DCU News
News at DCU
DCU research project receives SFI funding
DCU research project receives SFI funding

DCU research project receives SFI funding

Science Foundation Ireland has today announced details of a €28 million investment in research equipment and facilities. A total of 21 exemplary projects will be supported including a research project from DCU.

Kieran Moran, Senior Lecturer in DCU’s School of Health & Human Performance and Principal Investigator, Insight Centre for Data Analytics, has been awarded €223,910 for a human motion analysis system which facilitates the development of personal sensing connected health technologies for patients and athletes.

Project details: Movement is fundamental to life, health and sport. Understanding how it is controlled is central to many scientific disciplines: exercise science, clinical gait, musculoskeletal medicine, sports biomechanics, gerontology, neuroscience, human computer interactions, and ergonomics. The state-of-the-art motion-analysis system will drive research in these areas by accurately quantifying movements (<2mm) and the muscular forces that produce them. It also provides real-time augmented feedback to help patients/athletes optimise movement effectiveness. Finally, the system will be used as a gold standard in developing novel low-cost motion-analysis technologies for use at home and outside the laboratory in areas of Connected Health and Personal Sensing.

The infrastructure funding of €28 million will support research projects in sectors including applied geo-sciences, pharmaceutical manufacturing, bio-banking, marine renewable energy, internet of things, astronomy, big data and additive manufacturing using nano-materials. It was awarded competitively following rigorous international review to research groups where the research equipment and facilities are required to address major research opportunities and challenges; including partnerships with industry and /or international funders.  This new infrastructure will ensure that Irish researchers continue to be internationally competitive, with access to modern equipment and facilities which will enable them to be successful in securing future funding from leading companies and Europe, including Horizon 2020.