In the News..

University of Galway has recognised seven primary and secondary schools for their outstanding commitment to creating welcoming, inclusive, and safe environments for all students. The awards ceremony was held at the University’s Institute for Lifecourse and Society, celebrating the official designation of the seven schools as Champion Schools of Sanctuary. A Champion School of Sanctuary is the highest level of the Schools of Sanctuary programme, which follows a "Learn, Action, Share" framework to foster a culture of welcome, challenge prejudice and build understanding about forced migration. These schools demonstrated actively embedding inclusion across the school community. The seven designated Champion Schools of Sanctuary are: Coláiste Muire Máthair, Galway Galway Educate Together Secondary School Ballyhaunis Community School, Co. Mayo Brusna National School, Co. Roscommon Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School, Limerick Sancta Maria College, Louisburgh, Co. Mayo Ballinlough National School, Co. Roscommon The awards ceremony was hosted by the Office of the Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and the Access Centre at University of Galway, in collaboration with Schools of Sanctuary Ireland and Galway City Partnership. The event underscores the University’s commitment to advancing equality and inclusion within the education sector and beyond. Dr Helen Maher, Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at University of Galway, said: “At University of Galway, we are deeply committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging - not only across our campus, but within the wider education system. The Champion Schools of Sanctuary embody these same values, creating learning environments where every student feels seen, supported, and valued. By recognising and celebrating these schools, we are also acknowledging the powerful role education plays in shaping compassionate, empathetic communities.” Imelda Byrne, Head of the Access Centre at University of Galway, said: “At University of Galway Access Centre, we are deeply committed to fostering inclusion at every level of education. The Schools of Sanctuary initiative reflects that same spirit - it’s about ensuring every learner feels seen, supported, and valued. We’re proud to celebrate these schools for creating spaces where belonging isn’t just encouraged, it’s lived every day.” Cllr. Helen Ogbu, Galway City Council, who has supported the work in schools, said: “Across counties and communities, these schools are demonstrating real leadership in creating inclusive and welcoming environments for every student. I’m proud to support their achievements today and to acknowledge the important partnerships driving this meaningful work.” Sara Hakim, Director of Schools of Sanctuary Ireland, said: “In a current climate of anti-migrant activity and unrest, the granting of this official status to these seven schools is timely. These schools have made a commitment to ensuring their school shines as a beacon of inclusion, welcome and equality.” Dr. Veronica Crosbie, Chairperson of Places of Sanctuary Ireland, said: “This awards ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate the fantastic integration initiatives happening across the Irish educational landscape, often quietly under the radar of local and national media.” The awards ceremony was funded by the Office of the Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Access Centre at University of Galway, and Galway City Partnership. Ends

