SETU hosted its fourth annual Research Excellence Awards 2025, at a ceremony at the University’s campus in Carlow.
The awards are designed to recognise and celebrate SETU’s outstanding research contributions across various academic disciplines. This year’s ceremony honours the hard work, innovation, and impact of SETU’s academic community, showcasing the University’s commitment to fostering innovative and pioneering research that addresses national and global challenges.
“SETU is extremely fortunate to have such a high calibre of researchers, postgraduate supervisors, and teaching excellence across our faculties. Our staff’s commitment to finding solutions and improving people’s lives is commendable and while the awards today will acknowledge their contribution to their given areas of research, the true driver of their innovation is the realisation of their research into tangible improvements in people’s lives.”
Prof. Campbell continued, “These awards recognise the intrinsic connectedness of research and innovation in our society. They showcase the range of impactful research activity from SETU to the wider region, economy, and society. We have set down the markers of excellence for our new University and for the next generation of researchers to aspire to.”
Professor Veronica Campbell, President of SETU.
The awards highlighted the achievements of SETU’s researchers, from faculty members and postdoctoral researchers to research supervisors, offering recognition across five categories. These included:
- Established Researcher Award
- Early-career Researcher Award
- Engaged Research and Impact Award: Research Impact: Industry and Commercialisation
- Engaged Research and Impact Award: Policy and Practice
- Research Supervisor Award
Dr Geraldine Canny, Head of Research at SETU introduced 32 nominees across the five awards categories, announcing overall winners for each. Awards were presented to researchers by Prof. Campbell and Prof. Marie Claire Van Hout, SETU’s Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Impact.
“At SETU, a key focus is to elevate our research and innovation capabilities over the coming years. We are finalising our strategic plan for research, ‘Connecting Research to Impact’. This plan further develops SETU’s strategic objectives and seeks to consolidate excellence across research, innovation, knowledge transfer, entrepreneurship, rural engagement and graduate studies. I am heartened to see the great work of nominees and awardees today, congratulations to you all.”
Prof. Marie Claire Van Hout, SETU Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Impact.
In addition, Mark Bowkett, Founder of Aquamonitrix and Managing Director of TelLab, and longstanding regional industry partner of research at SETU, addressed attendees. He shared the importance of supporting research projects by illustrating the transformative societal impact of this work.
TelLab is a multidivisional company which includes contract testing laboratories and chemical reagent manufacturing laboratories. Much of its success to date is due in no small part to Mark’s passion for innovation and research. By combining chemistry and analytical testing expertise with a well-funded R&D department, TelLab has launched several technologies onto the national and international marketplace. Collaborations with academic research teams have also been a key part of TEL’s research activities.
“The SETU Research Excellence Awards aimed to celebrate the power of innovation and the dedication of our research community while recognising the transformative impact research can have in shaping a brighter, more sustainable future and I am confident that we accomplished exactly that. These awards not only recognised the exceptional individual achievements of research at SETU but sought to inspire a culture of excellence, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing that drives progress and prosperity to the southeast region and beyond”
Dr Luke Power, SETU RSU Projects Manager.
SETU’s Research Excellence Awards serve to inspire future research endeavours at the University. They act as a platform for SETU to enhance its reputation as a leading research hub, cultivating research excellence and attracting further collaborations, partnerships, and funding.
2025 Awardees
Prof. Gardiner is a Senior Lecturer in Microbiology at SETU, Gillian leads a successful multi-disciplinary agri-food research group within the Eco-Innovation Research Centre at SETU.
Research Co-Ordinator in the School of Science and Computing, Dr Cullen was presented with the Early-career Researcher award. James' research involved determining the microbiota and metabolite content of liquid compared to dry pig feed as well as the impact of feed type on the pig gut microbiome.
Lecturer in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at SETU, Dr Culliton’s extensive research portfolio includes the areas of Smart and Advanced Materials, Advanced Manufacturing, Electro-chemistry, and Surface Engineering/Degradation Phenomena, and their application in applied research and the development of Smart Materials and Renewable Energy.
Dr Kinsella is the Programme Director of the B.Sc. in Sports and Rehabilitation and Athletic Therapy at SETU. Sharon's research aims to examine different interventions to improve the quality of life for autistic children and adults. She is the lead supervisor for the Autism Research Group at SETU.
Dr Flynn is the Head of the Department of Arts, as well as a Senior Lecturer at SETU. Susan's research centres on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), and social and cultural practices. She is author/editor of nine books as well as multiple peer reviewed academic articles and book chapters, all of which are concerned with the central topic of equality and the self.
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