Research Newsletter – Issue 108: Information and Updates
Please click on the headings below for further detail:
On 24 September 2025, UKRIO launched a new Authorship Integrity Toolkit, a set of resources designed to help research contributors adopt and promote good authorship practice.
It includes a Guidance Document on Good Authorship Practice, a Model Authorship Dispute Procedure, and a Template Authorship Strategy Agreement.
During the webinar launching the new toolkit, the project team outlined each of the resources in the toolkit, discussed the collaborative process behind their development, and shared practical strategies for using them to uphold research integrity.
The Webinar recording and the Toolkit is of interest to postgraduate students, supervisors and other researchers at DCU.
On 15 October 2025, UKRIO hosted an Expert Webinar exploring new guidance from the University of Nottingham on key threats to research integrity in online studies – including misrepresentation of eligibility, multiple or repeated participation, disengaged or careless responses, and automated ‘bot’ activity.
The project team outlined the guidance, discussing the process behind its development, and shared practical strategies for using it to uphold research integrity.
A recording of the webinar is available for viewing and would be of interest to all DCU researchers engaging in online research projects.
The European Commission has adopted the 2026 European Innovation Council work programme, which details funding opportunities worth over €1.4 billion for strategic technologies and scaling up companies, including the EIC Pathfinder Open call (€166 million, deadline: 12/05/2026) and three Challenge calls for 2026 (€96 million, deadline 28/10/2026):
- Advanced Materials for Miniaturised Energy Harvesting Systems
- Biotechnology for Healthy Ageing
- DeepRAP: Deep Reasoning, Abstraction & Planning towards trustworthy Cognitive AI Systems
Find out more on the EIC webpage.
This newly-published dissemination and exploitation starter kit is a practical guide designed to help researchers maximise the economic and societal impact of their projects by supporting them in carrying out dissemination and exploitation activities.
It serves as a resource for exploring the key tools that will help projects fulfil their D&E expectations under Horizon Europe.
Download the starter kit and take the first step towards amplifying the impact of your research in the current projects or new proposals.
From predicting protein structures to revolutionising peer review, AI is accelerating discovery and transforming research across disciplines.
With these developments come new challenges including algorithmic bias, the proliferation of hallucinations and fabricated data, and the potential erosion of critical thinking skills.
Discover how the EU aims to harness AI for research excellence while safeguarding ethics and inclusivity in their new publication: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Scientific Research.
Following the previous announcement about the launch of the Pure Implementation Project, which will result in Pure replacing TORA and Research Engine in 2026, we want to provide the update that the project is progressing well and is being actively built with users’ needs kept central to all decisions.
To ensure this, we are engaging with stakeholders from across the university in the foundational design phase.
Collaboration Across Campus
The project team has put in place a Working Group and Advisory Board with members from all Faculties and relevant support units that will be affected by the implementation of the new system.
This includes the Library, Finance, Digital Technology Solutions, DCU People, Office of the Executive Director of Engagement, Graduate Studies, Quality and Insights Office, Communications, Marketing and Events, DCUBS Accreditation, DCU Innovate and the Associate Deans for Research from each Faculty.
These groupings are providing valuable inputs and ensuring that the system is designed and implemented with all relevant viewpoints considered, both operationally and strategically.
Researchers Voice
To guarantee direct, continuous, and representative feedback from the academic and research community, we are establishing a Researcher Council.
We have invited all Research Convenors and members of the Open Research Steering Group to participate in this Council, providing a direct channel for input on critical design areas.
There will also be an open opportunity for the research community to provide direct feedback and influence the final design during the later stages of the project.
Continue As Is
For now, please continue to use Research Engine and TORA as normal. We appreciate your engagement and will provide further updates and information on the benefits of Pure and project progress in future Research Newsletters.
If you have any queries, please feel free to contact us at researchsystems@dcu.ie.
The RDS team appreciate the strong response to the RDS Communication Survey. As the survey deadline approaches, we want to ensure we capture the full range of experiences and needs across the University.
Your research success is our priority. This brief survey is designed to help us understand how we can best support your work by identifying the most effective ways to communicate the opportunities and services available, now and in the future.
If you haven't yet completed the survey, this is your chance to ensure your voice shapes how we structure our support and streamline our communication by completing this survey now.
Just a reminder to complete DCU:Innovate's Brand Perception Survey, if you have not already done so.
Whether you have worked directly with the team, are aware of their work, or are learning about DCU:Innovate for the first time, your insights and experiences are invaluable.
Complete the survey by Thursday, 20th November, and you could be the lucky winner of a €50 One4All voucher, or a DCU:Innovate hoodie.