depending on the proposed project timeline.
- Reapplication: Unsuccessful applicants are encouraged to reapply in subsequent years.
Eligibility Criteria:
The UCD Health Affairs AHSS Grant is open to researchers from all five schools within UCD CHAS, as well as clinical partners, affiliated community healthcare organisations, and the HSE Dublin and South East region. Eligible applicants include:
- Academic staff (principal investigators)
- Postdoctoral researchers
- Clinical staff, including Medical staff (consultants, GPs, research fellows, NCHDs), Nursing staff, Health and social care professionals
The projects should fulfil each of the following eligibility criteria. The application must demonstrate how the project will:
- be health or science-related research or educational/innovation projects from the Schools within UCD CHAS (with the possibility of multi-school bids) or from the clinical partners and affiliated community healthcare organisations and HSE Dublin and South East region.
- clearly align with key College/School research and/or education strategic objectives.
- proposals from the clinical partners and affiliated community healthcare organisations must have a PI/Co-PI with a formal appointment or adjunct affiliation with UCD
- proposals from UCD CHAS must include a nominated collaborator within at least one of the clinical partners and/or affiliated community healthcare organisations.
- enhance the Academic Health Science System (AHSS) in Ireland i.e., enhance research and innovation and/or teaching and training across the hospital, community and University e.g., education/training projects using simulation technology.
- support and develop integrated care, e.g., improve patient pathways and communication across and between the hospital and community settings.
- demonstrate an integrated collaborative approach between the clinical partners and UCD CHAS e.g., bring new research ideas and concepts (bench) from the laboratory to the bedside and/or to public health.
- work to create a strong sustainable relationship between clinical partners, the community healthcare organisations, UCD Health Affairs and UCD CHAS that results in raising awareness and increasing visibility of HSE Regions clinical partners and the community healthcare organisations within UCD CHAS, and of UCD CHAS and UCD Health Affairs.
UCD Health Affairs AHSS Grant 2024/2025 awarded to Four Projects Across UCD CHAS and associated Healthcare Partners
The UCD Health Affairs Academic Health Science System (AHSS) Grant aims to strengthen the partnership between University College Dublin’s healthcare affiliates and the UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences (CHAS). This collaborative initiative supports innovative, interdisciplinary projects that drive meaningful improvements in healthcare delivery, education, and research.
In the latest grant cycle, we were delighted to receive 22 outstanding submissions—each displaying creative and collaborative partnerships between UCD and its clinical partners. After a competitive review process, four exceptional projects were selected for funding.
We extend our warmest congratulations to the project leads and their teams on the following four projects:
Glaucoma Medication Adherence Improvement through Education
This project brings together a team from the UCD School of Medicine, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and the Royal Eye and Ear Hospital. It aims to systematically identify modifiable predictors and barriers influencing glaucoma medication adherence which can be used to inform the choice of an educational intervention shaped to the Irish healthcare setting.
Project Lead:
Dr Deborah Wallace - UCD School of Medicine
Project Team:
Prof Colm O’Brien - Mater Misericordiae University Hospital
Mr Rory Murphy - Royal Victoria Eye & Ear Hospital / Mater Private Hospital
Mr Jeremy O’Connor - Royal Victoria Eye & Ear Hospital
Pauline Goulding - Mater Misericordiae University Hospital
Chríosa O’Connor - Mater Misericordiae University Hospital
Inflammatory Biomarkers and Vascular Recurrence after Stroke: the European Blood Inflammatory markers in Stroke Collaboration
This project seeks to validate emerging blood biomarkers to risk stratify patients after stroke. Currently, few blood markers are utilised after ischemic stroke to identify high-risk patients. The EuroBISC project brings together international collaborators from across Europe and will analyse blood samples from 5,500 stroke patients. The identification of high-risk patients will pave the way for a more personalised approach for more aggressive and targeted secondary prevention therapy, including novel anti-inflammatory medications. In recent years Dr McCabe and Prof Kelly have contributed to the emerging field of vascular prevention through targeting vascular inflammation. This project will build on this work.
Project Leads:
Dr John McCabe - Misericordiae University Hospital/ UCD School of Medicine
Professor Peter Kelly MD - Misericordiae University Hospital/ UCD School of Medicine
Internal Project Team:
Professor Orina Belton - UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute
Professor Jonathan McNulty - UCD School of Medicine
Dr. Graham Lee -Misericordiae University Hospital/ UCD School of Medicine
Professor Michael Marnane -Misericordiae University Hospital/ UCD School of Medicine
*Multiple external national and international collaborators on this project.
Enhancing Psychosexual Care for Spinal Injuries (EPiC-SI)
This project seeks to co-develop a standardised assessment and care planning tool to address psychosexual needs in individuals with spinal injuries across acute, rehabilitation and ongoing care settings. It will empower healthcare professionals to deliver holistic care, enhance patient wellbeing, and improve overall quality of life. Addressing this gap has potential to transform outcomes for individuals and reduce long-term healthcare burdens.
