DCU-Led Research Projects Awarded in Excess of €749,000 Under Health Research Board Funding
The funding will support innovative and internationally competitive research across patient-oriented research, population health, and health services.
Addressing Peer-to-Peer Abuse in Adult Care
Prof Amanda Phelan, from the School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, was awarded €428,710.88 for her project, 'Improving adult safeguarding response systems in peer-to-peer abuse and aggression in residential care', alongside an additional €40,000 from the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Adult safeguarding focuses on supporting individual autonomy and protecting adults at risk from abuse and neglect. Peer-to-peer abuse and aggression (PPAA) is defined by HIQA (2024) as: "offensive, aggressive, and intrusive verbal, physical, sexual, and material interactions between service users that in a community setting would likely be unwelcome and potentially cause physical or psychological distress or harm."
Despite PPAA representing the most common referral concern to the HSE, there is a lack of existing Irish research on the topic, and global studies remain sparse.
Prof Phelan said: "Using a mixed-methods approach, this four-year study will explore how PPAA is experienced in Irish adult residential care settings. We aim to develop prevention and early intervention guidance and training for nursing homes and residential facilities supporting people with mental health difficulties or intellectual disabilities."
Understanding Adolescent Physical Activity
Dr Mika Manninen, from the School of Health and Human Performance, was awarded €280,797.81 for his project, ‘Understanding and Enhancing Adolescent Physical Activity Through Expectancy-Value Theory and a Utility-Value Intervention’.
Dr Manninen said: "Many young people become less physically active as they transition out of primary school. This project asks why physical activity feels worthwhile to some adolescents while others disengage, and whether physical education can be adapted to better support student activity levels."
Grounded in Expectancy-Value Theory, the two-year project explores whether young people believe they can be physically active and whether they value that movement in their daily lives.
Following two systematic reviews and meta-analyses of international research, the study will examine post-primary students in Ireland using objective physical activity trackers and surveys. The findings will inform a pilot classroom intervention involving brief reflective writing exercises during PE lessons, encouraging students to connect physical activity with their personal goals and interests.
Designed to fit seamlessly into existing curricula without requiring extra staff or equipment, the pilot will test if these writing tasks strengthen student motivation. If successful, it could offer schools a practical, low-cost strategy to combat adolescent physical inactivity, with potential applications for sleep and nutrition habits.
Together, these projects highlight the vital role of investigator-led research in generating actionable discoveries, improving healthcare delivery, and addressing emerging public health challenges in Ireland.