DCU researchers top Research Ireland New Foundations award with research covering journalists in exile and circular economy among eleven projects funded

The New Foundations call promotes close collaboration between researchers, civic society groups, and policymakers. The programme includes co-funding from a range of Government Departments and agencies, including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Irish Aid), Department of Education, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the Policing and Community Safety Authority (PCSA), Department of Rural and Community Development, and the Heritage Council. 

The cohort of DCU projects cover a wide range of topics ranging from Irish teachers’ knowledge of dyslexia, to support for journalists working in exile, to multilingual methods of tackling misinformation and disinformation.

The funded projects include:

‘A Wasted Transition?  Community-based circular economy opportunities for  renewable energy  infrastructure repair and recovery work’ - Dr Kathleen Stokes

Amidst the widespread roll-out of renewable  energy, the work associated with infrastructural  repair, decommissioning and waste largely  remains under-considered. This project will  investigate repair and recovery work associated  with Ireland’s renewable energy infrastructures.

‘What do Irish teachers  know about dyslexia?’ - Dr Paula Lehane

Research suggests that there may be up to three  dyslexic students in every classroom. In order for  teachers to effectively identify and teach these  learners, they need to have an accurate understanding of dyslexia. However, it is unclear if  Irish teachers have this necessary knowledge. In  partnership with the Dyslexia Association of  Ireland, Irish teachers' knowledge of dyslexia will  be determined by gathering survey and focus  group data from teachers working in a  representative sample of primary schools. 

‘Tracking Corruption  Experiences and  Attitudes in Ireland and  Northern Ireland’ - Prof Robert Gillanders

According to existing data, people in Northern  Ireland are far more likely to experience corruption  and believe that it is widespread than people in  Great Britain. However, we lack data to make  comparisons between Ireland and Northern  Ireland. This project will conduct an  all-island representative survey to understand the  extent and causes of corruption in Ireland and  develop policy recommendations for the short and  long run. 

‘Enhancing Civic Society:  Towards alternative community-based models of early childhood education and  care (ECEC)’ - Dr Marlene McCormack

This project is a collaboration between DCU (lead  academic) and UofG (partner), along with  StartBright (lead community-based group) and  Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta (partner). Drawing  on an engaged methodology, the project will establish networks between academia and civic  society partners to collaboratively analyse a  sustainable community-based model of ECEC,  incorporating strengths and challenges in  provision. Findings will be disseminated through a  report, and a final conference/seminar.

‘Safeguarding Licensees’ Rights in Ireland’s Rental Sector’ - Dr Valesca Lima

This project addresses the information deficit faced  by residential licensees in Ireland’s rental sector.  Licensees are individuals renting a room from an  existing tenant. Many of them lack understanding of  their rights, obligations, and recourse to justice,  making them vulnerable to rental exploitation. Taking  an active approach regarding the principle of  empowerment through knowledge, the project aims to  raise awareness of licensees’ rights, enhance rental  policies, and improve access to justice via accessible  information.

‘Acknowledging and Leveraging Emotions for  successful and just  Renewable Transitions’ - Dr Louise Fitzgerald

How to foster engagement with climate issues and  promote pro-environmental behaviour remains a  central challenge of climate policy-making and  environmental advocacy efforts. Current  approaches focus on raising climate awareness  and incentivising climate-friendly behaviour, such  as the carbon tax. However, these approaches  underestimate the role of emotions in how people  relate to the renewable transition. This oversight  undermines the potential to engage people for pro- environmental behaviour and risks pushback  against the transition.

‘Digital Sensitivity and  Security for Exile  Networking and Tracking’ - Dr Saumava Mitra

Censored for their work by repressive regimes, more  journalists have been forced to report from exile in the  last few years than ever before.  This project will produce a set of  evidence-based recommendations to ensure exiled  journalists’ digital security, and a prototype secure  information exchange platform, will be made.

‘Understanding and  countering  dis/misinformation from  a multilingual  perspective’ - Dr Iker Erdocia

While generative AI offers opportunities to enhance  democratic processes, it also presents numerous  risks to democracies. This project seeks to mitigate  the harmful societal impacts of the digital transition by  understanding and countering dis/misinformation from  a comparative European perspective, with a specific  focus on medium-sized and minority languages,  particularly Irish.

‘From marketised models  to competent systems  for the public good - an  interdisciplinary  response to critical questions of early childhood education and  care in Ireland’ - Dr Matthias Urban

High-quality early childhood education and care  (ECEC) benefits children, families, and society;  conversely, poor-quality ECEC provision results in  poorer outcomes for children and poses risks to their  well-being and development. As Ireland sees record  levels of investment and spending in ECEC,  government must ensure public spending results in  high-quality provision that benefits children, families,  and society. 

‘Urban Market  Matriarchs: Sustaining  Livelihoods and  Inclusion for Third-Age  Female Street Traders in  Vientiane and Dublin’ - Dr Fiona Murphy

This project is a comparative study of third age  female street traders in Vientiane and Dublin. We  examine how these women negotiate liminal  spaces within the informal job sector. Over 80% of  all vendors in Vientiane are female, suffering from  the same social and economic inequalities as  those in this sector globally. Female vendors on  Moore Street in Dublin’s city centre also  experience similar precarity. Both cities have  experienced significant inward migration with  informal markets acting as epicentres for newly  arrived migrants.

‘Minor placenames in  Ireland: promoting and  facilitating ‘citizen  humanities’ in  safeguarding intangible  cultural heritage’ - Dr Jonathan Cherry

Minor place names are an integral component of  our intangible cultural heritage that strengthen  cultural identity and place attachment at individual,  group and community levels. This interdisciplinary  project will devise a series of guides and  workshops to promote and facilitate a citizen  humanities approach to the collection of minor  placenames in Ireland. The existing network of  local heritage officers will play a pivotal role in  promoting this at a local level amongst interested  individuals and various community groups. The  project will leverage the existing Meitheal  Logainm.ie platform, which was designed for the  decentralised collection and dissemination of minor  placenames.