Project Lead:
Dr John P Gilmore - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
Project Team:
Dr Sean Kearns - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
Rea Amadora - National Rehabilitation Hospital
Komathi Narasimhan - National Rehabilitation Hospital
Florence Anderson - National Rehabilitation Hospital
Merlin Thulasi - Mater Misericordia University Hospital
Ted Albano Mater - Misericordia University Hospital
Geraldine Jordan - Mater Misericordia University Hospital
David Field - HSE Community Healthcare Dublin South East
Evelyn Egan - HSE Community Healthcare Dublin South East
Claire Naughton - HSE Community Healthcare Dublin South East
Bairbre O’Sullivan - Spinal Injuries Ireland (PPI)
Dr Sarah Sinnamon - UCD School of Psychology
Tope Omisore - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
Gender-Affirming Genital Surgery Outcomes
This study will establish a longitudinal database, conduct a retrospective review, and explore patient experiences to generate evidence-based insights, improve post-surgical care, and inform future clinical training and service planning in Ireland.
Project Leads:
Dr Sean Kearns - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
Project Team:
Prof Donal O‘Shea - UCD School of Medicine/ St Vincent’s Hospital/ St
Columcille’s Hospital
Dr. Karl Neff - HSE / UCD School of Medicine
Dr Andrew Darley - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
Dr. Laura Blowick - St John of Gods
Pauline Forrester - St Columcille’s Hospital
Mairead Brady - St John of Gods
Niall Kirrane - St Columcille’s Hospital
UCD Health Affairs AHSS Grant 2023/2024 awarded to Four Projects Across UCD CHAS and associated Healthcare Partners
The UCD Health Affairs Academic Health Science System Grant is designed to strengthen the partnership between UCD healthcare affiliates and the UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences. This cycle, we were thrilled to review 22 outstanding submissions, ultimately awarding the AHSS Grant to four exceptional projects. We extend our warmest congratulations to both the project leads and their teams within UCD CHAS and our healthcare partners for their successful projects.
UCD Health Affairs Health Affairs Academic Health Science System 2023/2024 Awardees:
BACKTRACK Ireland Technology enabled primary care pathways for back pain.
This project is an innovative health-related collaborative research project between SPHPSS, School of Medicine, UCD Insight Centre for Data Analytics, and IEHG affiliated community health organisation (CHO) areas and aims to co-design and pilot a technology enabled care pathway for LBP patients in primary care.
Project Lead:
Associate Professor Cliona O’Sullivan, UCD School of Public Health Physiotherapy and Sports Science
Project Team:
Professor Brian Caulfield, UCD Insight Centre for Data Analytics and UCD School of Public Health Physiotherapy and Sports Science
Dr Joe Gallagher, UCD School of Medicine, Department of General Practice
Grainne Duffin, Physiotherapist Manager for Wicklow, HSE Community Healthcare East, (CH06) Wicklow
Eileen Kelly, Physiotherapist Manager for Dublin South, HSE Community Healthcare East, (CH06)
Deirdre Murphy, Physiotherapist Manager for Dublin Southeast, HSE Community Healthcare East, (CH06)
Shane Keogh, Physiotherapist, Bray Primary Care Centre, HSE Community Healthcare East, (CH06)
Multi-marker risk assessment of kidney sensitivity to injury to personalize prevention of acute kidney injury –Chemotherapy (SPAREKID-Cancer Chemotherapy)
The project is a collaboration between UCD School of Medicine and the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital oncology department and haematology department. This collaboration strengthens the project's ability to achieve its clinical and research translational goals, not only within Ireland but also on a global scale. By leveraging this international expertise, the project positions Ireland at the forefront of medical care for this patient population, and provides staff, trainees, and patients in the AHSS to participate in cutting edge research
Project Lead:
Professor Patrick Murray – UCD School of Medicine / Mater Misericordiae University Hospital
Project Team:
Dr. Anne Fortune- - UCD School of Medicine / Mater Misericordiae University Hospital
Dr. Michael Strader - - UCD School of Medicine
Evaluation and Co-design of Nursing Capabilities Framework for the Acute Virtual Ward Implementation.
This project is a joint proposal between the UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems (UCD SNMHS), Nursing and Midwifery, IEHG and the Department of Nursing St Vincent’s University Hospital. By enhancing collaboration in research, the project will provide a developmental platform for nurse-led research within the group. Facilitating the nursing workforce to take a leading role in this project and providing the opportunity for research to inform implementation support for health system reform where nurses will be pivotal to its success.
