Two ATU academics, Dr Amaya Vega and Dr Niall Maloney, have been successful in securing National Challenge Funding for research projects in two thematic areas, Sustainable Communities (transport ) and Future Food Systems (aquaculture ). They are among ten finalists in the competitive programme announced by Higher Education Minister James Lawless.
Dr Amaya Vega, lecturer in ATU Galway School of Business and Dr Myra Lydon, University of Galway, are working on a project titled EMBRACE - Mobility: Equitable Managment of Bridges for Resilient Accessible Communities.
Dr Vega explains the aim of the project: "We all remember Storm Bert last November, which caused widespread flooding and landslides resulting in over 100 road closures across the west coast of Ireland, with the majority in rural areas. This extreme weather event highlights the major role that our road network plays in the resilience of rural communities in the aftermath of storms.
"EMRACE-Mobility develops a new decision support tool for bridge asset managers to prioritise the mobility vulnerability of rural communities by integrating spatial accessibility metrics into decision-making. EMBRACE-Mobility supports a holistic evaluation of societal impacts, enables community-level bridge risk assessment through stakeholder engagement, interdisciplinary insights, and a scalable, transferable approach."
The EMBRACE project is supported and advised by Dr Helen McHenry, Policy Analyst, Western Development Commission, as the Societal Impact Champion.
Dr Niall Maloney, lecturer in Physics and Instrumentation, ATU Galway School of Science and Computing, and Professor Enda McGlynn, School of Physical Sciences, Dublin City University, are working with Societal Impact Champion Catherine McManus (Mowi ) on a project titled "NAnoSA - Using Nanostructures for Sustainable Aquaculture"
Dr Maloney explains the project: "Regular biological testing is essential to maintaining high standards of animal welfare in aquaculture. However, current methods for detecting bacterial and viral pathogens can take several days, as samples must be sent to centralized laboratories, often outside of Ireland. Many aquatic diseases present with similar symptoms, making rapid and accurate on-site detection critical for effective disease management. Reliable point-of-care diagnostic tools are lacking in this sector, yet they are crucial for enabling faster, more precise treatment decisions."
For more information, visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/embracemobility.