University of Galway has welcomed 19 research students to campus as part of the 2025 Hardiman PhD Scholarship. The new scholars have come from 11 different countries to take part in the scheme and the opportunity to pursue a structured doctorate at the University on topics aligned to our research pillars of Innovation for health; Creativity, culture & society; Sustainable & resilient environments: earth & ocean; and Transformative data & AI. Applications for the 2026 round of Hardiman PhD Scholarships will open on Monday December 1st, 2025, and will remain open until Friday February 6th, 2026 at 5pm. For more information or to apply for a Hardiman PhD Scholarship visit: www.universityofgalway.ie/hardiman-scholarships Professor Dónal Leech, Dean of Graduate Studies at University of Galway, said: “I welcome our excellent Hardiman Research scholar recipients to the University. The 19 scholars were selected from a large pool of applicants seeking to develop their research skills and independence through our renowned structured PhD programmes across our four research pillars, to deliver distinctive research impact. The scholarship is a recognition of excellence for the awardees and provides fee and stipend support over four years for the researchers to generate new knowledge that improves our world.” The Hardiman PhD Scholarships are open across all four Colleges at University of Galway. The 2025 Hardiman PhD scholars and their subject areas include: College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies Makalay Sonda, Sierra Leone - Analysing the gendered impacts of online violence against women in politics with case studies of Ireland and Sierra Leone. Nicole O'Byrne, America - Embodied New Mythology for Climate Activism: Deep Ecology and Ritual Performance in Contemporary theatre in Ireland. In the field of Drama and Theatre Studies. Maitiú Mac Cárthaigh, Ireland - Good Queers? The Sexual Politics of Irish Rural Futures – a research-led creative practice. Allison Fairfield Hart, Canada - Research on the acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness of an online course for parents to address food selectivity in their children. Daniel Gallen, Ireland - An oral history of Irish LGBTQ+ emigration to New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans. Philip Keegan, Ireland - The Interplay of Policy, Media, and Public Opinion on Migrants and Migration in Ireland. Cara Coffey, Ireland - Adapting the Preschool Life Skills Programme: Enhancing Inclusion in Early Childhood Education in Ireland. College of Business, Public Policy and Law Pratik Purswani, India - Studying disruptive climate protests under international human rights law. Abass Kargbo, Sierra Leone - The Long-Term Effects of Additional Schooling in the Developing World. Eden Mulugeta, Ethiopia - Digital memorials and their role in intergenerational memory, transitional justice, and peacebuilding in post-conflict African societies. Amil Jafarguliyev, Azerbaijan - Remedying Barriers to Entry Posed by Lock-in Effects in Digital Markets Through Mandated Interoperability and Data Portability under European Union Law. College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Patricia Harte, Ireland - Evaluating the impact of a community-based mental health promotion initiative, Act Belong Commit, on the mental wellbeing of participants. Lara Ressin, Germany - The influence of brain architecture on functional connectivity and how this relationship relates to cognition and bipolar disorder. Emily Cronin, Ireland - Investigating the role of damp hospital environments as persistent reservoirs for antimicrobial resistant bacteria that can colonise and infect patients. Aiden Vassilian, France - Engineering of CAR-T cells to hijack tumour immunosuppression, enhancing persistence, and improving outcomes in colorectal and ovarian cancers. College of Science and Engineering Abdul Mateen Khan, Pakistan - Sustainable construction through digitalization and BIM integration, focusing on energy efficiency, lifecycle optimization, and productivity in modern building practices. Brandon Collier, America - Characterising the adaptive traits of globally invasive widow spider species. Nikita Gondalia, India - Investigating the novel genes and pathways controlling haploid induction in plants, opening innovative strategies to enhance global crop breeding efficiency. George Aryee, Ghana - Predicting Peripheral Artery Disease outcomes using Electrocardiogram, lifestyle and clinical factors.  Ends

Spiorad Medical leads on breakthrough cardiovascular medical device to simplify procedures and improve patient recovery A consortium led by University of Galway medtech startup Spiorad Medical has secured a €1.7million euro investment through the Government’s Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF). Spiorad Medical aims to develop a next-generation vascular closure device to simplify cardiovascular procedures while improving outcomes and recovery for patients. The device is designed to stop bleeding quickly and safely during structural cardiovascular procedures such as TAVI or EVAR that use larger tubes or access devices. The successful consortium is a partnership involving Spiorad Medical, University of Galway and Dolmen Design and Innovation Ltd, combining breakthrough medtech and the University’s research expertise with Dolmen’s leading product design capabilities. Judi O’Malley, Co-founder and CEO of Spiorad Medical, said: “With this DTIF award, we can accelerate the development of advanced cardiovascular procedures and deliver better outcomes for patients. Our ambition as a consortium is to help transform vascular closure technology, delivering greater access, ease of use and improved solutions to the interventionalist’s challenge - resulting in better clinical outcomes and faster recovery for patients.” Professor Lokesh Joshi, Vice President for Research and Innovation at University of Galway, said: “Congratulations to Judi O’Malley, the Spiorad team, the University of Galway, and Dolmen Design and Innovation for this fantastic achievement under the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund. This is another great example of a University of Galway startup delivering real impact for patients and clinicians.” Spiorad Medical is an Enterprise Ireland HPSU client company based at University of Galway’s Business Innovation Centre. University of Galway research and innovation has led to 21 new spin-outs being created and 195 new inventions since 2020. University of Galway is also part of 35 consortia which have successfully applied to the Government’s Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund. University of Galway’s Galway’s Business Innovation Centre is supported under the KT Boost Programme, co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the Northern & Western Regional Programme 2021-2027. Ends