Project Lead:
Dr Freda Browne - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
Project Team:
Dr Carmel Davies - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
Dr Deirdre O Donnell - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
Assoc Professor Mary Ryder - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
Dr Andrew Darley – UCD SNUCD, UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems. MHS
Dr John Gilmore - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
Dr Jonathan Drennan - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
Ann Flynn – Director of Nursing SVUH
Paul Gallagher – Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery IEHG
Joan Killeen – Directorate Nurse Manager, Emergency Medicine SVUH
Marianne Walsh – Assistant Director of Nursing SVUH
Kellie Kearney – Advance Nurse Practitioner SVUH
Anne Jones – Nurse Lead for Quality and Patient Safety Improvement IEHG,
Caríosa Murray - Nursing and MidwiferyInformation Officer and eHealth Director of Nursing MidwiferyIEHG
Dr Sahar Hammound- UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, UCD IRIS
Dr Dimuthu Rathnayake - UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems UCD IRIS
Obesity Stigma Education for All (OSE4ALL): co-design of an inter-professional e-Learning resource to support destigmatisation of obesity among healthcare professionals
This project assembles a multidisciplinary team of academics, clinicians, and patient representatives, who represent both hospital and community settings, all of whom have been involved in project design and are members of the project steering group for the duration of the research. The e-learning resource will be piloted in UCD (HCP students) and in both the hospital (SVUH) and
community setting (CHO6). Project aligns with CHAS’s Strategic Objectives of undertaking quality, impactful and innovative research and will generate and share new knowledge that will inform curricula, clinical education and training across collaborating CHAS Schools and allow to engage with clinicians, academics and patients nationally.
Project Leads:
Dr Grainne O’Donoghue - UCD School of Public Health Physiotherapy and Sports Science
Dr Jean O’Connell- St Columcille’s Hospital and SVUH
AHSS Grant 2022/2023 Awarded to Four Projects Across UCD CHAS and Associated Healthcare Partners
The UCD Health Affairs AHSS Grant aims to enhance the collaboration between IEHG, its affiliated community healthcare organisations, and UCD CHAS. We aim to raise awareness of UCD Health Affairs and to foster synergies between UCD CHAS, UCD Health Affairs, IEHG, and its affiliated community areas.
This year we received 28 excellent applications and the AHSS Grant was awarded to four projects. A huge congratulations to the project leads and project teams across UCD CHAS and healthcare partners on their successful projects.
AHSS Grant 2022/2023 Awardees:
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Renal Functional Reserve Assessment in Obesity led by Prof Neil Docherty.
Health and Wellbeing of the Health Workforce Across Maternity Settings (MatWell) led by Prof Jonathan Drennan.
telTaz Digital Mental Health Assessment Tool for Children: a Usability Study led by Prof Aisling Mulligan
Quantifying Circulating Tumour DNA in Uveal Melanoma Patients; Improving Care led by Dr. Patrick Murtagh
Labour Hopscotch Framework Project and Clinical Simulation To Support Training and Credentialing Project win UCD Health Affairs AHSS Grant 2021-2022
The Review Panel for theUCD Health AffairsAcademic Health Science System (AHSS) Grant 2021-2022 had great pleasure in learning about many of the innovative projects that our researchers and clinicians, across all aspects of healthcare, are partaking in to link academia to the clinical services. Clinical care and patient outcomes improve in an academic setting.
Among all the 33 excellent applications we received, we would like to congratulate the following two successful projects:
The Labour Hopscotch Framework: Promoting Active Physiological Childbirth
This project is led by Dr Denise O'Brien, UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems with a project team from National Maternity Hospital, National Women and Infants Health Programme, HSE, UCD School of Medicine, St Luke's General Hospital Kilkenny, Wexford General Hospital and Regional Hospital Mullingar.
The purpose of this study is to further evaluate and examine how to digitalise the Labour Hopscotch Framework (LHF) to enhance its accessibility, feasibility and acceptability within the Ireland East Hospital Group: National Maternity Hospital, Regional Hospital Mullingar, Wexford General Hospital and St Luke’s General Hospital Kilkenny.
Project Team
- Dr Denise O'Brien, UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems (UCD PI; Lead)
- Sinead Thompson, National Maternity Hospital
- Associate Professor Barbara Coughlan, UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
- Lucille Sheehy, National Maternity Hospital
- Mary Brosnan, National Maternity Hospital
- Teresa McCreery, National Maternity Hospital
- Paula Power, St Luke's General Hospital Kilkenny
- Jean Doherty, National Maternity Hospital
- Professor Fionnaula McAuliffe, UCD School of Medicine/National Maternity Hospital
- Lorraine Carroll, UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
- Mary Curtin, UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
- Helen McLoughlin, Wexford General Hospital
- Orla Mongan, Wexford General Hospital
- Marie Corbett, Regional Hospital Mullingar
- Caroline Earley, Regional Hospital Mullingar
Project Summary
Evidence shows that “physiological” births, benefit the mother and baby, reducing psychological and physical ramifications posed by medical interventions such as epidurals and caesarean sections. Despite this, rising trends in intervention rates continue in Ireland while rates of physiological birth decline. In 2020 the national rate of caesarean section in Ireland was 35.5%, and the national rate of epidural was 41.6% from a total of 55, 799 births [1]. There are considerable variations in rates reported across maternity units’ caesarean section range 28.4%-42.7%, epidural range 18.4%- 50.3%(HSE), 2020). In response to this, a community midwife from the IEHG hospital group designed and produced (Patented) a visual framework ‘Labour Hopscotch’(LHF) in 2019.
Researchers at UCD SNMHS and the National Maternity Hospital completed an evaluation of the Labour Hopscotch Framework. From a total of 809 women, 38.5% reported having epidural analgesia while using the LHF, this was lower than the hospital epidural rate of 52%. Furthermore 77% had a physiological birth, 9% had a caesarean birth which was lower than the hospital rate of 29%. In addition, all key stakeholders have reported that implementing the LHF has resulted in positive change: women are more initiative-taking during childbirth, using steps of the LHF with coaching from their birth partner or midwives, enhancing confidence and nurturing their relationships. In 2020, the Department of Health, supported a national rollout of the LHF through the National Women’s Infant Programme.
The current project led by Dr Denise O’Brien SNMHS will now build on this initial collaboration and develop greater networks within UCD, the IEHG, and community care services. The purpose of this study is to further evaluate and examine how to digitalise the LHF to enhance its accessibility, feasibility and acceptability within the Ireland East Hospital Group: National Maternity Hospital (NMH), Regional Hospital Mullingar (RHM), Wexford General Hospital (WGH) and St Luke’s General Hospital Kilkenny (SLGHK). As we move towards a new model of integrated care within maternity services, the goal for ‘living well’ requires behavioural change in many lifestyle choices. Collaborative partnerships between academics, clinicians, and community care, affords us the opportunity to work together with women/ families to support self-management to improve public health. The project, based on an imaginative idea from midwifery practise, is solution focused and influences change. Since its inception, the LHF has been integrated as a complementary approach in the National Maternity Hospital, supporting active management of Labour, maternal confidence around decision-making, contribution to cultural shifts in approaches to childbirth. The project supports translation of evidence into practice across the IEHG maternity services.
Clinical Simulation to Support Training & Credentialing in Clinical Handover in an AHSS
This project is led Associate Professor Suzanne Donnelly, UCD School of Medicine, and brings together an education leadership team from UCD Medicine and IEHG with expertise and extensive experience in resource design, delivery and evaluation, including clinical simulation.
This project is to develop and deliver an educational resource for training in the critical professional competence of clinical handover. The overarching aim of this project is to credential all students in the 2023 UCD Medicine graduating class and incoming interns to the UCD Intern training network in clinical handover.
Project Team
- Associate Professor Suzanne Donnelly, UCD School of Medicine (UCD PI; Lead)
- Dr Lynn Redahan, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital
- Dr Ger O'Connor, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital/Ireland East Hospital Group
- Dr Tomás Breslin, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital/Ireland East Hospital Group
- Adam Tattersall, UCD School of Medicine
Project Summary
The project brings together an education leadership team from UCD Medicine and IEHG with expertise and extensive experience in resource design, delivery and evaluation, including clinical simulation.
We came together as a project team to develop and deliver an educational resource for training in the critical professional competence of clinical handover. Clinical handover- the transfer of professional responsibility and accountability for some or all aspects of care for a patient- occurs at a myriad of points in patient care in our AHSS daily, and the relationship between quality clinical handover and patient safety is well established in the international literature.
Funding awarded to this project will be used to develop an e-learning clinical simulation resource to train new entrants to medical practice (interns and arriving International Medical Graduates, IMGs) in the first instance. The educational resource will be delivered as a UCD Medicine Micro-Credential- ‘proof of the learning outcomes that a learner has acquired following a short learning experience’- for healthcare professionals. This project is, of necessity, focussed on a single cohort of staff with similar training needs, however the concept and supporting educational framework can be extended system-wide to support all healthcare professions and the many transitions of care in an AHSS.
The overarching aim of this project is to credential all students in the 2023 UCD Medicine graduating class and incoming interns to the UCD Intern training network in clinical handover. We plan to follow this with a roll out to IEHG AHSS new entrants to medical practice in 2023/24. We are confident that this exciting collaborative project between UCD School of Medicine and IEHG Post Graduate Educational leads can, in due course, underpin the ambitious vision to micro-credential all IEHG AHSS clinical staff in clinical handover leading to improved quality and safety of patient care at care transitions.